Housing

Rent party

by Kristen Lombardi

Every day for the past 20 months, real-estate agent David Pap and his 200 colleagues at the Cambridge Council of Realtors have proven the stereotype of the callous, money-driven realtor wrong.

That's because the DeWolfe New England agent and the other members of the trade group can lay claim to the Cambridge Housing Assistance Fund (CHAF), a fledgling partnership between themselves, city officials, and advocates for the homeless. The realtors established the fund last year in response to the area's ever-shrinking stock of affordable housing. The city's homeless center and the social-service agency CASCAP (formerly the Cambridge and Somerville Cooperative Assistance Program) have long attempted to locate housing for low-income families on the verge of homelessness. But these days, because of skyrocketing rents, such assistance has become harder to provide. Even when affordable units can be found in a city where two-bedroom apartments go for $1600 per month, the up-front demand for as much as the equivalent of four months' rent (first month, last month, and security deposit, plus fees) has kept hundreds of disadvantaged families from moving in.

CHAF is now offering a solution: it funds part of the start-up costs of renting a Cambridge apartment. The program "addresses a huge gap in city services," Pap explains. "There wasn't anything to help people with start-up costs if they needed it."

This Friday night, the partnership -- which has granted more than 120 families an average $670 to secure housing in and around Cambridge -- hosts its second annual benefit concert, "Celebrating Latin Music." Headliners include the legendary congo drummer Giovanni Hidalgo, as well as the local Afro-Latin band Sol Y Canto (Spanish for "Sun and Song").

For Cantabrigians, the CHAF benefit could turn out to be one of the hottest, most entertaining social events of the season -- and the audience is expected to include US Congressman Michael Capuano, State Representative Jarrett Barrios, and Mayor Anthony Galluccio. Concert attendees are sure to have fun, but their presence will also aid what's ultimately an attempt to preserve the city's diversity.

"Cambridge is changing because of the market," Pap laments. "We like the city's diversity and we hope to maintain it."

Celebrating Latin Music kicks off at 8 p.m. at Sanders Theatre, located at 45 Quincy Street. Tickets are $18 or $23 and are available at the door or by calling 496-2222. For more information, contact the CHAF main office at 354-5678, or visit its Web site at www.CHAFund.com.