News

Authored by Elana Brochin
Displaying 1 - 10 of 386

Housing Quality and Health Equity Initiative

November 13th, 2023 by Elana Brochin

On October 26th, MACDC hosted a Statewide Kickoff event for our Housing Quality and Health Equity Initiative (“The Equity Initiative”). Close to 100 participants joined us at the Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts Foundation of Massachusetts to learn about the Equity Initiative and to strategize together about future directions. The Kickoff event centered around a report that we recently published in partnership with the Green and Healthy Initiative (GHHI) which explores housing quality and health challenges and opportunities throughout Massachusetts with a focus on Gateway Cities. 

 

The Equity Initiative is a five-year project funded by the Massachusetts Community Health and Healthy Aging Fund and, in addition to the research component the Equity Initiative centers around:  

  • Community Engagement: MACDC is currently working with community members, municipal officials, and grassroots organizations in three Gateway Cities (Brockton, Holyoke and Springfield) to identify local problems and developing solutions that will work on the local level.  
  • Policy Advocacy: Through the Equity Initiative, MACDC is conducting ongoing policy advocacy, for programs, resources and policies to improve housing quality and the resultant health outcomes of community residents. These efforts are currently focused on advancing the Massachusetts Healthy Homes Program (MHHP) legislation, which will build on current programs and create a whole-homes approach to improve housing quality, and thereby improve resident health. 
  • Addressing Racial Inequities: Poor housing quality and the associated health outcomes disproportionately impact individuals, families, and communities of color throughout Massachusetts. It is for this reason that a racial equity lens guides the Equity Initiative, focusing on Gateway Cities, where people of color are more likely to live, and these households suffer disproportionately from the health consequences of substandard housing. 

 

At the Statewide Kickoff, State Representative Shirley Arriaga of Chicopee spoke passionately about the need to pass MHHP, and GHHI CEO Ruth Ann Norton spoke persuasively about the national imperative to confront the devastating impact that lead paint, poor indoor air quality, and other housing quality problems have on our communities. A panel of Springfield leaders, consisting of a Revitalize CDC Board member, the City’s Housing Director, and a local resident who focuses on the health of seniors, described their local efforts. We continued with an interactive discussion among the event participants, and concluded with a networking lunch. 

 

The Equity Initiative is guided by MACDC’s Housing Quality and Health Task Force, a group of experienced practitioners consisting of advocates in the health equity, housing, elder and disability fields, healthcare providers, and data professionals. 

 

The Equity Initiative is staffed by MACDC’s Program Director for Health Equity Elana Brochin, MACDC’s Director of Housing Don Bianchi, and MACDC’s Health Equity Intern Meisui Liu. Contact us if you want more information or would like to join our effort! 

Breaking Ground - Two Verses with a Common Refrain

November 6th, 2023 by Don Bianchi

A groundbreaking on adaptive reuse for a vacant, boarded up former school in Fitchburg- 68 apartments near downtown in this Gateway City.  Another groundbreaking for a new construction project in Pelham, a Rural Town in Western MA with 1,300 residents- for a project half the size of the Fitchburg project.  What do these two CDC events have in common?  More than one might think- in a word (or two)- patience and partnership! 

 

On a brisk early November morning, with a bright sun in a cloudless sky taking the bite out of the 30-something temperature, a large group gathered to celebrate the groundbreaking at the site of the former B.F. Brown School. NewVue Communities acquired the school in 2018, but as NewVue Executive Director Marc Dohan and other speakers noted, it’s taken more than 10 years to get to this point. 

 

It’s also taken many hands. NewVue and the site’s neighbor, the Fitchburg Arts Museum, started talking about this in January 2013. The Mayor’s office has pushed this project forward- initially with former Mayor Lisa Wong, and now with Mayor Stephen DiNatale. Numerous public funders and policymakers were present to celebrate: Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities (EOHLC) Secretary Ed Augustus, senior officials from MassDevelopment, MassHousing, CEDAC, the Massachusetts Housing Investment Corporation (MHIC) and NeighborWorks America were among the speakers. Marc also thanked the Health Foundation of Central MA, and UMASS Memorial Health. The big sign with the list of supporters needed small lettering to include all of the organizations who made this happen. 

 

Two things noted by speakers stood out for me. First, Marc Dohan thanked MHIC for working with the CDC to diversify the construction workforce, which will have 15% of the hard (construction) costs paid to Minority Business Enterprises (MBEs), and 25% of the construction jobs will go to workers of color. Second, Dan Rivera, CEO of MassDevelopment, said “CDCs are the most important letters in the development alphabet.” 

 

That afternoon, Home City Development, based in Springfield, broke ground on Amethyst Brook Apartments in Pelham, a small town just east of Amherst. The crowd was a bit smaller than in Fitchburg, but no less happy to share this milestone.  After an enthusiastic welcome from Home City’s Board Chair, Loleta Collins, Executive Director Tom Kegelman described the importance of this project. Tom noted that a recent count showed that there are 224 homeless individuals in Hampshire County, and another 6,000 households who encounter rents so high that they need to cut back on life’s other necessities, such as food. The project, consisting of 34 units in two buildings, will be built to Passive House standards, and will contain charging stations for electric vehicles and roof-mounted solar panels. 

 

As in Fitchburg, the breadth, and depth, of the partnership is impressive. The Town’s Select Board and Zoning Board of Appeals fully supported the project. Tilman Lukas, who chairs the Town’s Housing Committee, provided a history of the site, noting the challenges of finding sites for housing, as a recent study found that only 8% of the land in Pelham is buildable. The Town provided $500,000 in Community Preservation Act funding, and at Town Meeting the vote in favor was overwhelming, with only a handful of residents voting no. On the State level, EOHLC and CEDAC provided critical funding. Bill Brauner from CEDAC noted that he received a call about this project from Tom Kegelman in 2019- so this project has taken more than 4 years to get to construction. MHIC CEO Moddie Turay said that this is the sixth Home City project MHIC has supported, evidence of the high regard they hold for Home City Development. 

 

Patience and partnership were the themes of these two groundbreakings. I’m looking forward to the ribbon-cuttings, when these projects are completed! 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Massachusetts Can Build a Triple Threat to Attack the Housing Crisis

September 22nd, 2023 by Emily Haber

The affordable housing crisis facing the commonwealth’s residents is pervasive and multi-dimensional. To address it in a comprehensive manner, we need to be persistent and prioritize the needs of our most vulnerable neighbors.   

Massachusetts is the third-most expensive state in which to rent, as the fair market rent for a two-bedroom apartment of $2,165 requires an annual household income of more than $86,000 to afford. The median home price is more than $600,000.

READ MORE

CITC: Program Impact 2022

August 29th, 2023 by Don Bianchi

The Community Investment Tax Credit:

A Report on Impact in 2022

Since its inception in 2014, the Massachusetts Community Investment Tax Credit (CITC) program has been an integral and reliable source of funding for Community Development Corporations (CDCs) across the state. In 2022, CDCs raised over $16 million to support their activities through this program.  The CITC program provides an avenue of fundraising for CDCs that allowed for the growth and adaptation of programs across the state in response to the most pressing needs of their communities. Below are a few of the most noteworthy ways in which CITC made a difference in 2022.

Every year CDCs commit themselves to gather data and report on the six main aspects of their work: community leader engagement; families supported; homes built or preserved, job opportunities created or preserved; small business entrepreneurs assisted; and funds invested by CDCs in local communities. This invaluable data provides a unique window on the multiple in which CDCs respond to the most pressing needs of their constituents.

In Calendar Year 2022 CDCs:

  • Engaged 1,640 community leaders
  • Created or preserved 1,476 homes
  • Created or protected 6,100 jobs
  • Provided technical or financial assistance to 1,846 entrepreneurs
  • Provided some form of support to 84,265 families
  • Invested more than $1.6 billion in the communities they serve

CDCs also measure their impact by tracking increases in their capacity in three main areas: staff growth; program expansion; and investment in infrastructure improvements.  CITC has contributed to increased CDC impact by making possible impressive growth in each of these areas.

Expanding Staff Capacity:

The ever-growing demand for CDC services stretches the capacity of CDC staff teams. New investments made possible by CITC have allowed many CDCs to expand staff capacity in response to expanded demand from community residents.  In 2022 89% of CDCs reported that they were able to expand their staffing. Because of the lack of restrictions on resources provided through CITC, CDCs are able to add staff in areas of highest need. The agility provided by CITC was particularly important during the difficult times of the pandemic, and it remains a key contribution of the program as agencies slowly resume traditional patterns of programming.

Expanding or Adding Programs:

CITC also allowed many CDCs to expand existing programs and, in some cases, add new programs in response to community needs. According to data collected for 2022, 70% of CDCs were able to either add additional programs to their repertoire or expand upon their existing programs in the face of growing needs in their communities. During the same period, more than two-thirds of CDC’s provided affordable housing in one manner or another, speaking to the ever-growing housing affordability crisis across the state.

Improving Technological, Physical, and Human Infrastructure:

In 2022 CDC's were able to make critical improvements in their technological, physical, and human infrastructure. It is this infrastructure that allows agencies to meet the needs of their community members. Although the pandemic has been declared over, the need for virtual counseling/coaching remains high, meaning that CDCs still need to be thinking about online security and related technical issues. In 2022, almost 40% of CDCs were able to invest in communications system upgrades to better serve their clients and community members. These upgrades have also supported the continuing professional development of their teams by allowing staff to take advantage of a wide range of training opportunities.

In addition, 31 CDCs expanded or added new community engagement activities in 2022, ranging from increased Board of Directors engagement and diversity to increased volunteerism and community outreach. When the legislation creating CITC was adopted in 2012, CDCs across the state knew that this program would open new opportunities to them and those they serve. The actual results of this unique initiative have, however, exceeded even their most optimistic expectations. As a program leveraging public and private support to address critical community needs, CITC strengthens a set of dynamic bedrock institutions whose collective mission is to ensure that all Massachusetts residents have an opportunity to thrive.

 

Health Equity Committee Field Trip

July 14th, 2023 by Elana Brochin

On June 27th eight individuals took a trip to the Hilltowns to learn about the health related work happening out of Hilltown CDC and in the surrounding communities. This was the second time the Health Equity Committee took a trip to learn hands-on about important work going on throughout the state. This trip was largely coordinated in collaboration with Joan Griswold who is Hilltown CDC’s Rural Public Health Project Manager – big thank you to Joan!

We began the day by meeting up for a weekly walk in Cummington. This walk used one of Hilltown CDC’s walkability maps that they designed with funding from DPH’s Community Health Fund. Hilltown CDC came up with 9 maps for walks around the Hilltowns and used the creation of these maps as a jumping off point for advocacy regarding creating more walkable areas (e.g., installing crosswalks). This advocacy is being funded by MassDOT’s Complete Streets program. This walk was open to the community but aimed at elderly Hilltown residents. While safe, much of the walk was in areas without sidewalks, making clear the need for such maps. If you’re interested, you can check out the walking map here. The walking maps project was funded via a grant from HRIA (Health Resources in Action) and it has allowed engagement with partners including, Healthy Hampshire, Walk Boston and MADOT to increase the safety for all modes in the Hilltowns. A small grant from American Walks has allowed us to walk in a couple of different Hilltowns who have created the maps. Hilltown CDC held these events to encourage anyone from the town, not just elders, to come out and walk!

We then met up at Hilltown CDC in Chesterfield where we chatted a bit about their work. Dave spoke about the ways in which the Hilltown CDC has been supporting small businesses. Here is an example of one of their recent projects.

Next, we took off for Sawyer farm in nearby Worthington MA where Hilltown CDC supports a Mobile Market where we met Hunt, Director of Community Programs and Hannah the farm manager, and Lincoln, the farm owner. This farm was very rural – think no cell phone service, let alone Broadband access. We learned that the majority of Mobile Market participants are SNAP recipients and that the Mobile Market is the only establishment within about a 30-mile radius that accepts SNAP benefits. The market also has the option for customers who can afford to supplement others’ groceries to “pay it forward” as part of their transaction. Hunt said this was a popular option and allowed the community to support one another. We learned that while much of the produce comes from the farm itself, they also source from other local farms, providing an important source of income for those farms. This week they will be kicking off a home delivery service which they emphasized is unique and not to be taken for granted in the Hilltowns. The home delivery service also allows for increased efficiency because the market workers can pick up produce from local farms while making deliveries. This is important because many of the local farms are small, meaning that otherwise picking up or dropping off small amounts of produce would not be efficient for either the market workers nor the farmers. They told us that 85-90% of the profits go directly to the farmers – which is significantly higher than other models.

Still on the farm, we next trekked up to the clover fields. The clover was being used as a cover crop for different vegetables. In addition to growing vegetables, the farm is engaged in doing trials around sustainable agricultural practices. While Lincoln explained that they have been experimenting with sustainable agriculture at Sawyer for a long time, they are now partnering with other farms to investigate what this could look like for different crops, in different regions, etc. in order to scale up this work. In order to do this work, they are partnering with various universities and an organic farming organization. Lincon showed us how they had different experimental and control patches of crops to better understand the best and most sustainable technology.

As we were leaving the farm, we learned that the next visitor coming up after us was State Representative Lindsay Sabadosa who represents part of Hampshire County. She had been invited to take a farm tour to better understand and communicate the importance of maintaining state earmarks for sustainable agriculture projects, like the one we were visiting.

After enjoying lunch together, participants went their separate ways, agreeing that we were able to learn so much hands-on that we could not have learned on Zoom!

Is there exciting health-related work going on in your community? Please email me at elanab@macdc.org if you’d like us to consider a health equity field trip to your area!

Reform HDIP Before Expanding the Program

June 5th, 2023 by Don Bianchi

The Massachusetts Legislature is considering legislation (S. 1779 and H. 2724) to increase the $10 million state tax credit cap for the Housing Development Incentive Program (HDIP) to $57 million in FY2024, and then to $30 million per year thereafter. If enacted, this legislation will also increase the maximum State credit from $2 million to $5 million per project. MACDC believes that the highest priority for housing policy in Massachusetts is the production and preservation of affordable homes, both rental and homeownership. Before we consider expansion of the State tax credit for HDIP, we need to reform the program to ensure that all projects receiving these credits include affordable homes.

HDIP, established by M.G.L. Chapter 40V, caps affordability at not more than 20% of the units in a project. It provides two tax incentives to developers to undertake new construction or substantial rehabilitation of properties for lease or sale as multi-unit market rate housing:

· A local option real estate tax exemption from all or part of the increased property value resulting from the improvements; and

· State tax credits, currently up to $2 million per project, for Qualified Project Expenditures that are awarded through a rolling application process.

For context, in FY2023, the Baker Administration’s Capital Budget for affordable housing was just over $150 million—a significant amount, to be sure, but nowhere near what we need to meet our affordable housing needs in Massachusetts. MACDC supports the goal established by Citizens Housing and Planning Association (CHAPA), to create 40,000 affordable (publicly subsidized) homes, and an additional 20,000 homes that are deeply affordable, including homes affordable to households with housing vouchers and households with incomes below 30% of Area Median Income (AMI), by 2030. To reach this ambitious goal, we need to take advantage of every opportunity to create affordable housing.

A December 2022 Report by the Massachusetts Law Reform Institute (MLRI) shines light on the real impact of HDIP. According to the Report, as of August 2022, 61 HDIP projects (4,063 units) in 18 cities have received credit awards or reservations totaling $89.4 million. Most projects are 100% market rate and only 2% of the units overall are or will be affordable—but even those units, often targeted to households with incomes at or below 80% of AMI, are too expensive for the low-income residents facing the highest cost burdens.

We simply cannot afford to spend $30 million of our annual State housing dollars, equal to one-fifth of the current year’s housing capital budget, on market-rate housing. This is true whether we are talking about direct subsidy or tax credits. A strong case can be made to use a reformed HDIP to support housing in Gateway Cities with a mix of incomes.

Fortunately, there is legislation to do just that. S.870 by Senator Jamie Eldridge, “An Act to Improve the Housing Development Incentive Program,” would require at least 20% of the units in a HDIP Project to be permanently affordable to households with incomes below 50% AMI for rental units, and below 80% of AMI for homeownership units. It would also make other improvements to HDIP, such as requiring the Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) to publish and use an HDIP credit allocation plan for scoring and evaluating HDIP applications. Such a plan would be similar to the Qualified Allocation Plan (QAP) DHCD publishes to guide evaluation of projects using the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit.

 

Let’s make HDIP a true mixed-income program for Gateway Cities, before we consider spending more limited state dollars on a program that is not adequately addressing the crisis in housing affordability in Massachusetts.

CDCs Lead the Way in Helping Families Buy, and Keep, Their First Home

June 5th, 2023 by Don Bianchi

On May 16, 2023, the Healey Driscoll Administration’s Division of Banks announced nearly $3 million in grants to 23 organizations across the state to fund first-time homeownership education programs and foreclosure prevention counseling centers throughout Massachusetts. The funds were awarded through the Chapter 206 Grant Program, which assists homeowners who are experiencing financial hardship and prospective homebuyers who are determining if homeownership is right for them. 

As usual, MACDC Members led the way, with 14 CDCs collectively receiving over $2.25 million, more than 75% of the funding awarded, including awards to the following CDCs: 

  • ACT Lawrence 
  • Allston Brighton CDC 
  • Asian CDC 
  • Codman Square NDC 
  • Lawrence Community Works (LCW) 
  • Neighborhood of Affordable Housing (NOAH) 
  • NeighborWorks Housing Solutions 
  • NewVue Communities 
  • Somerville Community Corporation 
  • South Middlesex Opportunity Council (SMOC) 
  • Southeast Asian Coalition of Central MA (SEACMA) 
  • Urban Edge 
  • Way Finders 
  • Valley CDC 

From the MACDC GOALs Survey, we know that CDCs provided homebuyer counseling to more than 7,500 households in 2022, and foreclosure prevention counseling to more than 700 households. It’s a powerful combination: sound public investment coupled with a high-capacity nonprofit program delivery system. 

MACDC’s advocacy is central to this success. MACDC played a central role in passage of Chapter 206 of the Acts of 2007, which instituted regulatory oversight of previously unregulated mortgage lenders, and established funding for nonprofit counseling agencies.  Our advocacy was spurred by our own “early warning system,”- our meetings with CDCs in the summer and fall of 2006, when our members alerted us to a rise in foreclosures in their communities- months before the press picked up on it- as described in this New York Times article from December 2007. 

Each year since then, MACDC has advocated with the MA Legislature to authorize funding, and with the MA Division of Banks for awards- and the almost $3 million awarded this year is among the highest amount provided in the more than 15 years since the law’s passage. “MACDC is grateful to the Division of Banks for its unwavering support for the CDCs and other nonprofit counseling agencies which collectively have assisted more than 90,000 households since 2008,” noted Don Bianchi, MACDC’s Director of Housing. “We continue to be amazed by the skill and determination of so many of our members in providing education to help low-and moderate families buy their first home, and providing counseling to homeowners facing financial challenges so they can remain in their homes.” 

A Sea of White Coats at the State House

May 30th, 2023 by

“If any of us are going to have a medical emergency, I suppose this is the time,” we joked among ourselves. As staff from the Massachusetts Association of CDCs (MACDC), we were in a room of about fifty people, and the three of us were among the few not wearing white coats. We weren’t in a medical facility or a medical school classroom, but rather in a room in the State House, meeting with a group who could have been extras on the television show “Grey’s Anatomy.” These medical students had come from Springfield and Worcester to spend a day talking to their legislators about the importance of housing quality to the health of their future patients. 

While medical students advocating for funding for improving homes might be unexpected, this event was exactly the type of collaboration which I had imagined when I (Elana) became the first Program Director for Health Equity at MACDC over four years ago. Shortly after I started at MACDC, I worked with other members of the Alliance for Community Health Integration (ACHI) and with hospital representatives to develop Principles for Healthy and Affordable Housing. This document was a list of shared understandings about the ways in which housing impacts the health of Massachusetts residents signed by several major hospitals and the Massachusetts Hospital Association (MHA). The Principles for Affordable Housing served as a gateway for future affordable housing advocacy by medical practitioners. Flash-forward to 2023 and five major hospitals have signed on in support of the Massachusetts Healthy Homes Program (MHHP). MHHP would address a multitude of health hazards and habitability concerns through grants and loans to eligible owner-occupants and loans to investor-owners, with protections for existing tenants. 

Building on this support by hospitals, Andrea Freeman at the Public Health Institute of Western Mass. contacted us to let us know Baystate Health would be coordinating a group of medical students from UMass Medical School’s Population-based Urban and Rural Community Health (PURCH) Program to come to the State House to advocate for the MHHP. On May 3rd, we joined the medical students, Andrea, and local legislators at the State House. 

The presence of PURCH students at the State House humanized the issue, providing poignant examples of how the Massachusetts Healthy Homes Program can positively impact the lives of individuals and families. We at MACDC believe that as healthcare professionals, medical students – the future doctors -  have a unique perspective on the impact of policies on patient care and outcomes. By being aware of health-related policies, they can actively contribute to shaping public health strategies.  

It was refreshing to see that students of UMass Medical School believe that advocacy is an essential aspect of the medical profession and for Baystate Health to support the students’ advocacy work. They understand that as doctors they have a professional and ethical responsibility to advocate for the needs of marginalized and underserved communities and to help support resources to which they can refer their future patients. State Senators Manny Cruz and Jake Oliveira and State Representative Shirley Arriaga encouraged these students to use their roles to help address systemic inequalities, promote led abatement and health equity through MHHP, and ensure equitable access to healthcare services!  

Inspired by the speeches, the students went around the State House and talked to legislators about co-sponsoring and supporting MHHP. Through their unwavering dedication and ability to connect the dots between health outcomes and living conditions, these students have successfully paved the way for transformative change and a brighter, healthier future for all Massachusetts residents. Their advocacy serves as an inspiring example of the transformative power of passionate individuals working together for the betterment of society. 

 Check out this news clip to see local coverage of the PURCH day at the State House! 

 

Step up for Lobby Day

May 17th, 2023 by Amanda Kahan
Angie Liou, Chair of the MACDC Board

On Thursday, May 25, MACDC will hold its first in-person Lobby Day in four years, and we could not be more excited! On Lobby Day, staff, board members, and community members supporting our 102 member organizations will meet at the State House, rally around shared goals, and then bring legislative priorities from their communities to their elected representatives This is a face-to-face aspect of our democratic process that we all missed during the difficult years of the pandemic. As Chair of the MACDC Board, I have missed this important part of our organization’s annual program.

Lobby Day 2023 takes place at a critical moment for the community development movement. Our political leadership acknowledges that the Commonwealth is facing a housing crisis that threatens the foundations of our dynamic economy. With the support of the Legislature, Governor Healey has created a new state department charged with meeting this challenge head on, and has just named Housing Secretary, Ed Augustus to lead that department. We look forward to working with the Secretary to protect existing affordable housing and to continue to expand the supply of housing accessible to families and individuals making less than the state’s median income.

Lobby Day offers us an opportunity to advance our priorities through direct contact with legislative decision makers. After a 9:30 gathering in the Hall of Flags and food to boost our energy, we will hear a short line-up of community development leaders and some of the legislators leading the charge on community development issues, such as Senator Sal DiDomenico and Rep. Jay Livingstone.

Our speakers will leave us ready to fan out across the State House to visit the offices of our legislators and inform them on issues like the Community Investment Tax Credit, a hugely successful bill that is up for expansion and renewal this year. Lobby Day attendees will also have a chance to bring up budget items that will be under discussion that very day in the Senate chamber, and other legislative measures that are important in their communities.

Please consider joining us as we renew this long tradition of direct advocacy on issues that matter to us all. There is still time to join Lobby Day! Register today at: https://www.tfaforms.com/5053929 . I look forward to seeing you May 25th at Lobby Day!

 

MACDC Response to SVB Collapse

March 17th, 2023 by Amanda Kahan

The collapse of Silicon Valley Bank is significantly impacting MACDC's members who are working to build and preserve affordable housing to Massachusetts. As a significant player in the financial industry, the sudden downfall of Silicon Valley Bank left many organizations fighting to secure their funds deposited at the Bank and clarify the status of the active projects in which SVP was an investor. Sensing member concern about the situation, MACDC held an emergency meeting on Monday, March 13th, to discuss how the downfall of Silicon Valley Bank impacts our field, and we should respond as an Association.

In addition to sharing vital information about appropriate responses by CDCs, participants in the emergency meeting decided that MACDC and its members should endeavor to bring public attention to the potential impact of the bank closure on affordable housing and other community development activities. During the next 72 hours, MACDC, in collaboration with several member CDCs, messaged intensively to local media contacts, resulting in over a dozen articles and reports highlighting the community development challenges associated with SVB's demise.

The loss of vital loans and financial resources that these nonprofit organizations depend on to support affordable housing projects, infrastructure improvements, and community revitalization efforts is an immediate cause of the closure of SVB. These projects directly contribute to local communities' economic growth and stability.

SVB has played a vital role in funding affordable housing projects in our region; according to the Boston Globe, SVB has loaned over $2.7 billion and made investments worth $1.3 billion in new construction or rehabilitation projects. The federal government assured depositors that their funds held at SVB would be accessible even after the bank's collapse; however, the repercussions of the fall of SVB for affordable housing development in Massachusetts continues to be a matter of concern.

Over the weekend, when the news about SVB broke, MACDC's Interim Executive Director, Kevin Murray, stayed engaged with members to discuss the outcomes and reassure them that MACDC is aware of the situation and will be working with them to find a solution to the loss of this development finance partner. In addition to the contact made over the weekend, one-on-one meetings were held with our members to provide support and help ensure members were aware of the situation and how it would impact our field.

MACDC will continue to monitor the situation, support our members as needed, and advocate for a public disposition of SVB that minimizes the impact on the families and communities served by our member organizations.

Pages

Subscribe to News