A resident owned, rental housing development located in Haverhill, MA
CAI’S COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT
Community Action, Inc. helped the tenants purchase Presidential Gardens over 25 years ago through a major tenant organizing campaign. CAI has a contract with PGNA to provide financial services and staff to help operate the programs for resident services.
CAI’s Presidential Gardens Neighborhood Association is owned by the tenants who live at the property. They formed the Presidential Gardens Neighborhood Association (PGNA) as a private, non-profit corporation to be the legal owner. The PGNA is administered by a board of directors who are residents of Presidential Gardens and directly elected by tenants.
Presidential Gardens is a 200-unit, subsidized, rental housing development located on 25 acres in the Bradford section of Haverhill, MA. It has 140 two-bedroom, 40 three-bedroom, and 20 one-bedroom apartments. The property has 185 site-based Section 8 certificates. Rent costs are based on 30 percent of the tenant’s total income.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there availability at Presidential Gardens?
Unfortunately, the need for affordable housing is greater than ever. The turnover at Presidential Gardens is very small – maybe two or three tentants per year move out. The waiting list is long to get an apartment up to five years or more. The PGNA board is currently exploring the option of building new affordable units on PGNA property to help address the housing crisis in the city of Haverhill.
What is the youth council program?
The Youth Council Program is an after-school and summer program for youth who live at Presidential Garden ages 6-17 years old. The program provides home-work assistance, educational activites, recreational activies, sports, arts and crafts, field trips and snacks four days per week. The program is free and on average has about 30 participants enrolled.
What programs are offered?
Some of the programs PGNA offers include a youth council program, a food bank, holiday meal programs, winter coats for residents, community activities, site-wide dinners.
This summer’s program itinerary comprises a diverse range of activities, including visits to the Beach, Duck Tours, Launch Trampoline Park, Canobie Lake Park, Fishing, Ice cream outings, PGNA resident block party, dining at Wendy’s, a trip to the AMC Theater, a basketball event (BYOB – bring your own ball) focusing on skills and drills, a Jinga Contest emphasizing teamwork and communication, sessions for reflection and journaling, a visit to the Boston State House, and a tour of the Boston Aquarium.
What meal services are available to residents?
Food Bank
The food bank is open to all residents and available twice per month. The food is provided by the Merrimack Valley Food Bank and picked up by the PGNA transportation drivers and distributed by volunteers who are PGNA residents. About 35-40 families receive free food from the food bank each month.