In the early days of Plymouth Housing, the founders had a hand in nearly every aspect of the organization. In addition to serving on the Board of Trustees, they cleaned buildings, collected rent, painted and repaired apartments, and more. As they worked in buildings, they got to know residents, hearing their experiences and suggestions firsthand.
But as we grew, those duties turned into full-time staff positions and whole departments. Likewise, the Board of Trustees developed and further professionalized, shifting focus from daily operations to big picture planning and policy-setting.
“What had been coming up in the board meetings a few times, is the board wanting to understand really what was going on in the buildings as we grew, and in tenants’ lives, and what their needs were,” Plymouth CEO Paul Lambros recalls, “And so I said, you know what would be interesting? To put one of the residents on the board.”
Delbert Cooper (left) and Michael Campbell (right) joined the Plymouth Housing Board of Trustees in 2002.
In 2002, Delbert Cooper and Michael Campbell became the first Plymouth residents to join the Board of Trustees.
“This is a chance for me to give tenants a voice,” Delbert reflected at the time. “I will be able to bring tenant ideas to the table and share with tenants how the board is working for them. After all, tenants should be involved in decisions the board makes about our housing and services.”
And as Delbert predicted, the ideas of resident board members have made lasting impacts on Plymouth.
Recognizing that they couldn’t speak for all Plymouth residents, resident board members helped develop the Annual Tenant Survey, which remains a vital tool for learning about the people we serve and hearing their needs and ideas. Every year, resident board members and staff jointly present the results to the rest of the board.
Another is the Recovery Program at the Pat Williams Apartments. With the lens of his personal experience, a Plymouth resident board member advocated for a community dedicated to those exiting homelessness who were also working to maintain their sobriety.
And, harder to quantify, but equally important, is the impact that resident board members have on the rest of their team.
“What I’ve heard from board members about who aren’t residents is the amazing perspective they gain from those residents sitting around the table, discussing things about growth, our mission, who we serve, different issues we’re dealing with in the community,” Paul Lambros said.
And for residents serving on the board, like Searetha Simons, the experience has been eye-opening and rewarding, as well.
Plymouth resident and board member, Searetha.
“I’ve learned so much,” Searetha shared. “It’s actually been a little emotional. It just feels so good to see that people really do care about people less fortunate than they are.”
Searetha has served on the board since 2014.
“My case manager knew that I wanted to do things to help other people so, she thought it would be a good idea for me,” she explained. “I like to speak up for myself and she thought that would be a good quality too.”
She also spoke to the value of having people with lived experience on the board.
“It’s important to have residents on the board so they can actually know how residents feel, because if they don’t have them on there, then how are they going to know really how they’re feeling?” Searetha explained. “They can go by, they can visit, but unless you absolutely have someone that is a resident, it really wouldn’t work.”
We’re honored to work alongside Plymouth residents as we combat homelessness.