September 2026 Update
The end of an era
We hope you're staying dry from the nor'easter! Here's the latest from MALT.
Upcoming events
We've got a few events lined up for October, and expect to announce November/December events next month.
- Saturday, Oct 24, 7 PM: Private Event: Screening @ MALT: Hadestown: The Musical (2026)
- Fri, Oct 30, 8 PM: Mischief Night @ MALT
- Sat, Oct 31, 5 PM: Halloween Potluck @ MALT
We're also looking at options to advertise smaller or recurring events, like a shared calendar. Current candidates include album deep listening parties, co-working sessions, craft nights, and "for friends" dinner nights. Please reach out if you'd like to help make that happen.
Co-op changes
When we started what would become MALT, our initial members were coming from rental co-ops in the area. There's a long running tradition in Boston of renters coming together to find housing and operate with a higher level of cooperation than standard rentals. We wanted to continue that lifestyle after buying property.
We've operated that way for 8 years, but after several challenging years in a row we've decided that it's time for a reset. This fall, we're restructuring some parts of the rental co-op to operate as independent rentals.
We're not sure if this will be a temporary or long-term change to the community. Either way, though, it won't change much for people who don't live here! There are still dedicated common spaces in the community. We're still hosting events, holding community meetings, and working towards incorporation. This is mainly a change around expectations like chores, communal cooking, and other labor.
It does mean that we skipped what would usually be a September edition of our Quarterly Planning Meeting to focus on our physical spaces and on move-in and move-out for September. You can expect to hear about returning to our regularly scheduled December QPM in next month's newsletter.
Open rooms
We currently have one open room at MALT, and two that may open soon. As always, we've updated the housing page and the application form with more details.
MALT Community
Dream kitchen, nightmare process
One thing we've learned about over the past year is that a construction project of this scale is never truly "done". However, after over a year, we're happy to announce that our common areas are finally available! It's been a long wait to be able to share these photos:
Views of the new common spaces at MALT
A lot of thought went into designing this as a mixed-use space that's a functional rental unit, a hub for our own community, and a space to host events. We made a lot of changes, including:
- A 48" induction range that's better for the environment and better for our health
- A functioning oven hood to limit smoke and smells
- A full-size refrigerator picked for usability during parties
- A 30" workstation sink optimized for co-op-sized pots and pans
- A modern dishwasher that is energy- and water- efficient, and quiet enough to run during parties
- Open plan conversion and reduced chokepoints
- Convertible furniture layouts for hosting different kinds of events
- A laser projector and A/V station that can handle movies, music, and meetings
- A bulletin board for events and notices
There's still a lot of unpacking and decoration ahead of us, but we've already been putting this space to great use. You might've come by for our one of our parties or movie screenings in the past few months as a "trial run" of the space. But we're also getting back in the swing of cooking:
Breakfast bagel, a rib plate, and mapo tofu!
That's all for this edition. We hope that in the coming few months we'll be able to roll out our new social calendar and meet more of you in person. Happy Fall!
