Though he had many ideas to discuss with U.S. Sen. Doug Jones, one thing resonated with Ron Sparks after he visited the Glen East Apartments in Dothan Monday.

“My biggest takeaway is how nice this facility is, and there are not enough of them,” Jones’ regional director for the Middle District of Alabama, said. “We’ve got to continue to do everything we can get as many facilities here – this nice – so that the people have a quality place to live the last few years of their life.”

Sparks met with Glen East residents to discuss the issues that concern senior citizens today. A few residents expressed the need for more housing like Glen East, a complex that provides subsidized rent for the elderly.

Glen East’s first phase opened in 2011, and a second phase opened in 2012 – providing 76 apartments. The development exists through a partnership between the Wiregrass Foundation, B’nai B’rith International and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

Sparks said the facility highlights the importance of public-private partnerships to meet the needs of American citizens, especially senior citizens.

“You can’t do too much for senior citizens. We stand on the shoulders of giants, and they’re the giants that we stand on,” he said. “I always believe in public-private partnerships. It usually gets the job done a little quicker than trying to depend on government all the way.”

After touring the facilities, including visiting a couple of different apartments, Sparks fielded questions from Glen East residents in a community room. Some expressed concerns about the future viability of the Social Security program, to which Sparks said he believed it should not be a problem for today’s senior citizens.

“There’s probably some reform needed for the (generations) behind us,” Sparks, 66, said. “I don’t think it’ll run out (of money).”

Another expressed concerns over the inability to buy healthy foods, especially in winter months and when unexpected costs arise. She suggested the government provide a $200 debit card for senior citizens to purchase the foods, an idea Sparks said he would refer to Jones for consideration.

Though Jones and Sparks – a former gubernatorial candidate and former Alabama Department of Agriculture and Industries commissioner –are Democrats, Glen East resident Gayle McCoy appreciated the chance to discuss issues that affect senior citizens.
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“I thought it was nice. I thought what he had to say was good,” she said. “(It’s important) to let us know what Doug Jones thinks and supports. We don’t know what all these politicians believe and stand for. If he’ll follow through on these things (discussed), that will be great.”

​On Jackson Park under a large, white tent, Gov. Charlie Baker and Janelle Chan, of the Massachusetts Department of Housing and Community Development, recently announced $120 million in governmental funding and tax credits to support affordable-housing projects across the commonwealth.

Why Jackson Park? The public green space rests at the bottom of a hill on top of which sits the former, vacant Machon School.

And the nonprofit B’nai B’rith Housing’s yet-to-break-ground redevelopment of the old elementary school into 38 affordable rental units for seniors was among the 28 housing projects that will benefit from the funding awards.

“This project is a perfect example of the creativity and the imagination and the diligence of the town of Swampscott and one of our nonprofits to make affordable housing happen for our seniors,” said Baker standing behind a podium before a capacity-tent crowd. “The big issue we have is not that we don’t do this, but that we don’t do it enough.”

The funding puts B’nai B’rith Housing closer to breaking ground on what will be called the Senior Residences at the Machon.

“The building will feature common spaces such as a library and fitness center,” wrote B’nai B’rith in a statement to the Swampscott Reporter. “In keeping with BBH’s high quality, service-enriched housing model, residents will have access to an on-site resident service coordinator who will partner closely with Swampscott area senior-service agencies to promote wellness, health, and educational programs for all the residents of the building.”

The collective awards announced — $80 million in direct governmental subsidies and $40 million in federal and state tax credits — will help preserve and produce 1,581 rental units, including 1,349 affordable units and 273 units for extremely low income households.

“We truly appreciate the state’s support and are excited to continue working with the town of Swampscott and area service providers to bring much-needed affordable housing to seniors and older adults in Swampscott,” said Executive Director of B’nai B’rith Housing Susan Gittelman.

A Swampscott Housing Production Plan published in 2016 indicates the town’s residents are growing older and will continue to do so over the next decade. That changing demographic demands more affordable housing.

“The over-65 population will nearly double by 2030, while the school-age population will increase modestly,” reads the production plan. “Almost half of senior households have an annual gross income of less than $40,000.”

The Senior Residences at the Machon will reserve eight of the 38 affordable units for “extremely low-income seniors,” according to the state.

“This project is an excellent use of the old Machon School building, supporting seniors who increasingly cannot afford Massachusetts’ skyrocketing housing costs,” said state Rep. Lori Ehrlich, D-Marblehead. “I am grateful to the administration for including this project in its award round, and I look forward to continuing to work with my colleagues and the administration to reduce housing costs on the North Shore and increase the supply of housing options.”

The funding announcement comes as movement around affordable housing and seniors has taken place in Swampscott. In his remarks, Selectman Peter Spellios mentioned the creation of the Swampscott Affordable Housing Trust Fund and Town Meeting’s adoption of inclusionary zoning.

Meanwhile, a selectmen-appointed Swampscott for All Ages Committee is busy at work. Members have been charged with spearheading the town’s endeavor of making sure Swampscott’s ready to serve residents who are part of an impending silver tsunami.

Last week’s announcement also comes as producing a diversity of housing stock across the commonwealth remains a top priority of the Baker’s administration.

“Our administration has already invested more than $1 billion in affordable housing, and we look forward to working with our colleagues in the Legislature to pass our Housing Choice bill to facilitate the production of more new housing units in communities across Massachusetts,” said Baker.
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The byproduct of those investments included the production and preservation of more than 17,000 housing units, including 15,000 affordable units, since 2015. Last year, Baker signed a $1.8 billion housing bond bill, the largest in the state’s history.
In February, Baker refiled the Housing Choice bill to reform state mandates around zoning to help communities pursuing new housing production. His administration has also set a goal of 135,000 new housing units by 2025.

Representatives of Jewish, Christian, Muslim and other religious groups gathered together recently at FBI headquarters in Washington, D.C., for a discussion on security issues facing faith communities.

The timing couldn’t be more apt, as one FBI source noted that this is the most “complex and dynamic threat environment we have ever been in.”

Every day, said the source, foreign governments are researching and identifying ways that they can “exploit” and “sow discord,” and turn people against their own communities. He added that faith communities need to think about the consequences of what happens if the United States and Iran have a deeper conflict, and Hezbollah responds by attacking local communities.

“You need to be thinking about that now,” stressed the source.

The FBI’s advice in a shooter situation? Run, hide, fight.

During the June 18 program, faith leaders heard from officials from the Department of Justice, Department of Homeland Security and others, including assistant director of the FBI’s Office of Partner Engagement Kerry Sleeper. Speakers highlighted the changing and growing threats facing faith communities, and listened as the community leaders discussed concerns of their members, as well as how to move forward and ensure that everyone—federal officials, local law enforcement and faith members—has the tools necessary to prevent future attack.

One discussion led by a specialist in the FBI focused on the preattack behaviors of active shooters. Noting that the agency had studied 63 active shooters, the agent sought to debunk some myths and highlight common threads among attackers.

For instance, the FBI agent said, while many say that these people are loners, in fact, all either lived with someone or had “significant” in person or online interactions. The attackers had, on average, 3.6 separate stressors in the year prior to the attack, and 73 percent had a known connection with their attack site. Where attackers had no connection, they often did surveillance prior to attacking.

Discussions were also held around concrete steps that faith leaders can take to prepare congregants if an attacker strike their house of worship. Noting that it can take several minutes for law enforcement to arrive during an active shooter situation, one official suggested that congregants be taught the importance of the FBI’s advice: run, hide, fight.

“It’s human nature to freeze if you don’t have a plan in place,” he said, adding that people should know where all the exits are and how they would escape. The advice to hide “really means to disappear”—not be hidden halfway or in view of the attacker. The other option is to fight.

“How will you defend yourself? You don’t need weapons; you don’t need jiu-jitsu,” but people do need a plan, the official advised, adding that “there are ways to prepare people mentally, without scaring them.”

‘We are all feeling vulnerable’

Eric Fusfield, deputy director of the International Center for Human Rights and Public Policy at B’nai B’rith International, appreciated the details and analysis, as well as the chance to hear from leaders in other faith communities.

“Our ability to build coalitions is always our greatest strength, and it’s always important that communities that face similar and overlapping threats to come together and identify ways to respond,” he continued. “We need the help and support of our neighbors, and they need ours, so it’s only natural we come together in times like this when we are all feeling vulnerable and want to secure our communities.”

Other sessions included an address by Elizabeth Neumann, assistant secretary for threat prevention and policy at the Department of Homeland Security, who said that the last few years have seen a rise in domestic terrorism from those who are “borrowing” from the ISIS handbook in planning and implementing attacks; and a talk by an FBI agent who recounted his experiences during a shooting in 2012 at a Sikh temple in Oak Creek, Wisc.

The daylong program was spearheaded by the Secure Communities Network, the Christian Emergency Network and Muslim Public Affairs Committee.
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It is believed to be the first gathering of its kind hosted by the FBI and with such a “broad and diverse group” of participants, according to Michael Masters, national director and CEO of the Secure Community Network, which was founded in 2004 auspices of the Jewish Federations of North America and the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations.