The Planning Office for Urban Affairs was founded by lay and clerical leaders of the Boston Archdiocese in 1969, to provide low-cost housing. Its mission today is to serve as a catalyst for social justice and broader community development, through housing and advocacy. In nearly 40 years it has provided high-quality housing for over 10,000 people of various religions, ethnicities, and socioeconomic backgrounds. Though a change agent at the grassroots level, POUA preserves the aesthetic integrity and traditional character of neighborhoods by recycling existing properties; its St. Aidan Parish project is transforming a church and its surrounding property into 59 residences. In recognition of its successful Rollins Square Community project in Boston’s South End, POUA has received the Maxwell Award of Excellence from the Fannie Mae Foundation. Most of its funding comes from fees earned in connection with development and housing projects. Donations are needed, however, to underwrite the crucial pre-development phases necessary for projects to succeed. You can help them move forward as they continue to provide social justice ministry with the development of affordable and mixed-income housing.