Our values are our guiding principles and we are pleased with how they have evolved to better reflect our current needs and goals as an organization. They will also shape how we grow as we look to the future.

We create a safe and inclusive community.

Create a supportive community where everyone feels safe, that is dedicated to diversity, equity, and inclusion to ensure that all are welcome as their authentic selves and treated fairly.

We demonstrate trust.

Create confidence in each other by interacting with integrity, transparency, being accountable for our commitments, collaborating effectively, and ensuring responsibility to our residents, staff, partners, and donors​.

We advocate for equity in housing.

Amplify the voices of those who are without homes, work with partners to coordinate resources, influence policies and sustainable funding for Housing First and permanent supportive housing solutions, and work to undo the impacts of discriminatory housing practices​.

We serve with empathy and compassion.

Understand that circumstances shape lives, recognize the inherent dignity in everyone to meet them where they are, and adopt trauma-informed care and harm reduction approaches​ in all our interactions​.

We help each other thrive.

Commit to the well-being of our residents and staff, use setbacks and barriers as catalysts for growth, adapt and provide innovative solutions, and support each other to be our best selves​.

 

When we asked Brian, a Plymouth Building Manager who took part in refreshing our values, what our values mean to him, he focused on one in particular: We help each other thrive.

“Thriving is a very personal idea. What one person may see as thriving may not meet another’s definition. For some, thriving looks like going back to school, employment and reconnecting with family. For others, it can be as simple as having and keeping a place that is safe and healthy. I’ve seen tenants say no to others and demonstrate setting boundaries, where they could not before. These are the kinds of successes that should be taken into consideration. We support our tenants by asking them what they want their life to look like and what they want to achieve.”

Brian’s response perfectly captures why we decided to update our values: they help us better serve the diverse lived experiences of our staff, residents, and our community at large.

We’re grateful to our staff members Elizabeth Aguilar-Imsland, Jennifer DeFluri, Yvonne Freitas McGookin, Brian Hatfield, Sela Kennedy, and Pearl Roche for leading us through the process.