Kelda Fontenot is supported by Housing Authority residents

I am writing to encourage you to vote for Kelda Fontenot to be the newest member of the Arlington Housing Authority (AHA) Board. The AHA oversees housing for over 1,500 of our most underserved and ignored residents, including around 400 children in 67 different buildings in Arlington! Kelda Fontenot has over 10 years experience as a housing advocate. In her work she has dedicated herself to improving the lives of some of the most marginalized members of our society. She is experienced, intelligent, kind and empathetic. Kelda will use these skills to work cooperatively with Board members to provide fair and equitable treatment of all residents, safe and healthy living conditions, and opportunities for social interaction and personal growth. She will be a caring, compassionate, well-informed advocate for everyone.

Kelda is committed to work with other AHA Board members to follow through on the recommendations of Arlington’s League of Women Voters after they completed a comprehensive 5 year study of the problems with AHA. Kelda’s priorities include:

• Implementing a streamlined, effective, well-documented complaint process
• Creating a culture where calls/emails are responded to promptly and courteously, within 24-hours
• Building and maintaining an informative, content-rich website
• Updating the resident handbook with real information, including emergency information and contact information, and making it accessible to non English speaking residents
• Improving the partnership with the Board of Health to boost the quality of life for all AHA residents, even before problems arise
• Creating accountability metrics such as tracking resident complaints to make sure issues are addressed in a timely manner
• Completing professional training for Board members and employees on how best to interact with people with challenges including but not limited to hearing, sight, language, cultural, financial, religious and physical and mental abilities
• Promoting monthly chats with board members to create informal opportunities to engage with residents

Kelda has the support of many Housing Authority residents. They know that through her personal and professional experience, she understands the complexities of affordable housing and the challenges they face daily. They know that they have a champion in Kelda. Now it is up to the rest of us to center their voices and respect their wishes and vote for Kelda as well. To learn more, visit www.voteKelda.com

Sincerely,

Sandra Mostajo, Town Meeting Member (Precinct 16)
191 Park Avenue
Arlington, MA 02476