BHA Fair Housing, Equity and Inclusion Officer Robert Terrell was recently granted the annual Public Policy Award granted by Citizens Housing And Planning Association (CHAPA) for 2021. The Public Policy award is for the CHAPA member who represents leadership in ending housing discrimination and ensuring people have meaningful choice in where they live.
Terrell has been with CHAPA for 4 years on different committees within the association. He is apart is the Community Advisory Committee, where they help the city with fair housing. At BHA, Terrell has spearheaded the agency’s equity and inclusion efforts, and put the agency on the cutting edge in its efforts to affirmatively further fair housing In Boston.
“I took this award very seriously,” Terrell said. “It made me sit back and think about the work that has been done and of the work that still needs to be done”.
CHAPA’s mission is to “encourage the production and preservation of housing that is affordable to low and moderate income families and individuals and to foster diverse and sustainable communities through planning and community development.” Every year CHAPA holds an annual fundraiser dinner where CHAPA members celebrate exemplary leaders in housing. Many BHA employees were in attendance along with Governor Baker.
“No matter the circumstances or obstacles, we need to push this work forward,” Bob shared in his remarks during his acceptance speech.” We’ve seen tough times before. We can get through it.”