Welcome to MACDC’s first "electronic" annual report. We created this format so people could learn what we are doing and give us their feedback at the same time. The web format saves money, time and paper!
Changes in communications are just one example of how the world continues to rapidly change. In recent years, our members have seen dramatic change in real estate markets, neighborhood demographics, financial systems, philanthropy, non-profit management and leadership as a new generation of leaders begins to emerge. Now, in just the past few months, we have witnessed dramatic and frightening changes in the global economic situation as the foreclosure crisis in our neighborhoods has turned into a financial crisis across the world. While everyone is feeling the pain during these difficult times, the neighborhoods and communities we serve – and the people who live there – are the ones who have borne a disproportionate share of the problems. The importance of community-led, grass roots development organizations has never been more evident as our members work to mitigate the damaging impacts of the foreclosure and broader economic problems. We know that CDCs and other community based development organizations will play a critical role ensuring that our communities are not left behind when the economy eventually starts to recover.
MACDC is completely focused on helping our members make the changes and adaptations necessary to remain effective in today’s context. Our policy work has responded to the new challenges and opportunities by helping to pass a major new foreclosure prevention law and launching the Foreclosed Properties Task Force which has established major new state programs to help CDCs and other responsible owners bring foreclosed properties back to life. We helped pass a $1.25 billion housing bond bill and $1.25 million in funding for small business development. We helped secure $4 million over the next three years in funding from the Massachusetts Housing Partnership Fund to support non-profit affordable housing developers and successfully advocated for a new Gateway Cities program at DHCD. And we nearly passed a major new law to preserve affordable rental homes that are at-risk of conversion to market rate (we are hoping for passage in 2009.)
We have also ramped up our member support programs, including our highly popular Peer Groups. We launched the Community Development Innovation Forum, developed a business plan to create a new Massachusetts Community Development Training Institute and continued to play a leadership role in the Alliance: Advancing Community Development by Confronting Racism.
The current economic and credit crisis is impacting CDCs, just like it is impacting banks, businesses and families across the Country. However, the crisis is also demonstrating the important role that our members play in expanding opportunity to all of our communities and neighborhoods and making sure that our public policy and economic systems treat all of our residents fairly. MACDC remains dedicated to helping our members achieve success in this critical work. We thank you for your support.
| Joe Kriesberg President / CEO |
Richard Thal President of the Board |
