The Highlands Residential Services Board of Directors will lease one of its oldest properties to Power of Putnam for office space.
Executive Director Chris Cassetty said the property was the first corporate office in the 1960s. Cassetty said Highlands has grown, cycling through three office spaces, turning the old office into a communal space. Cassetty said the Housing Authority has leased the property before, and now, Power of Putnam needs a location for a facility.
“And we just thought that was a natural fit for us, and we weren’t using the office,” Cassetty said. “So they approached us and we agreed. And as you said our board passed that at our last board meeting and their, Power of Putnam, is in the process of moving into the facilities right now.”
Cassetty said he hopes that bringing the anti-drug organization to the community will have a positive impact on the young people in the community.
“I think they were kind of scattered given my understanding of their situation,” Cassetty said. “They had like four or five employees in like three different locations. So I think this is an opportunity for them to get a little more, to get a little more consolidated, get everybody together, and I think to get them closer to some of their clientele.”
Cassetty said the coalition will give residents an opportunity to interact with the police and others in the community. Cassetty said he wants the area to be a place kids can access resources in the neighborhood to help them.
“Our board and certainly our staff are always looking for ways that we can offer assistance to our tenants, our residents,” Cassetty said. “And, you know, we can’t always do things in house. If there’s another organization in the community that already offers some of that assistance and they want to come in and we can partner with them, then it’s just a win win for our tenants.”