PROGRAMS AND SERVICES

YOUTH ACTIVITIES PROGRAM

The Lowell Housing Authority is proud to offer many activities for the kids who live in our properties. We see this as a unique way of reaching out to our children and giving them a rewarding and rich experience by participating in the many fun and exciting activities we offer.

The Lowell Housing Authority's Youth Activities program has a full-time Youth Activities Director and Assistant Director who provide structured recreation and sports programs throughout the year to youth at the LHA's family developments. These activities are provided after-school, evenings, weekends, school vacations, and during the summer. These recreational, sports and enrichment programs are usually geared for children and teens, ages 5-18. The activities are held at the facilities and developments of the Lowell Housing Authority including the North Common Village's Mercier Community Center and the Youth Center at 606 Market Street, Lowell, as well as at the George W. Flanagan Development Davis Community Center and the exterior properties surrounding the family developments. Off-site activities such as field trips are also scheduled throughout the year.

These programs offer recreational and sports opportunities to at-risk youth living in the LHA's low-income public housing developments. These programs are designed to provide healthy alternatives to the use of drugs, alcohol, and gang involvement.

FAMILY RESOURCE PARENTING PROGRAM

One on the many great programs we offer to our residents is the "Family Resource Parenting Program"(FRP) provided in partnership with the LHA by the staff of Casey Family Services. The services offered by the FRP program include family strengthening and support, child and youth development, advocacy, information and referral for families and community development. These services are offered to all of our residents and provide numerous opportunities for many families to get involved. Parent education and support groups are held that focus on things such as limit-setting skills, enhancing parent/child communication, understanding cultural strengths and differences in parenting and developing conflict resolution skills. These groups provide parents and children with opportunities for mutual support and help build on self-esteem and confidence for our parents. The Family Resource Parenting Program has offices at the North Common Village and George W. Flanagan Developments where they provide a warm and welcoming place for families to come in and share their thoughts and feelings and participate in the many fun activities the centers offer.

SUPPORTIVE LIVING SERVICES PROGRAM

The LHA is pleased to have a wonderful program for elders and disabled adults called the Supportive Living Services Program. The goal of this program is to provide our elders and disabled residents with quality supportive services so that they may continue to live at the LHA with the highest level of independence. We like to provide services that allow our older residents the opportunity to live longer on their own without the need of going into a nursing home. The program offers a person who coordinates programs for our seniors and disabled residents. We are currently in partnership with Elder Services of the Merrimack Valley who provides the LHA with the experienced staffing to offer these special services on-site to LHA residents. Many of our residents are able to participate in congregate meals, exercise programs, cosmetology services, social and recreational activities, and many informational and educational clinics and presentations. This program has been a great success and many of our residents have enjoyed the activities and life enriching opportunities it presents.

COMMUNITY POLICING PROGRAM

The LHA is fortunate to have a capable and professional staff of police officers from the City of Lowell and civilian LHA staff who operate out of a community policing office located at the Mercier Community Center on the grounds of the North Common Village. These officers and LHA staff dedicate their time to make the LHA a safe and enjoyable community for all of our residents to enjoy. The officer's patrol LHA properties and respond to resident concerns over possible crime and safety issues. They provide residents with the reassurance that the LHA is ready to respond to any problem regardless of the time of day. The police precinct is staff by a Lowell Police Department Lieutenant and a number of officers who patrol each of our developments. In addition, the LHA have dispatchers on duty in order to take complaints and address the problems as they arise. We believe the LHA is a safer place to live because of the dedication of our safety staff.

COMMUNITY SERVICE AND SELF SUFFICIENCY PROGRAM

In accordance with HUD Regulations all public housing residents of the Lowell Housing Authority are required to participate in a community service and/or self-sufficiency program. This regulation requires all non-exempt residents of public housing to contribute eight (8) hours of Community Service each month or participate in a Self-Sufficiency program for eight (8) hours each month.

Community Service is service for which a resident volunteers and receives no compensation. Community Service can include: volunteering in a local school, hospital, agency or child care center, working with youth organizations, improving the physical environment through participation in outdoor programs, and many other volunteer positions.

The LHA Community Service staff assists residents in meeting their community service requirements by working with them to obtain volunteer work sites where they can volunteer their time to satisfy the requirements.

FAMILY SELF SUFFICIENCY PROGRAMS

The Family Self Sufficiency (FSS) Program offers many opportunities for residents to get involved and become more self-sufficient. A Self-Sufficiency Program is one that includes activities that are designed to encourage, assist, train, or facilitate economic independence. These activities can include: participation in job apprenticeships and job readiness training, substance abuse and mental health counseling and treatment, English proficiency, household budgeting and credit counseling, and other self-sufficiency programs.

The FSS program also offers many seminars and workshops to residents who are looking to become more self-sufficient. The program has offered seminars in financial literacy, preparation for college courses, and credit counseling and repair. The program is available to residents who are looking to improve their job prospects, to purchase the own home and to improve themselves in many ways and ultimately to gain the ability to be self-sufficient.

HOMEOWNERSHIP PROGRAM

The LHA encourages and supports residents who are interested in home ownership. In cooperation with the Residents First Development Corporation, the LHA is involved in supporting the building of new single family homes. The Homeownership Program provides residents with the education and support needed to become financially capable of purchasing their own home. Residents are carefully directed through the process of becoming qualified for mortgage financing, finding a prospective home for purchase, the home inspection procedures, the application for a mortgage, and all the other details needed to eventually move in a home of their own.