Greater Boston’s Real Estate & Building Industry Leaders Honor Thomas N. O’Brien, Founding Partner of HYM Investment Group

Industry raises over $2 million to advance United Way’s work to prevent and end homelessness

BOSTON — More than 1,000 real estate and building industry leaders from Greater Boston came together this morning and raised over $2 million to advance United Way’s work to prevent homelessness and honor Thomas N. O’Brien, Founding Partner and Managing Director of HYM Investment Group and former Boston Redevelopment Authority Director.   

Paul Burton, general assignment reporter for WBZ-TV, presented Mr. O’Brien with the United Way 2019 Leventhal/Sidman Real Estate Industry Award for his professional and philanthropic contributions to the community, such as his work as co-founder of the Massachusetts Business Immigration Coalition and his support of organizations like East Boston Social Centers and Project 351.

“Changing lives and building community — that’s Tom,” said Burton, celebrating his kindness and humility, and how he has helped to change the face of Boston and address racial and income inequality.

Since 1993, United Way’s Real Estate And Building Industry Leadership Breakfast has raised a total of over $50 million to support United Way’s efforts to help people in need and prevent homelessness.  These funds have helped to provide safe, affordable housing to more than 384,000 families through United Way funded programs that help build the foundation for successful, stable families and communities.  

Funds raised will support programs like United Way’s Project RISE in the City of Lynn, where more than 1,200 of the 17,000 students in Lynn Public Schools are homeless.  Through Project RISE, Lynn Public Schools and the Lynn Housing and Neighborhood Development are partnering to identify students and families at risk of, or experiencing homelessness and connect them to resources and supports to stabilize them.  

In conversation with Tiziana Dearing of WBUR’s Radio Boston, Patrick Tutwiler, Superintendent of Lynn Public Schools noted “For our students, education is the only means toward equity. If the reality for students is housing instability and food insecurity, they aren’t going to learn.”

United Way’s 26th Real Estate and Building Industry Breakfast was co-chaired by Matt Haverty of Oxford Properties, Sarah LaGosh of Eastdil Secured, and Maureen McCaffrey of MIT Investment Management Company. The Premier Sponsors of the 26th Annual United Way Real Estate and Building Industry Breakfast include Bank of America, Beacon Capital Partners, The Davis Companies, Elkus Manfredi Architects, The HYM Investment Group, Moriarty, and Suffolk Construction.  ###