IBA Boston | Inquilinos Boricuas en Acción empowers and engages individuals and families to improve their lives through high-quality affordable housing, education, and arts programs.

On May 10, 2019
In Advocacy, Affordable Housing

Enriching & Empowering Lives: The Long-Lasting Impact of Resident Services

A healthy community is defined by the continual improvement of the financial, social and environmental conditions that foster quality of life, promote empowerment and establish stability. At IBA, we oversee the wellbeing of nearly 1,500 residents and seek to optimize opportunity through robust residential services that advance academic and career development, improve health, encourage artistic ...

On May 03, 2019
In People, Advocacy, Affordable Housing

Supporting Our Community Through Resident Services

IBA has long been committed to providing affordable housing to our community. A key part of this effort has been our Resident Services Program, which helps our residents access support resources. To learn more about our Resident Services Program, we sat down with Senior Program Director, Rafael Medina. 1. How long have you been with IBA? Can you tell us about your time here? ...

On April 24, 2019
In People, Advocacy

"You’re Not Going to Find a Better Community" - A Mom's Experience With IBA's Preschool

In our second interview with the parents of our preschoolers, we spoke to Catherine, the mother of 3-year-old Louis. After they to Boston from Chicago a year ago, she enrolled her son in IBA's Preschool to immerse him in a more diverse community. Q: What do you think the benefits of the multicultural preschool can be? Catherine: It’s shaping my child’s world in...

On April 18, 2019
In People, Education, Editorial

They Have Your Back: Sitting Down With A Preschool Mom

We recently sat down with the Sarah, the mother of one our preschoolers, to talk about IBA's preschool. Her 3-year-old son Eric has been in IBA's Preschool for the last 9 months, and according to Sarah, has grown immeasurably. Q: How did you hear about IBA’s preschool? Sarah: I was having dinner with his dad in the area, and we just walked in, whic...

On April 10, 2019
In Advocacy, Affordable Housing

Shaping Lives: The Impact of Building Quality & Housing Security on Childhood Development

According to the Environmental Protection Agency, humans spend approximately 87 percent of their time indoors. This striking fact has serious implications, as the quality of the spaces we occupy is directly linked to the quality of the lives we live. The connection between space and human health is particularly critical for young children wh...

On April 03, 2019
In People, Education

Teaching Our Tomorrow: An Interview With IBA's Preschool Staff

Serving children ages 2.9-5.5, IBA’s year-round preschool was the first bilingual program in the state of Massachusetts and is one of the Massachusetts Top 21 School Readiness programs. To learn more about IBA’s Preschool Program and the core values it instills in children, we sat down with Program Manager Joanna Fuentes, who has been with IBA for 19 years, and Education Manager Valerie...

On March 28, 2019
In Culture, People, Editorial

Latinas En Foco: An Interview with Arts Program Director Elsa Mosquera-Sterenberg

What was your journey to your position as the Arts Director at a non-profit? How did you decide you wanted to get involved with IBA? I started my professional career in a publishing house and from there I immersed myself in the cultural world. I’ve been involved with publishing for the past 20 years in different ways— I’ve published government books and magazines, then ran...

On March 20, 2019
In Culture, People

Poetry Is Busy: An Interview with Yara Liceaga

Puerto Rican Yara Liceaga has been writing poetry since the late 1990’s, and for many years lived fully immersed both in the island’s cultural scene and academia through the Universidad de Puerto Rico. After leaving Puerto Rico in the midst of the country’s economic crisis, she used her experience to begin building a series of projects that would promote artistic collaboration and inter...

On March 14, 2019
In Affordable Housing

Mayor Walsh’s Recent Housing Announcement: What You Need to Know

Affordable housing development takes time. But, in Massachusetts, time is a luxury. Every day, there are approximately 43 evictions across the state. Residents of the Commonwealth continue to face a harsh housing landscape where rents are the fourth-highest in the nation and there is a deficit of over 162,000 homes needed to accommodate residents on the brink or experiencing poverty (...

On March 07, 2019
In Culture

Behind the Voice of Josy Latorre

Puerto Rican native Josy Latorre has been singing professionally for over 40 years and is the only female founding member of the widely successful group, Haciendo Punto En Otro Son. Formed in 1975, the group became part of Puerto Rican folklore for their vast repertoire that melded traditional Puerto Rican folk music with modern sounds, musicalizations of national poets, and lyrics with social ...

On February 22, 2019
In Affordable Housing

Welcoming the West Newton Rutland Apartments to Villa Victoria

Affordable housing is at the core of IBA’s work. Our commitment to providing not just a home, but a community continues as strong as ever in 2019. As you may know, we recently added new affordable housing units to our existing Villa Victoria community. ...

On February 13, 2019
In Affordable Housing

The Consequences of Hitting Pause: How Government Shutdowns Impact Ordinary Residents

U.S. residents are familiar with Congress and the President using government shutdowns as a way to push a legislative agenda. However, the most recent government freeze lasted for the longest time in U.S. history at 35 days, placing unnecessary financial stress on low- and moderate-income families and individuals without a nest egg, as well as the organizations and programs that support them....

On February 06, 2019
In Culture, People

"Salsa is in my DNA": A Conversation With Kianí Medina

Father-daughter duo Kianí and Jerry Medina are some of the most talented and requested voices of Puerto Rico. Jerry, also a trumpeter, has spent over 40 years making music, collaborating with the likes of Tito Puente, Eddie Palmieri, Calle 13, and more. Singing professionally since the age of 16, Kianí is part of the group Viento de Agua and is currently performing on the Residente Tour. ...

On February 01, 2019
In Editorial, Advocacy

2018: IBA By The Numbers

Honoring the work we’ve done over 50 years made for an impactful year, but so did the work we do everyday. All of our programs continued to serve our community as diligently as they have for the past half century, and we’re proud to look back at 2018 with you. Over 900 people attended IBA’s programming, a 13% increase from 2017. From arts to financial empowerment, we’re proud to su...

On January 17, 2019
In People, Editorial

CaFE Program Director Joins Social Innovation Forum Executive Coaching Class

We are so proud to announce that our own College and Financial Empowerment Program Director, Tiana Bonner, has been selected to join The Social Innovation Forum Executive coaching class of 2019! Through a 12-year partnership with William James College (formerly Mass School of Professional Psychology) The Social Innovation Forum works with a sma...

Blog

Enriching & Empowering Lives: The Long-Lasting Impact of Resident Services

Supporting Our Community Through Resident Services

"You’re Not Going to Find a Better Community" - A Mom's Experience With IBA's Preschool

They Have Your Back: Sitting Down With A Preschool Mom

Shaping Lives: The Impact of Building Quality & Housing Security on Childhood Development

Teaching Our Tomorrow: An Interview With IBA's Preschool Staff

Latinas En Foco: An Interview with Arts Program Director Elsa Mosquera-Sterenberg

Poetry Is Busy: An Interview with Yara Liceaga

Mayor Walsh’s Recent Housing Announcement: What You Need to Know

Behind the Voice of Josy Latorre

Welcoming the West Newton Rutland Apartments to Villa Victoria

The Consequences of Hitting Pause: How Government Shutdowns Impact Ordinary Residents

"Salsa is in my DNA": A Conversation With Kianí Medina

2018: IBA By The Numbers

CaFE Program Director Joins Social Innovation Forum Executive Coaching Class