Mr. Bates’ work and accomplishments greatly resemble those of Edward L. Cooper. A housing advocate for over twenty years, Mr. Bates focuses on helping senior citizens and the disabled acquire homes. His role extends far beyond assisting with housing, though: he helps individuals tackle the root of their problem, which may be illiteracy, substance abuse, or bad credit. By employing strong communication skills and a blend of traditional and nontraditional methods, Mr. Bates’ unique style has led him to achieve phenomenal success rates; to date he has helped over 2,000 residents.
Such high success rates can be attributed to the assortment of skills Mr. Bates has developed over the years. Though he currently works at Nuestra Comunidad, during the late 80’s and early 90’s, Mr. Bates assisted in the home ownership and outreach process for Local 26 Hotel Workers.
While working for the union, one of Mr. Bates’ most inspiring accomplishments was working with the union members to amend the Taft-Hartley Act, a federal law that limits the power of worker unions. With housing on his mind, Mr. Bates and union members traveled to Washington DC, where they lobbied for an amendment to the Taft-Hartley law. This was no small task, but after negotiating with resistant officials, they succeeded and the amendment passed. Hotel administrators are now required to provide a housing fund for employees.
The Taft-Hartley Amendment was not Mr. Bates’ only area of success while at the Hotel Workers union. The union also provided him with the opportunity to work with elders. His charisma and expertise instantly won the seniors’ respect; immediately after community meetings, the elders would line up to speak with him. A worker from Boston Aging Concern - Young & Old United Inc. (BAC-YOU) took notice and urged Mr. Bates to join the organization in its mission to offer “high-quality intergenerational housing.” Mr. Bates eventually joined BAC-YOU and quickly transformed their ways. Originally, the organization contacted community members by phone referrals; however, Mr. Bates decided to take a more personal, hands-on approach—he went into the community to speak with property managers and attend community meetings and speak about senior housing.
Despite his significant accomplishments, Mr. Bates remains humble, explaining that his most rewarding moment is “…seeing the smile on a senior’s face when I help them come from despair and am able to relocate [them] into safe affordable housing.”
