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August 17th, 2020 by

February 2021

Asian CDC, The Neighborhood Developers, Viet-AID, and WATCH CDC have partnered with Metro Housing Boston to extend RAFT services to specific communities in need of assistance. In the first six months of FY 21, 2,807 families were assisted, 64% more than the 1,710 assisted in all of FY 20. Read more in this statement from Metro Housing Boston.

Somerville Community Corporation received a tax-exempt bond of $11,444,274 from MassDevelopment to improve affordable housing. SCC will use the bond proceeds to refinance previously issued debt used to buy and preserve the affordability of 69 housing units in multifamily facilities at various locations in Somerville, as well as complete renovations to several of the facilities. Read more in this article.

Community Development Partnership's CEO Jay Coburn wrote an op-ed, with Hadley Luddy of the Homeless Prevention Council, advocating that $3.8 Million in additional rooms tax revenue generated by the new short-term rental tax be used to create more affordable housing in Outer and Lower Cape Towns. Read the article.
 
Urban Edge's Bob Credle explained the obstacles many homebuyers go through in the article, "Shut out: What buyers of color need to close the homeownership gap.
 
Thanks to Urban Edge, children in their community can access Learning Hubs, which provide a safe space with high-speed internet, work stations, and other educational resources. This much-needed resource was created in partnership with the Egleston YMCA. 
 
Madison Park Development Corporation hosted its 2nd Annual New Year, New Career Construction Job Fair virtually on January 26, in collaboration with Preservation of Affordable Housing. Job seekers spoke with hiring general and subcontractors about their experience working in residential & commercial construction. They also learned about the immediate hiring needs based on the Boston Resident Jobs Policy requirements (51% Boston Residents, 40% People of Color, and 12% Women).

 

Dorchester Bay EDC's Youth Force continued to flourish during the pandemic. The youth program was featured in Shelterforce Magazine for its innovative and successful use of technology and various engagement platforms. Read the article.
 
Franklin County CDC was featured in a LISC article about nonprofits that are helping small businesses to thrive and survive the pandemic. FCCDC serves northwestern Massachusetts, and has assisted some small businesses with affordable loans, and others with access to its Western Massachusetts Food Processing Center, where they can develop and produce value-added products. Read the article.
 
Franklin County CDC was one of three recipients for an Agriculture Innovation Center (AIC) grant. The Massachusetts Agriculture Innovation Center (MAIC) will give agriculture producers expanded access to the technical, business, marketing and food safety expertise to identify and take advantage of value-added agricultural opportunities. FCCDC will hire several staff to be core technical service providers, and this core team will coordinate with individuals and organizations across the state.

 

Common Capital received $500,000 from Wells Fargo's Open for Business Fund to help underserved area small businesses impacted by COVID-19. This funding will aid Common Capital's ongoing recovery efforts including micro-lending activities, one-on-one coaching, digital marketing training, and effective adaption to a COVID economy. Read more in this article.
 
Home City Development, Inc. donated furniture and educational materials from its Elias Brookings Apartments, formerly the Elias Brookings School in Springfield. The building was full of items needed to operate a school, but everything had to be removed before the building could be repurposed into 42 affordable rental apartments.
 
WATCH CDC and Metro West CD collaborated on a forum about converting the Waltham Armory into 23 affordable housing units. The forum was livestreamed on January 27, but you can watch a recording.
 
Congratulations to Neighborhood of Affordable Housing on a successful virtual annual dinner. Watch a recording of the event.

 

January 2021

Hilltown CDC and North Shore CDC projects received funding from the Federal Home Loan Bank of Boston. The bank awarded $7.2 Million to five Massachusetts affordable housing projects, through its Affordable Housing Program (AHP), part of more than $53 Million awarded to affordable housing initiatives in New England. Read more about the projects funded in this blog article.

Jamaica Plain NDC and VietAID received funding as part of Boston Children's Hospital Children's Health Equity Initiative (CHEq). This funding will support JPNDC's early childhood education programming, and VietAID's collaborative work to address a range of children's needs in the community. Learn more about CHEq here.
 
South Boston NDC will work to lower the utility costs for two of its buildings in Andrew Square through weatherization and energy efficiency improvements. The buildings were purchased in early 2019 through the City of Boston's Acquisition Opportunity Program (AOP), and the updates to the properties are possible through a grant from Dedham Savings. Read more here.
 
Codman Square NDC trains locals for green jobs. In late October and early November, eight residents, aged 20 to 60, participated in a training course offered by CSNDC in preparation for the National Green Infrastructure Certification Program's exam. The course was offered primarily to people of color, who are in the low-to-moderate income range or have experience in trade work. Read more in this Bay State Banner article.
 
North Shore CDC opened the lottery for Harbor Village's 30 affordable apartments. Harbor Village is a mixed-use development in partnership with Action, Inc. in Gloucester. Learn more here.
 
North Shore CDC and the Punto Urban Art Museum distributed over $46,000 to 40 Massachusetts-based creatives in 2020. In May, NSCDC collaborated with local artists to help spread vital public safety information about COVID to low-income immigrants and communities of color. This fall, they curated their local artist wall for the first time, offering Massachusetts creatives to design works that represent freedom. Watch this powerful video of interviews with the artists.
 
Urban Edge's Roxbury/JP Family Resiliency Fund delivered $180,000 in cash into the hands of people who have been disproportionally impacted by the COVID crisis. Families, in turn, spent it in the local economy. For the next phase of the Resiliency Fund, Urban Edge will be creating learning hubs for Boston Public School students. Learn more about Urban Edge's work in their 2020 Wrap-Up video.
 
Check out the FY2020 Annual Report for the Brownsfield Redevelopment Fund, which highlights projects by Codman Square NDC and North Shore CDC.
 
 
December 2020
 
Three MACDC members received funding from Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center: Asian CDC and Fenway CDC will each received $500,000, while Nuestra Comunidad, in partnership with Opportunity Communities, will receive $100,000 in funding. Read more about the projects they are undertaking in this blog article.
 
Revitalize CDC is helping to bridge healthcare and housing through a COVID-19 Emergency Response Program, under MassHealth's Flexible Services Program. Together with the BeHealthy Partnership Accountable Care Organizations, Revitalize CDC has been doing innovative work to understand patient's social and medical needs throughout Western Massachusetts. The program specifically serves vulnerable members of the community who may face food insecurity and homelessness to allow them to remain safe and healthy in self-isolation.  
Fenway CDC will be constructing its first "ground-up" development in decades! The 27-unit rental building will be constructed on a vacant parcel at 72 Burbank St. in the Fenway, and will be 100% affordable. The approved 32-unit market-rate project is being changed to a 27-unit to accommodate an increased number of 2-bedroom units to serve a much greater range of household sizes and types. 
 
Groundwork Lawrence is bringing back its restaurant program. The program was first launched last spring with MassDevelopment's TDI as a partner. It offers economic support to local businesses struggling to remain viable in the face of the pandemic, while providing assistance individuals and families dealing with heightened food insecurity.
 
Mill Cities Community Investments launched the Salem Loan Fund, in partnership with the City of Salem, Essex County Community Foundation, the Salem Partnership, North Shore CDC, and Massachusetts Growth Capital Corporation. The fund will help businesses that cannot get a loan from a traditional bank or credit union lender. The loans are designed to help businesses access capital and technical assistance.
 
Metro West Community Development will administer emergency rental assistance programs in Groton and Needham. The start of these programs is timely, given the rise in COVID rates and the recent rise in eviction filings following the end of the state's eviction moratorium in October.
 
Community Teamwork, Inc. and LEAF each received $200K grants from the Small Business Administration. Connie Martin, Division Director, Energy and Community Resources at Community Teamwork, and Gerardo Espinoza, Executive Director at LEAF spoke at the SBA Massachusetts District Office's Annual Meeting on December 7th.
 
Phase 2 of B'nai B'rith's The Coolidge at Sudbury is complete and move-in has begunThe completion of Phase 2 brings the total units at The Coolidge to 120 affordable homes for seniors on a campus rich with amenities, all of which are adjacent to protected conservation land.
 
Coalition for a Better Acre celebrated the completion of the Gerson Building with a socially distant ribbon cutting ceremony on Thursday, November 12. The 44-unit affordable housing development will be ready for occupants to move in by the end of November. It is a collaboration between CBA and Veterans Northeast Outreach Center (VNEOC). Read more here.
 
Island Housing Trust will break ground on Kuehn's Way in Tisbury this spring, their biggest pocket neighborhood yet. Watch this short film about Kuehn's Way.
 
Construction started on Urban Edge's Holtzer Park housing development in Jackson Square. The new development will feature 62 new affordable rental units. It is a part of the Boston Housing Authority's 125 Amory Street redevelopment, a joint venture between The Community Builders, Jamaica Plain NDC, and Urban Edge to renovate and preserve 199 public housing units as affordable housing, repurpose BHA administrative offices into 12 new affordable units, and build approximately 133 units of affordable housing and 214 market-rate apartments in three new buildings on adjacent BHA-owned property. Read more here.
 
Madison Park DC and Nuestra Comunidad were part of an effort to open the Nubian Summer Drive-In in the Roxbury neighborhood, to create a safe activity for residents to enjoy during the pandemic. Read more here.
 
The Neighborhood Developers and Nuestra Comunidad were featured in this Shelterforce article: Residents of Nonprofit Housing Have Lower Rates of COVID. TND was also featured in this Boston Globe article about how infections and evictions are intertwined in Chelsea.
 
Asian CDC Executive Director, Angie Liou, and VietAID Executive Director Lisette Le spoke about the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on Asian Americans's livelihoods in this Boston Globe article
 
The Legacy Of Tunney Lee: Preserving The History Of Boston's Chinatown. Asian CDC's Angie Liou participated in this conversation on GBH Radio about the legacy of Tunney Lee, an urban planner, architect, and historian
 
Codman Square NDC has a new website! Check it out here.
 

November 2020

Congratulations to Chinatown Community Land Trust on becoming the newest state-certified CDC in Massachusetts!
 
MACDC Members Stand Tall in State's Rental Round Awards: On October 21, Governor Baker announced the 2020 Affordable Rental Housing Awards - 28 projects in 19 communities, which will result in more than 2,400 housing units, including 2,166 affordable rental units. These projects will collectively receive more than $105 million in direct subsidy funds, as well as federal and state tax credits that will result in $370 million in equity for these projects. MACDC's Members will play a prominent role in developing these homes. Sixteen of the 28 projects were sponsored, or co-sponsored, by MACDC Members. Read more in this article.
 
Lawrence CommunityWorks' Jess Andors and Juan Bonilla talked about preventing a housing crisis in Lawrence on MassINC's Gateways Podcast. Since the statewide eviction moratorium ended in October, residents in Gateway cities are facing the threat of eviction amidst a pandemic. Listen to the podcast to learn about what LCW is doing to combat this threat. 
 
Inquilinos Boricuas en Acción is building a multipurpose community center that will serve IBA and the South End community. The new community center will replace the former Villa Victoria Center for the Arts.
 
Jamaica Plain NDC broke ground on 25 Amory Street in Jackson Square. The new building will house 44 affordable apartments. Learn more here.
 
Madison Park Development Corporation received a $50,000 grant from NeighborWorks America's "Comprehensive Community Development and Racial Equity" funding program to work in partnership with the Boston Black COVID-19 Coalition to address neighborhood racial equity issues, including access to COVID-19 resources, development of more in-depth pandemic data as it applies to Roxbury, participation in the Boston Police Reform Task Force, and countering the social isolation that households are experiencing due to the pandemic. 
 
Revitalize CDC received a $25,000 grant from the US Environmental Protection Agency to support its efforts to reduce asthma rates in Holyoke. Read more in this article.
 
The Community Development Partnership on Cape Cod has been working with local housing advocates for the past three years to help push through unprecedented changes in zoning and new resources to help solve housing affordability challenges. The latest round of Annual Town Meetings approved all 29 housing related articles introduced this year totaling $4,778,717 in local funding for housing. Read more in CDP's November newsletter.
 
Island Housing Trust transformed the Clark House B&B into Perlman House - 3 studio, 3 one-bedroom and 1 two-bedroom year-round apartments. IHT held a ribbon cutting ceremony in September to celebrate. Watch the short film about Perlman House here.
 
Since the start of the pandemic, Nuestra Comunidad provided 10,400 meals to households experiencing food insecurity, using $63,880 in in-kind donations. They also distributed grocery store gift cards to families to supplement the food products available at food pantries. Nuestra also made wellness calls to 800 low-income households, and through these calls, they referred 206 households to rental assistance agencies, producing over $250,000in rental assistance applications.
 
MACDC's New Bedford members collaborate on a Community Conversation. The Waterfront Historic Area League (WHALE) hosted a series of virtual conversations with its nonprofit partners, including one with the Community Economic Development Center (CEDC). CEDC showcased its Capitol Theater Restoration Project, complete with a virtual tour of the building. Watch the recording here.
 
Coalition for a Better Acre is working to reimagine the Whiting Street Community Garden for the spring. CBA staff and volunteers, including Cub Scouts and Boy Scouts, were at the garden October 24 dismantling dilapidated garden beds, weeding, and cleaning up.

 

October 2020

Jamaica Plain NDC welcomes Teronda Ellis as its new Executive Director. Teronda has been part of the JPNDC team since 2007, most recently serving as Real Estate Director. She will replace Richard Thal who has led the organization since 1994.
 
Six MACDC members received funding through the Massachusetts Community Health and Healthy Aging Funds: Lawrence CommunityWorks, VietAID, Franklin County CDC, Hilltown CDC, Quaboag Valley CDC, and Harborlight Community Partners. Read more in this blog article.
 
Franklin County CDC partners with businesses and community leaders on the Strengthening Racial Justice and Health Equity in Franklin County Project. The project, funded by the Massachusetts Community Health and Healthy Aging Funds, will focus on strengthening racial justice and addressing the culture of white supremacy. Read more in this article.
 
Three MACDC members received CDFI awards: Dorchester Bay EDC, LEAF, and SEED Corporation. Learn more about the CDFI Program in its  Award Book.
 
Just-A-Start Corporation's Executive Director, Carl Nagy-Koechlin, and Board Chair, Peter Munkenbeck wrote a letter published in the Boston Globe, expressing opposition to President Trump's Executive Order curtailing anti-racism, diversity and harassment training. Read the letter here.
 
Lawrence CommunityWorks adapted its United Way-supported Family Fund for a broader purpose, converting it into a more comprehensive Community Resource Fund. They have since distributed a total of $172,900 in philanthropic dollars to 193 households in Lawrence. This fund provides assistance for expenses like rent/mortgage payments, food and utilities. 

 

NeighborWorks Housing Solutions held a ribbon cutting for Germantown House, a 5-bedroom group home for Massachusetts Department of Developmental Services clients. The home has 24-hour staff and includes smart technology for deaf staff and residents. Read more in this article.
 
Construction on Phase II of Worcester Common Ground's 20-24 Merrick Street development is underway. A small crew of Youthbuild students began working on the project at the end of August. Read more here.
 
Southwest Boston CDC purchased a $9M property to protect current tenants. The 26 apartments located at 4345-4351 Washington St. in Roslindale had been slated to be turned into condos.
Through Madison Park's Development Corporation's Down Payment Assistance Program, another family reached its goal of owning its own home. The former Haynes House Resident, and her family of 5 purchased a home in Taunton with $50,000 of assistance from MPDC. 
 
WATCH CDC held a forum on Tenant Rights and Eviction Protection last Monday. The forum was presented in both English and Spanish and aimed at educating tenants on their rights, and to prevent evictions following the ending of that statewide eviction moratorium. Learn more here.
 
Community Development Partnership was selected by the Town of Truro to administer over $400,000 in Community Development Block Grant funds for small business relief. Forgivable loans of up to $10,000 are available to small businesses owned by low- to moderate-income residents of the Lower Cape with five or fewer employees. 
 
Inquilinos Boricuas en Acción CEO, Vanessa Calderón-Rosado, co-authored an op-ed in the Boston Globe about lessons from Massachusetts United for Puerto Rico, which she co-chairs with Aixa Beauchamp and Juan Carlos Morales. Read the article here.
 
SMOC published Together Through the Distance, a book of collective images of SMOC's programs and staff during the time of COVID. 
 
Lena Park CDC Executive Director, Katherine Martinez, is being honored with a Rising Star Award at Metro Housing Boston's Champions of Housing event on November 4. Congrats Katherine!
 
Revitalize CDC is hosting a series of free trainings on Integrated Pest Management for community health workers, asthma intervention specialists, and housing professionals. Learn more here.

 

September 2020

Jamaica Plain NDC is running a Capital Campaign to build The Center for Equity and Prosperity. The Center will help Boston families achieve true financial security. Learn more about the campaign and make a donation here.
 
Nuestra CDC pivoted its cultural economic development program to aid at-risk businesses in Nubian Square. To date, Nuestra has created $88,500 in opportunity for Black- and Latinx-owned businesses in the district including Frugal Bookstore. Read about how Nuestra helped Frugal Bookstore survive the pandemic in this article.
 
Construction is underway for Dorchester Bay EDC's Indigo Block. The 80-unit, mixed-use space is set for completion is summer 2021. Read more in this article.
 
Construction has started on the second of three phases in the redevelopment of Mission Hill NHS' Parcel 25. Phase two of the redevelopment represents the culmination of more than a decade of planning and hard work by Mission Hill NHS and the Mission Hill community to restore the land formerly owned by the MBTA. Read more here.
 
Jamaica Plain NDC, Urban Edge and The Community Builders seek approval from the the Boston Planning & Development Agency to remake the Mildred Hailey housing complex into larger buildings of mixed-income apartments. Read more in this article.
 
Construction began on North Shore CDC's Harbor Village development in Gloucester. The $10 million mixed-use development will consist of 30 one, two and three bedroom affordable rental units; 2,000 square feet of ground floor commercial space; and 30 off-street parking spaces. Read more in this article.
 
Congratulations to Harborlight Community Partners on the completion of 2 Hardy Street in Beverly, a six-unit transit-oriented development. HCP held a socially distanced ribbon cutting on Friday, September 18th.  This project received funding through DHCD's Community Scale Housing Initiative. Beverly Crossing donated the land. Many other funders came together to support this project. Check out this video highlighting funders and supporters.

 

Allston Brighton CDC has received a commitment of up to $1 million from Anchor Line Partners to help renovate Hano Homes, a 20-unit rental property, comprised of 10 family-sized rowhouses on Hano Street. 

 

NeighborWorks Housing Solutions recently held a regional forum on Bridging the Housing Gap of COVID-19. The forum provided information about both the impact of the economic crisis caused by COVID-19 and resources available to address the crisis.

 

Executive Director of Lawrence CommunityWorks, Jessica Andors recently talked to Real Estate by Boston.com about the rising housing prices in Lawrence and Lawrence CommunityWorks' affordable housing work. Read the article here.
 
North Shore CDC and Salem Housing Authority jointly received a $500,000 creative placemaking grant from the Department of Housing and Community Development. The grant will be used to create a harborwalk on the waterfront, and create walking paths to connect Pioneer Terrace to the neighboring Palmer Cove park, while also addressing flooding issues.
 
South Eastern Economic Development Corporation and Franklin County CDC received CARES Act Recovery Assistance grants to capitalize and administer Revolving Loan Funds (RLFs) to provide financing to small businesses and entrepreneurs adversely affected by the coronavirus pandemic across Massachusetts.      
 
Franklin County CDC has been working with the North Adams Chamber of Commerce, and the City of North Adams to connect small businesses. Read more about the Business Connector on Page 12 of this month's issue of the Berkshire Trade and CommerceMACDC President Joe Kriesberg was able to visit with the leaders of this program and Mayor Tom Bernard when he was visiting the Berkshires earlier this month.
 
Quaboag Valley CDC's Microenterprise Assistance Grants: Grant funding will be available to businesses located in Belchertown, Charlton, Hampden, Hardwick, Ludlow, Monson, Palmer, Southbridge, Sturbridge, and Ware. Contact Quaboag Valley CDC for more information at Melissa@qvcdc.org.
 
Groundwork Lawrence's Executive Director, Heather McMann, was featured in the Merrimack Valley Magazine as one of the stand out women leaders in the area. Check out her interview here
 
Congratulations to SEED Corporation's Laurie Driscoll for being honored as the Massachusetts Financial Services Champion of the Year at the National Small Business Week conference
 
Congratulations to Asian CDC for hosting its first virtual Dim Sum Breakfast. Watch the recording of the event here.
 
Inquilinos Boricuas en Acción produced a Youth Program Yearbook: The Summer 2020 Manifesto highlights the participants of the program and their accomplishments. 
 
Pine Street Inn's President & Executive Director Lyndia Downie spoke to Boston Public Radio about COVID-19's continuing impact on Pine Street's operations over the past several months and the urgent need for housing. Listen to the interview here.
 

 

August 2020

North Shore CDC and the Punto Urban Art Museum  recently released 25 free artistic educational resources to raise awareness of COVID-19 safety measures in low-income, primarily Spanish-speaking communities. They are available to view and download here.
 
Fenway CDC received $30.3 million in affordable housing financing from MassHousing for the refinancing, major renovation, and preservation of affordability for mixed-income households at the 97-unit Newcastle Saranac in Boston's South End. Read more in this article.

 

VietAID received a grant from the City of Boston's Resiliency Fund to support efforts to provide hot meals from a Dorchester Vietnamese restaurant to older adults, and groceries distribution to over 500 families.
 
Madison Park Development Corporation received a grant from the City of Boston's Resiliency Fund to support its COVID-19 related efforts to ensure that vulnerable households have access to healthy food. 
 
Inquilinos Boricuas en Acción (IBA) is a member of the Greater Boston Latino Network, which received a grant from the City of Boston's Resiliency Fund. The grant will be used to provide direct support services to the Latino community, and to hire bilingual Youth Outreach Workers directly from communities to work collaboratively with health care providers from East Boston Neighborhood Health Center and Whittier Street Health Center. 
 
Homeowners Rehab Inc. received $87.2 million in financing from MassHousing to extend the on affordability on 212 high-rise Cambridge apartments along the Charles River. The deal will also help pay for the modernization of units located in two buildings on Memorial Drive, which also feature 88 apartments that are rented at market rates. Read more here.
 
Island Housing Trust recently held a ribbon cutting ceremony for its newest neighborhood in Tisbury. Six families will soon move into their new homes. Watch this video on how the neighborhood was created.
 
 
Dorchester Bay EDC is partnering with LivableStreets to launch the Columbia Road Gender and Mobility Initiative, which will explore the mobility limitations that stem from gender inequities, particularly the gendered experiences of streets. The project is being funded by a grant from the Sasaki Foundation.
 
SMOC established a fund in honor of an employee who passed away of COVID-19 in May. The Margaret Fund will provide grants of up to $50 to unaccompanied single adults who reside in SMOC's supportive housing continuum for the purchase of an item that will aid in their efforts to sustain and nourish their recovery. 
 
Allston Brighton CDC, East Boston CDC, and Madison Park Development Corporation all have long waiting lists for their affordable housing. Their Executive Directors recently talked to the Boston Globe about COVID-19's impact on the rental market. Read the article here.
 

Franklin County CDC was selected to administer the Franklin County Micro-Enterprise Grants Program, which will provide grants of up to $10,000 to micro-enterprises that suffered losses due to the COVID-19 shut down. Learn more here

 

Congratulations to Just-A-Start's third Information Technology Careers Program cohort, which graduation in June. After transitioning to remote training in March, 18 students completed their studies with at-home hardware kits and plenty of practice troubleshooting online. 

 

Just-A-Start partnered with Life Science Cares, About Fresh, and the Cambridge Volunteer Clearinghouse to stock JAS's residents with fresh produce during the pandemic. Life Science Cares secured a several-ton donation of fruits and vegetables, delivered weekly by About Fresh. The Cambridge Volunteer Clearinghouse then partnered with JAS to recruit volunteers to distribute 880 25-pound produce boxes to JAS's residents across Cambridge.

 

The Neighborhood Developers was recently featured in a New York Times article about how overcrowding, not density, has defined many coronavirus hot spots. Read the article here.

 

July 2020

Asian CDC's A-VOYCE youth compiled and created a bilingual toolkit  to have challenging and thoughtful conversations about race. Read about this and more in Asian CDC's summer newsletter.
 
Franklin County CDC's Western MA Food Processing Center is now making value-added products to help farmers expand their markets. Farms provide the key ingredient, and the processing center does the rest. Products are bottled, labeled and ready for pick-up within 48 hours.
 
Community Development Partnership partnered with 18 other nonprofits to establish the  One Provincetown, One Fund. The fund will support the Outer Cape nonprofit sector that feeds the community, provides health and human services as well as supports the arts, culture, housing, social justice issues, the environment, and economic development.
 
NeighborWorks Housing Solutions Director of External Policy, Maureen Fitzgerald, was recognized by the Jewish Alliance for Law and Social Action at its annual meeting on June 27 for her two decades of outstanding leadership. Read more here.
 
A diverse collaboration of community groups in Lawrence, including ACT Lawrence, Groundwork Lawrence, and Lawrence CommunityWorks, sent a letter to Governor Baker urging him to extend the Eviction Moratorium Beyond August.
 
Nuestra Comunidad received a $1.285 million Fannie Mae loan, through the Massachusetts Housing Partnership, to preserve the affordability of Hope, a scattered site development of 40 affordable apartments in Dorchester. Read more here.
 
ACT Lawrence was recently awarded a three-year, $100,000 grant from the Cummings Foundation to support its financial literacy workshops and counseling. Read more about the grant and ACT Lawrence's work in this Boston Globe article.
 
North Shore CDC's Punto Urban Art Museum was part of a wow-worthy mural crawl north of Boston  featured in the Boston Globe. The outdoor museum in Salem's El Punto neighborhood features  more than 75 large-scale murals by 50 international and 25 local artists within a three-block radius. Read the article here.
 
Emilio Dorcely, the CEO of Urban Edge, will be representing Boston CDCs  on the Steering Committee of the Boston Community Health Needs Assessment/Community Health Improvement Plan (CHNA/CHIP) Collaborative's Steering Committee. The Boston CHNA/CHIP is a collaborative effort by several Boston hospitals to address health needs in Boston. The CHNA, which was published earlier this year, identified lack of affordable housing as a top health concern in Boston. Emilio joins hospital and community representatives, including former Madison Park Development Corporation Executive Director Jeanne Pinado, on the Steering Committee.
 
Harborlight Community Partners has the green light from Beverly City Council to proceed with its Briscoe project , which will transform the former Briscoe school into senior affordable apartments and artist studios. Learn more in this article .
 
East Boston CDC, with Knollmeyer Building Corp, completed a $7 million Landfall Interior and Exterior Renovation Project. The project included the renovations of 135 occupied apartments in five separate buildings throughout East Boston.
 
Madison Park Development Corporation is establishing a Wellness Room at its housing development, Smith House. The Wellness Room  will feature scheduled exercise classes, individual support and training, and access to weight-bearing exercise machines tailored for older adults. Read about this and more in MPDC's June newsletter.
 
Coalition for a Better Acre launched STEP Up, a new work placement initiative, to help bridge the employment gap in Lowell. The program includes a series of workshops covering topics like employee rights, labor laws, workplace safety, financial literacy, and interview/resume prep. 
 
Coalition for a Better Acre's newest development in Haverhill, the Gerson Building, is almost complete. The mixed-used building includes 44 affordable units for veterans and their families and is being developed in partnership with the Veterans Northeast Outreach Center. A lottery on August 11 will determine who gets to move in. Read more here.
 
Metro West Community Development held a groundbreaking to mark the start of its Glen Brook Way project in Medway, which will feature 48 affordable units. 
 
Home City Development, Inc. hosts a Mobile Food Pantry from The Food Bank of Western Mass two Thursdays per month, with the help of volunteers from its Liberty Hill Townhouse development. The site has been active for eight years, and some residents have been volunteering at this location just as long. Read more here.
 
Trainings completed at Lawrence CommunityWorks: Fourteen students graduated from LCW's IT Training on A+ Comp Certification, and 19 students successfully completed the classroom portion of the para-educator program and are now completing their internship through Lawrence and Haverhill Public Schools.
 
Southwest Boston CDC Board Member Segun Idowu was recently featured in the Boston Globe for his fight for economic justice. Segun is the Executive Director of the Black Economic Council of Massachusetts, and has been a regular participant in the MACDC/MGCC Small Business COVID-19 Response Group. Read the article here.

 

June 2020

Congratulations and welcome, new CDC leaders:
We look forward to working with all of you! 
 
Jamaica Plain NDC helped more than 60 businesses access $1.4 M in loans and grants combined. Through their small business technical assistance, they have helped 21 businesses to obtain $206,000 in EIDL advances, 23 to obtain $1.1 M in PPP loans and 21 to be approved for Pandemic Unemployment Assistance.
 
Franklin County CDC is helping businesses access PPE by bulk ordering items. In partnership with the Franklin Regional Council of Governments (FRCOG), the Franklin County Chamber of Commerce, and Community Involved in Sustaining Agriculture, FCCDC is coordinating bulk purchases of personal protective equipment and cleaning supplies to assist businesses in reopening. Read more about this in FCCDC's newsletter.
 
Madison Park Development Corporation launched a Minority/Women-Owned Business Enterprises Relief Fund in partnership with Life Science Cares to offer emergency financial assistance for Minority and Women-Owned Contractors in Greater Boston. 
 
Community Teamwork's Entrepreneurship Center is supporting small businesses affected by the COVID-19 pandemic by offering SBA Micro-loans as part of the SBA Debt Relief program, offering Spanish language assistance for the City of Lowell's Grant program, offering all-Spanish webinars for Hispanic entrepreneurs in collaboration with EforAll, and more.
 
Lena Park CDC established the Lena Park C.A.R.E.S Fund (Coordinating Access to Resources and Emergency Support) to expand community outreach and access to tangible goods and resources for families in Roxbury, Dorchester and Mattapan.
 
Groundwork Lawrence, ACT Lawrence, and Lawrence CommunityWorks have teamed up with United Way, the City of Lawrence, and Greater Lawrence Community Action Council to establish the One Lawrence Fund to help those impacted by COVID-19. 
 
The Asian Community Emergency Relief Fund , an initiative of Asian CDC, VietAID, and several other Asian Pacific Islander organizations, has raised over $200,000 to date, and helped over 150 households.
 
Three CDCs received DHCD funding to produce or preserve supportive housing for vulnerable populations. Allston Brighton CDC's Ashford Street Project in Boston, Home City Development's New South Street Apartments in Northampton, and NeighborWorks Housing Solutions' Lower Winter Street Apartments in Quincy were all funded. Read more in this   blog article from CEDAC.
 
ACT Lawrence received a $100,000 grant from the Cummings Foundation. This funding will allow ACT Lawrence to continue providing financial education and counseling that helps participants to make better choices about housing, improve credit scores, reduce debt, and increase savings to achieve financial goals. 
 
To protect its senior residents, B'nai B'rith Housing's staff are working to make sure that residents have access to what they need, so that they don't have to risk their health by leaving home. W ith deliveries from About Fresh and Katsiroubas Brothers, and the help of volunteers, BBH is able to make sure each of the 242 households at Covenant House has the supplies  needed during this crisis.

Eight resident-led organizations, including two MACDC members, receive grants from the Massachusetts Smart Growth Alliance (MGSA). Codman Square NDC and Lawrence CommunityWorks will each receive $11,250 to lead important housing campaigns that can improve health. Learn more about the projects funded here . This initiative is led and supported by MGSA members, including MACDC.

 
Community Teamwork, Inc. received $7.9 M in affordable housing financing from MassHousing to preserve the affordability for lower-income senior citizens at the 60-unit Merrimack Valley Apartments in Methuen, and extend affordability at the community for at least 23 years. Read more here.
 
Valley CDC and its partner The Community Builders received $2.8 M in affordable workforce housing financing from MassHousing to support the redevelopment of the former Northampton State Hospital into 12 units of affordable workforce housing. Read more here.
 
The Waterfront Historic Area LeaguE (WHALE) received a  Massachusetts Cultural Facilities Fund Capital Grant in the amount of $200,000 to continue work on  Steeple Playhouse. WHALE is transforming the First Baptist Church in New Bedford into Steeple Playhouse, a new community performing arts center in downtown. 
 
Southwest Boston CDC has a new website!  Visit the website to meet their team, learn about their history, read about current projects, recent accomplishments, and about how you can get involved.

 

May 2020
 
Groundwork Lawrence, to replace its in-person farmers market, launched "virtual" markets where customers order and pay for a pre-selected variety of fruits and vegetables before picking them up.
 
Coalition for a Better Acre's Youth Development staff, who usually run its after school program, have become its food distribution team. In April, with the help of staff, volunteers, family members, and a Commonwealth Corps member, CBA collected food from the Merrimack Valley Food Bank, packed it into boxes for nearly 65 families and left it at their doorsteps.
 
Madison Park Development Corporation's Youth Development team distributed Chromebooks to participants, so that they can access virtual activities and continue their High School Equivalency Test (HiSET) education. 
 
The Community Development Partnership on Cape Cod is allowing interest only payments on small business loans through July 31.
 
The Neighborhood Developers established the Neighbors Helping Neighbors COVID-19 Fund to support residents of Chelsea and Revere through the COVID-19 Pandemic. Learn more here.
 
Inquilinos Boricuas en Acción (IBA) adapted its culture-driven youth workshops to an online format. The organization has put a particular emphasis on continuing their strong support of teens during this pandemic. Read more in this article.
 
IBA's CEO, Vanessa Calderón-Rosado was named one of Boston Magazine's Most Influential People in Boston. Vanessa was recognized for leading an organization that is playing a key role in shaping Boston neighborhoods, not only by creating and maintaining affordable housing, but also by boosting education and arts opportunities for community members.
 
Revitalize CDC's Colleen Loveless and Ethel Griffin were on WHMP's Wester Mass Small Business Program discussing Revitalize CDC's program and how they are addressing the COVID-19 crisis. Listen here.
 
Franklin County CDC's John Waite was recently interviewed by the Franklin County Chamber of Commerce in Western Massachusetts. He provided an update on Franklin County CDC, and shared information on resources that the community might find valuable during the COVID-19 pandemic. Watch the interview here.
 
NewVue Communities' homeownership and financial coaches are lending support by phone and video conferencing. Their small business technical assistance team has also been responding remotely to the needs of struggling businesses. 
 
Massachusetts Housing Partnership closed on a $2.5 million low-interest permanent loan for Urban Edge's Walker Park Apartments.   Walker Park features 49 new affordable apartments in two energy-efficient buildings built on lots previously occupied by single-family homes that were vacant. Read more here.

 

April 2020

MACDC Members are on the frontlines supporting community members, residents, and small businesses through this COVID-19 pandemic. Here's a look at some of the amazing work CDCs are doing:

 

Fenway CDC has partnered with local Fenway organizations and residents to form Fenway Cares, a joint effort to gather and share hyperlocal information and resources for the Fenway neighborhood during the COVID-19 pandemic. A "living" list of resources can be found here
 
Island Housing Trust held its first remote homeownership lottery via video conference. Six families were selected to purchase new homes on Greenwood Ave in Tisbury. Read more here.
 
Housing Assistance Corporation has established the Cape Cod COVID-19 Workforce Housing Relief Fund to provide assistance with past due rent, mortgage payments, and other housing-related expenses for current, year-round Cape Cod and Island residents who are losing income due to COVID-19. Learn more here.
 
The Neighborhood Developers, through the CONNECT program, established a new hotline for community members in Revere to seek food assistance and other services during the COVID-19 pandemic. Read more in this Boston Globe article.
 
WATCH CDC successfully advocated for the Waltham City Council to use $150,000 from its general reserves for rental assistance and the city plans to couple this with $100,000 more in CPA funds. 

 

Asian Community Emergency Relief Fund:  This fund is an initiative of Asian CDC and Viet-AID, in partnership with the Chinese Progressive Association, Asian American Resource Workshop, and Greater Boston Legal Services. Find out more and donate here. Donations to the fund will go directly to help Asian American families and workers who are impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

 

Franklin County CDC 'pivots' with new outlet for frozen produce: Check out this article on how Franklin CDC has adapted its programming to the new COVID-19 reality. Franklin County CDC has also put together a great list of resources for small businesses. Check it out here.

 

Allston Brighton CDC is mailing out T cards and Stop & Shop cards so that their tenants can get food.

 

Dorchester Bay EDC staff put on gloves and masks and went food shopping, and then dropped off groceries for residents in their buildings.

 

Both The Neighborhood Developers and Inquilinos Boricuas en Acción have leaders (IBA's are called ambassadors) that are providing information to other tenants, as well as to the Resident Service Coordinators about what is happening in the buildings.

 

The Waterfront Historic Area LeaguE (WHALE) held a live virtual tour of one of New Bedford's most historic buildings, the First Baptist Church, which WHALE is transforming into the Steeple Playhouse , a new community performing arts center in downtown. While this was not in direct response to COVID-19, it is a great example of how organizations are adapting to usual virtual tools.
 
An already struggling city, Lawrence is now facing a new economic challenge, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Check out this NY Times article which features Lawrence CommunityWorks Executive Director, Jess Andors, and talks about some of the work the CDC has done to revitalize Lawrence.  
 
 

March 2020

 
Asian CDC's latest affordable housing project in Boston's Chinatown was recently approved by the Boston Planning and Development Agency. The 350-foot tall building is being developed in partnership with Millennium Partners. Learn more about the project in this interview with Asian CDC Executive Director Angie Liou, and Joe Larkin of Millennium Partners.
 
Worcester Common Ground received a Housing for Everyone grant from TD Charitable Foundation.  The $125,000 grant will assist in creating the needed affordable housing at WCG's 126 Chandler Street project, as well as expanding residents' access to urban agriculture. Read more here.
 
The Waterfront Historic Area LeaguE was awarded a $125,000 grant from The 1772 Foundation to fund its projects in 2020. Read more in this article.
 
The Community Economic Development Center of Southeastern Massachusetts received $100,000 from the Massachusetts Urban Agenda Grants program to support its "Love the Ave" economic development project. Read this article to find out more about how these funds will be used.
 
NeighborWorks Housing Solutions will administer a new seed fund to boost Brockton businesses. Five banks have partnered and created the $1 million fund that will offer loans to entrepreneurs in Brockton who might otherwise struggle to find financing. More details about the program are in this article .
 
Way Finders's has named Laureen Borgatti as its new Chief Operating Officer. Laureen was featured on the State House News Service's Personnel File. Check it out here .

 

February 2020

SIx MACDC members receive Community Development Capital and Microlending grants to support job creation and small business growth. Congratulations to Community Teamwork, Franklin County CDC, Coastal Community Capital, Cooperative Fund of New England, Jamaica Plain NDC, and Quaboag Valley CDC. This program was established in the Economic Development Bond Bill in 2016 following a campaign by MACDC to promote small business development.

Ten MACDC members among developers to receive funding from the City of Boston  to create and preserve affordable housing in 10 Boston neighborhoods. Congratulations to 2Life Communitites, Asian CDC, B'nai B'rith Housing, Dorchester Bay EDC, Fenway CDC, Madison Park CDC, Neighborhood of Affordable Housing, Nuestra CDC, Pine Street Inn, and Urban Edge. Find out where these funds are coming from and how they will be used in this press release.
 
Six CDCs funded through the Urban Agenda Grant Program. The program is focused on promoting economic vitality in urban neighborhoods. Congratulations to Community Economic Development Corporation (CEDC) of Southern Massachusetts, Lawrence CommunityWorks, Main South CDC, North Shore CDC, South Middlesex Opportunity Council, and The Neighborhood Developers. Read more here.
 
Coalition for a Better Acre receives a Circle Health grant  to implement its Supported Training Education Program (STEP). STEP is a workforce development program that provides low-income community members with training, resources and skills needed to become self-sufficient. 
 
Asian CDC gets the green light from the Boston Planning and Development Agency for a 350-foot tall affordable housing building in Boston's Chinatown. Asian CDC is working with Millennium Partners, Corcoran Jennison Co., and Tufts University to develop the project, which will also include a hotel, and a parking garage for Tufts Medical Center.
 
NewVue Communities is the Center for Community Progress' 2020 Institutional Partner for Fitchburg, MA. Six Fitchburg residents have been selected to join the 2020 Community Revitalization Fellowship, a nationwide training program that aims to grow resident-driven efforts to combat vacant, abandoned, and distressed properties.
 
Housing Nantucket is among the groups in Nantucket advocating for a real estate transfer fee. The 0.5% fee on property sales of above $2 million would go into the town's affordable housing trust. Check out this WBUR article on the affordable housing crisis in Nantucket and the proposed solution.
 
Pittsfield Economic Revitalization Corporation recently worked with the City of Pittsfield to launch a website, which serves as a resource for existing businesses, new businesses, and those looking to locate to Pittsfield. Check it out here
 
South Middlesex Opportunity Council is planning to build 18 micro-units for formerly homeless people in Worcester. They're the first to apply for state funding for such projects. Check out this WBUR article on homelessness in Worcester, and what they are doing to fight it.
 
Community Development Partnership offers scholarship to Nauset High School Graduate.  The $1000 scholarship is to be awarded to a student who is a resident of the Lower and Outer Cape and who intends to further their education with an interest or course of study in community development. Students with interests in creating housing that is affordable, supporting entrepreneurs in developing businesses, and serving the needs of LMI (low- to moderate-income) individuals are eligible to apply for the scholarship. Read about this and more in CDP's February newsletter.
 
Baker administration announced funding for 11 affordable rental projects, including five CDC projects. Congratulations to Nuestra CDC, Viet-AID, East Boston CDC, Metro West Collaborative Development, and 2Life Communities. Read more here
 
Dudley Neighbors Inc., North Shore CDC and OneHolyoke CDC received grants from Mass Humanities. DNI received $9,900 to support training, collection, sharing and archiving of oral histories from first families who moved 25 years ago on to the largest community land trust in Boston; North Shore CDC received $3,500 for its "Why Your Vote Matters" Forum; and OneHolyoke CDC received $14,500 for "The Diary of Anne Frank 2020 Project" to bring a traveling exhibit on the Diary of Anne Frank to Holyoke High School.
 
Coalition for a Better Acre's Passive House for active recovery supported by Capital One. CBA has received a $100,000 grant to support the development of 27 units of affordable housing in Lowell for people in recovery from substance use disorders. 
 
Just-A-Start Corporation acquired a New Street site to build new affordable apartments. Development will begin later this year with a comprehensive community process. Just-A-Start has a goal to break ground in 2022, or 2023, and to have the apartments completed and available by 2025.
 
Seven MACDC members receive Brownfields funding: Congratulations to JPNDC, Urban Edge, Codman Square NDC, Viet-AID,  Fenway CDC, NewVue Communities, and North Shore CDC. Check out this article to find out how the funds will be used.
 
Allston Brighton CDC launched its new Homeownership Resource Guide. It is loaded with information on the homebuying process and includes a redesigned "Road to Homeownership" infographic, illustrating the necessary steps to take before becoming a homeowner. Check out the Resource Guide here.
 
Pine Street Inn is moving forward on a new development in Jamaica Plain for people who have been chronically homeless, thanks to Boston's Way Home Fund. The fund reached its goal of $10 million two years early. The development will have 140 units for single adults who have been chronically homeless, and 62 income-restricted units for families. 
 
Valley CDC Executive Director, Joanne Campbell, and Way Finders CEO Peter Gagliardi will both retire in June. The Daily Hampshire Gazette has a great feature on the work both they have done over the years to advance their respective organizations, and the community development field. Check it out here.

Jamaica Plain NDC's Giovanny Valencia was named a 2020 Pete Garcia Community Economic Development Fellow. The National Association for Latino Community Asset Builders' Pete Garcia Fellowship was developed to ensure that next generation Latino leaders build the practical, personal, and professional skills needed to succeed in the community economic development field. Giovanny is the Director of Community Organizing at JPNDC.

 
MPDC's Health Equity & Wellness Organizer, Leslie Stafford, participated in The Bodega Makeover Project. She worked with The Bodega Makeover Project to promote healthier food options, and to tell the stories of Hispanic/Urban communities that have less access to healthy food, while simultaneously connecting families and communities. Check out the Bodega Makeover video here.
 

January 2020

Worcester Community Housing Resources Inc. welcomes Jennifer Schanck-Bolwell as new Executive Director. Jennifer will start her position on January 27. She is replacing Dominick Marcigliano who retires this month. We look forward to working with you!
 
CDC of South Berkhire moves forward with remediation and construction of Bentley Apartments affordable housing project after securing funds. The $17.8 million project has secured financing from  14 separate local, state, federal and private funding sources. The project will provide 45 new affordable apartments for families with incomes of up to approximately $53,000. Read more in this article.
 
NeighborWorks Housing Solutions to construct 48 new deed-restricted apartments with support from MassHousing. The transit-oriented, rental development in Brockton will create 18 workforce apartments for middle-income households, as well as units for lower-income residents.
 
Last month, UMass Memorial HealthAlliance-Clinton Hospital announced that it would be investing $750,000 in the Fitchburg Arts Community , a 62-unit mixed housing project of NewVue Communities. Read more about the partnership here 
 
Fenway CDC received a $20,000 grant from Boston Children's Hospital for its Healthy Habits Program.  Families will participate in a sixteen-week program, which comprises counseling from a health coach, exercise activities, and nutrition workshops.
 
Just-A-Start Corporation, Madison Park Development Corporation, and Pine Street Inn are among the 2019-20 Life Science Cares partner organizations. Grants were awarded to 27 Greater Boston-based social service organizations to support nutrition, housing, education, and employment.
 
Congratulations to Community Teamwork Inc. on another successful Mayor's Holiday Rock n' Roll Fest for Youth Homelessness. The event, hosted by Lowell Mayor Bill Samaras, raised $30,000, which was matched by the Amelia Peabody Foundation Challenge Grant and donated to CTI for their efforts to prevent youth homelessness.
 
Urban Edge CEO Emilio Dorcely has an article in Banker and Tradesman  on the challenges and opportunities facing residents in Roxbury and Jamaica Plain.
 
Longtime Roxbury advocate Chuck Turner died this past Christmas Day. Chuck worked closely with Madison Park Development Corporation since the 1960s on several initiatives. Check out MPDC's tribute here. May he rest in power.

 

December, 2019

Six CDC Executive Directors announce plans to retire in 2020.  Six  long-standing and accomplished CDC Executive Directors have recently announced plans to retire in 2020, including Richard Thal from Jamaica Plain NDC , Danny LeBlanc from Somerville Community Corporation , Peter Gagliardi from Way Finders , Joanne Campbell from Valley CDC, Frank Carvalho from Mil Cities Community Investments, and Dominick Marcigliano from Worcester Community Housing Resources.  We will miss these leaders for their talent, experience and commitment.  At the same time, we extend our appreciation, our congratulations and our best wishes to each of them.  And we know that five equally talented new leaders will emerge to lead these organizations in the future.
  • Coalition for a Better Acre, in partnership with Veterans Northeast Outreach Center and Veterans Assisting Veterans, will develop Dracut Town Hall Annex in Dracut, a nine-unit historic re-use of a former elementary school. 
  • HAC will develop a building at 57 Ridgewood Avenue in Hyannis, an eight-unit, modular construction, mixed-income project.
The City of Boston received a $2.9 million MassWorks award  to support Nuestra Comunidad's Bartlett Station project. The award will fund intersection, streetscape, and public space improvements.
 
Harborlight Community Partners (HCP) won the bid to renovate and restore the historic Briscoe building in Beverly. Along with partner Beacon Communities, HCP will retain the building's grand facade while transforming it into 85 affordable homes for seniors, and 11 artist work studios.
 
Housing Nantucket was recently awarded a grant from Nantucket Cottage Hospital to support the expansion of its covenant housing program. The Covenant Program offers home ownership opportunities to moderate-income year-round islanders (those earning below 150% of median income). 
 
Homeowners Rehab, Inc. was recently awarded $147,000 from the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center to make the Finch Cambridge affordable housing development energy efficient. Check out this article for more on how this is being done.
 
This fall, North Shore CDC welcomed an Enterprise Community Partners Rose Fellow. Yuko Okabe is an illustrator who, for the next two years, will work closely with staff and community members on design and artistic thinking for the Punto Urban Art Museum. 
 
In November, 22 students graduated from North Shore CDC's YouthBuild program. Many of these students have already been hired by construction companies, while others are interning and some will be going off to college. Congratulations to all of the graduates!
 
Inquilinos Boricuas en Acción CEO  Vanessa Calderón-Rosado will be honored at the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce's 2020 Pinnacle Awards on January 31. Congrats Vanessa!
 
Interise released its 2019 Impact ReportAn Inclusive Economy Stars Here. The report contains insights from 1,274 small business owners nationwide. Check it out here.
 
Franklin County CDC celebrated its 40th anniversary in November. Check out this article on the CDC's work over the years.
 
Western Mass CDCs form partnership: The CDCs of Western Mass (Hilltown CDC, Quaboag Valley CDC, Springfield NHS, Way Finders, Valley CDC, Wellspring Cooperative, and Franklin County CDC) have formed a partnership for joint marketing. Check out their first venture in Business West's 2019 Giving Guide (pages 8 and 9).

 

November, 2019

 
Valley CDC's Executive Director, Joanne Campbell, will retire effective June 30, 2020.  Joanne has worked at Valley CDC for 20 years. We wish her the very best in her future endeavors.
 
Homeowners Rehab, Inc., North Shore CDC, and NeighborWorks Housing Solutions projects are among eight developments to receive state funding to support Passive House energy efficient affordable housing. Homeowners Rehab was awarded $147,000 for its Finch Cambridge development, North Shore CDC was awarded $120,000 for its Harbor Village project in Gloucester, and NHS was awarded $131,200 for its Holbrook Center Senior Housing. 
 
Housing Assistance Corporation receives $1.17 million loan from MassDevelopment to build eight rental housing units at 57 Ridgewood Ave. Six of the year-round housing units will be rented at market rate, while the other two will be available to tenants earning less than 80% of the area median income. The project is part of DHCD's new community scale housing initiative.
 
 
Asian CDC has teamed up with Millennium Partners Boston to build 168 units of affordable housing in Boston's Chinatown. 
 
Congratulations to Madison Park Development Corporation on the completion of the Melnea Cass Apartments , 76 units of mixed-income housing.
 
Homeowners Rehab, Inc. and 2Life Communities honored at MassHousing's Annual Awards Ceremony . Homeowners Rehab Inc. received a Sustainable Development award, and 2Life Communities received a Housing Advocacy award.
 
Congratulations to North Shore CDC, WHALE and CEDC on being honored with The Gateway Cities Innovation Awards. North Shore CDC was recognized for its Punto Urban Art Museum, while WHALE and CEDC were recognized for their collaborative work on Love the Ave in New Bedford.
 
Harborlight Community Partners' Executive Director Andrew DeFranza was recognized as a 2019 Distinguished Leader at the North Shore Chamber's Annual Dinner. Congrats Andrew!
 
Revitalize CDC and the Public Health Institute of Western Massachusetts received an award from the Environmental Protection Agency for education and housing interventions related to "Children's Environmental Health."
 
Pine Street Inn named one of Massachusetts top 100 women-led businessesThe organization is led by President and Executive Director, Lyndia Downie. Congratulations Lyndia!
 
Congratulations to Dorchester Bay EDC's first cohort of its Adult Leadership Development Institute. The six-weeks curriculum is designed to build leadership capacity among residents, and includes advocacy, communication skills and meeting facilitation.
 
Hilltown CDC Executive Director, Dave Christopolis testified on the Joint Committee on Public Health's  formal oversight hearing about rural public health. His testimony is featured in this  video.
 
One Holyoke CDC's Executive Director, Michael Moriarty, was recently interviewed on Comcast Newsmakers about One Holyoke's affordable housing work. 
 
Housing Nantucket's Covenant Program has created 83 permanently affordable homes on the island. Check out this article on how the program helped one couple purchase their first home.
 
In 2019, the South Eastern Economic Development (SEED) Corporation made 60 small business loans totaling $19.1 million and assisting in the creation of 311 new jobs. These loans were either made in participation with the region's financial institutions to meet a financing gap, or as direct loans to small businesses not able to obtain conventional financing.
 
Commonwealth Land Trust welcomes Iva Comey as new President and CEO. Iva will succeed Ellen Tan who will retire in December after working with CLT for 25 years.

 

October 2019

On October 2, the Rural Policy Advisory Commission (RPAC) announced the release of the Rural Policy Plan for the Commonwealth. The RPAC benefited from the leadership of two CDC Executive Directors: Dave Christopolis of Hilltown CDC, and Jay Coburn of Community Development Partnership. MACDC's Director of Advocacy David Bryant and Senior Policy Advocate Don Bianchi attended the launch at the Massachusetts State House. Read more in this article.
 
Congrats to Revitalize CDC on receiving a $730,000 grant from the US Department and Housing and Urban Development to rehab veterans' homes. Over three years, 51 homes across Massachusetts will be renovated to be safer, and more comfortable for veterans living with disabilities. 
 
Congratulations to Metro West Collaborative Development on the completion of Herring Brook Hill in Norwell, a new 18-unit affordable housing community for seniors.
 
Executive Director of Worcester Community Housing Resources, Inc., Dominick Marcigliano will retire effective January, 2020. He has been in this position since 2012, overseeing WCHR's expansion in lending, development and property ownership across Worcester County.
 
On September 28, Nuestra Comunidad held its "Be the Artist at Bartlett" festival at the new Oasis@Bartlett temporary arts park at Bartlett Station in Roxbury, featuring local musicians, dancers, visual artists, and an interactive mural project. Read about it in this Bay State Banner article.
 
Pine Street Inn has been working to end homelessness for 50 years. On September 26, Pine Street Inn commemorated its 50th anniversary, and announced a $50 million " Key Moments" campaign, its largest fundraising initiative to date. Check out this video on the impact Pine Street Inn has made over the past 50 years.
 
DHCD teams up with NewVue Communities to acquire and restore abandoned homes: The Department of Housing and Community Development is working with NewVue Communities to acquire and restore more than 40 abandoned homes in Athol, Clinton, Fitchburg, Gardner and Leominster. Massachusetts Clean Energy Center will help cover the cost of some upgrades to make the homes more energy efficient. NewVue will then sell the properties to buyers who earn less than 110 percent of the area's median income.
 
Worcester Common Ground continues the fight to make affordable housing available to low-income residents in Worcester despite growing interest from private developers. Executive Director Yvette Dyson talks about their efforts in this WGBH article.
 
Jamaica Plain NDC and Urban Edge are teaming up with the Boston Housing Authority to rehab public housing developments. The two CDCs, along with The Community Builders, will redevelop the Mildred C. Hailey Apartments to replace 250 public housing units and add 360 affordable and market-rate units. Read about it in this article about why the city is partnering with private developers.
 
Just-A-Start recently celebrated graduations for the Class of 2019 from the Biomedical, IT, and YouthBuild programs. Fifty-two participants marked the end of one phase of their education and moved on to the next, with graduates entering new jobs, beginning college, and enrolling in other post-secondary education programs. Congratulations to all the graduates!
 
The Equitable Uphams Collaborative, which Dorchester Bay EDC participates in, released Equity Forward: Uphams Corner, a development plan which provides a series of strategies that will advance the Collaborative's vision of economic development in Uphams Corner.
 
MassMobility and the Massachusetts Healthy Aging Collaborative recently published a report in which they highlight ways that MA organizations are approaching age-friendly transportation. This report features Hilltown CDC's shared van service that they operate on behalf of five Councils on Aging through a partnership with the Franklin Regional Transit Authority among other great partnerships.
 
Just-A-Start recently welcomed a new Director of Education & Training. Miriam Ortiz, formerly JAS's Director of Workforce Development, transitioned into her new role within the organization last month. Congratulations Miriam!
 
Jamaica Plain NDC's Senior Real Estate Project Manager, Intiya Isaza is on the Mayor's 2019-2020 SPARK Boston CouncilSPARK Boston is responsible for advising Mayor Walsh on issues affecting the millennial population and working with City departments and community stakeholders to help solve those issues.
 
As we are nearing the 2020 Census, many neighborhoods are at risk of an undercount. Madison Park Development Corporation's Resident and Civic Engagement Manager, Beyazmin Jimenez, penned an op-ed in the Bay State Banner on making sure our communities are counted. Check it out here.
 
Hilltown CDC will administer a grant from the US Department of Housing and Urban Development  on behalf of the Town of Chesterfield. This funding is made available each year through a federal program known as Community Development Block Grants (CDBG). Read more in Hilltown CDC's  On The Ground newsletter .

 

September 2019

Congratulations to Urban Edge on the opening of Walker Park Apartments, 49 affordable rental homes in Egleston Square, Boston. Mayor Marty Walsh and other local leaders attended the ribbon-cutting event on September 16.
 
Congratulations to 2Life Communities on breaking ground for the Brown Family House. The Harold and Ronald Brown Family House is located at 370 Harvard Street in Brookline and will create 62 units of affordable housing for older adults.
 
NeighborWorks Housing Solutions and WinnCompanies won the Urban Land Institute's 2019 Jack Kemp Excellence in Affordable and Workforce Housing Award for The Watson in Quincy.  The Watson, a 140-unit building, is the first mixed-income community in Quincy. Congratulations to NHS and WinnCompanies on their successful partnership.
 
North Shore CDC has completed the rehabilitation of the second phase of the Harbor and Lafayette Homes in Salem. The first phase of the project was the rehabilitation of the building at 104-106 Lafayette Street, which was completed in September 2018. The residence at 15-17 Harbor Street, renamed the Harbor Crossing building, is now the home to almost 20 young adults who were facing homelessness, or aging out of the foster care system.
 
Island Housing Trust's Scott's Grove affordable housing project has won a 2019 merit award from the Builders Choice and Custom Home Design Awards. Scott's Grove on Martha's Vineyard  is made up of nine affordable duplex homes with options of one-, two-, and three-bedroom units. Congratulations to Island Housing Trust, and  the designers of the project,  LDa Architecture and Interiors.
 
Fairmount Indigo CDC Collaborative receives funding from The Kresge Foundation to improve climate resilience and reduce health risks in low-income communities. The collaborative comprises three CDCs: Codman Square NDC, Dorchester Bay EDC, and Southwest Boston CDC.
 
Groundwork Lawrence Executive Director, Heather McMann, recently kayaked the full length of the Merrimack River , as a member of the Merrimack River Valley Voyagers. The  group of local leaders spent four days paddling and camping along the 117-mile length of the river. Check out the stunning photos and read more about their journey in this article.
 
North Shore CDC's Punto Urban Art Museum partners with Notch Brewing to create "Punto Pils," a Caribbean-style lager that will be on sale at Notch Brewing's Tap Room and by select retailers in greater Salem. A portion of the proceeds will benefit the Punto Urban Art Museum. Check out the amazing artwork featured on the packaging here.
 
South Boston NDC launches Climate Action Partners (CAP), a partnership of community members, nonprofits and businesses who will work together to build a more climate smart and resilient South Boston. Check out this Facebook page to learn more.
 
Three MACDC members were honored with "Partners of the Year" awards at the Boston Business Journal's 14th Annual Corporate Citizenship Awards on September 5 .  A total of six corporate-nonprofit partnerships were recognized for making an immediate and lasting impact by working together, including Ninety Nine Restaurant & Pub in partnership with Pine Street Inn, Tufts Health Plan in partnership with 2Life Communities, and Harborone Bank in partnership with NeighborWorks Housing Solutions.

 

Check out these two documentary shorts from Island Housing Trust. 
The first film, It Takes an Island - A Martha's Vineyard Story illustrates the nature of the housing crisis faced on the island, while the second one, Finding Our Way Home - A Year of Impact and Innovation highlights the progress Island Housing Trust has made in the past year.
 
 
August, 2019
 
In Memory of Gordon Gottshe, Founder of Just-A-Start Corporation. Gordon was Just-A-Start's Executive Director from its inception in 1968, until 2013. He passed away on August 9 at age 87. We would like to express our sincere condolences to Gordon's family and friends, and to the staff of Just-A-Start. 
 
Jamaica Plain NDC achieves 20% Energy Reduction Goal ahead of Schedule: In 2014, JPNDC committed to reducing the energy use of its affordable housing portfolio by 2022. It teamed up with Peabody Properties and together, they were able to meet their target three years early. Find out how they did it here.
 
Baker Administration announces $1M emergency loan fund in wake of Cape Cod tornado: MACDC member Coastal Community Capital and the Cape Cod Chamber of Commerce will provide outreach and address local needs, in partnership with Massachusetts Growth Capital Corporation (MGCC) who capitalized and will administer the fund. 
 
Residents begin to move into Just-A-Start's residential complex at 50 York Street in Cambridge. Two years after a 10-alarm fire completely destroyed 18 buildings, the new building is now being occupied. 
 
Massachusetts Small Business Administration (SBA) and Hilltown CDC announce strategic alliance to strengthen and expand small business development in Western MA. SBA will be presenting its Small Business Smart Workshop series, in partnership with Hilltown CDC's Economic Development/Business support program on September 19 and 26, and on December 4 and 11.  Hilltown CDC's Executive Director Dave Christopolis said "It is important that rural communities like the Hilltowns are able to connect with resources located in population centers. Our region has many creative business owners making products in rural Massachusetts that include agriculture, art, retail and professional services. It is essential that government respond to the needs of rural businesses in the 21st century as we reimagine what a vibrant rural economy looks like.  We look forward to growing this partnership with the SBA." 
 
Nuestra Comunidad announces the inaugural arts festival "Be the Artist at Bartlett" on Saturday, September 28 at the site of its future arts and nature park "Oasis@Bartlett," a centerpiece of the Bartlett Station project at 2565 Washington Street in Roxbury.
 
Congratulations to Fenway CDC on the preservation of 97 affordable housing units at Newcastle-Saranac in the South End. The affordability of the two buildings recently expired, leaving long-term tenants vulnerable to displacement. Fenway CDC and The Schochet Companies, however, were able to acquire the buildings and preserve them as affordable housing.
 
2Life Communities partners with Boston Housing Authority to redevelop J.J. Carroll Apartments. Through this partnership,130 apartments will be constructed, replacing the existing 63 apartments, and adding 60-70 new affordable homes for older adults.
 
Madison Park Development Corporation's Resident and Civic Engagement Manager, Beyazmin Jimenez, on August 15, moderated a housing conversation with Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley.  Pressley said that housing is a fundamental human right and that we need federal policies and spending to match the need.
 
Asian CDC's Residence Lab artists, Lily Xie and Crystal Bi-Wegner created the Moon Eaters Collective, a zine that centers Asian American femme art and AAPI (Asian American and Pacific Islanders) queer experiences.

 

July 2019

The Baker-Polito Administration, on July 18, announced $118 million in funding for the production and preservation of 1,581 affordable homes. Of the 28 projects funded, 12 are sponsored by MACDC members: B'nai B'rith Housing, Berkshire Housing Development Corporation, Dorchester Bay EDC, Lena Park CDC, Mission Hill Neighborhood Housing Services, North Shore CDC, Nuestra Comunidad Development Corp., The Neighborhood Developers, The Women's Institute, Urban Edge, and Worcester Common Ground.
 
Urban Edges welcomes new CEO Congratulations and welcome to Emilio Dorcely, the incoming CEO of Urban Edge. Emilio will take up the post on September 30 and we look forward to working with him!
 
Congratulations to Inquilinos Boricuas en Acción on another successful Festival Betances!  IBA weathered record high temperatures this past weekend to put on a spectacular event.
 
Asian CDC and North Shore CDC part of first cohort of The Boston Foundation's Place Leadership Network.  The network brings together leaders of place-based organizations for peer learning, leadership development, and access to resources and expertise. Through this network,  Asian CDC is seeking to strengthen and extend Chinatown's cultural identity through a mural and plaza intervention, while North Shore CDC is seeking to evaluate and replicate the impact of its murals program. Read more here .
 
Just-A-Start Corporation receives $22.8 million in financing from MassHousing for 88-unit Squirrelwood development in Cambridge.  The funding consists of an $8.2 million permanent loan, a $13.6 million bridge loan and $1 million from MassHousing's Workforce Housing Initiative. Just-A-Start will construct 23 new apartments and renovate and preserve the affordability of 65 existing apartments, which will accommodate a variety of family sizes and income levels.
 
Jamaica Plain NDC Executive Director Richard Thal and Director of Programs Anna Waldron recently sat down with BNN's Chris Lovett  to talk about JPNDC's latest efforts in affordable housing, early education, and business opportunities for women, and people of color. Watch the interview here .
 
Dorchester Bay EDC's small business program has a new name - Dorchester Bay Neighborhood Business Loans - and a new website DBEDC is also increasing its efforts to distribute small business capital to the neighborhoods where it is needed most.
 
The efforts being made by Asian CDC to assist Asian immigrants in Quincy were recently highlighted in an article in The Patriot Ledger.  Asian CDC assists non-English speaking residents in navigating the complex process of searching and applying for subsidized apartments in areas where they would have a community with shared language and cultural backgrounds.
 
On July 16, Just-A-Start Corporation held a ribbon cutting for a home at 152 Fifth Street in Cambridge that was renovated through a collaboration between its Real Estate Development department and its YouthBuild program. The house was bequeathed to JAS in 2016 by the former owner who JAS assisted in acquiring the home 30 years earlier. With the support of the City of Cambridge, the house will become a home for a new family through the City's First-Time Homebuyer Program.
 
Island Housing Trust celebrated another successful year with its annual benefit brunch The organization had much to celebrate about the past year, including the creation of 41 homes for island residents, and the premier of its new documentary . More than 160 people attended and raised over $300,000!
 
Earlier this month, Home City Development Inc. held a ribbon cutting for its E. Henry Twiggs Estates development  that was completed in December, 2018. The project was completed in two phases and renovated a total of 136 units in the Bay and Upper Hill neighborhoods.
 
2 Life Communities recently held a ribbon-cutting for two major projects at its Brighton Campus the Weinberg House that added 61 affordable apartments for low-income seniors, and the renovation and modernization of 209 apartments in the Kurlat House.
 
Congratulations to Lena Park CDC's CodeSquad!  The Spring 2019 Cohort graduated on June 22 after completing 200 hours of classes over 18 weeks.
 
Asian CDC teams up with Millennium Partners to propose a 30-story tower in Chinatown. The project would house the Chinatown branch of the Boston Public Library, a hotel, and 171 income-restricted residential units.

 

Valley CDC Celebrates Grand Opening of Lumber Yard Project: On a warm late June afternoon, Valley CDC's friends and supporters joined public officials to celebrate the completion of Valley CDC's redevelopment of the former Northampton Lumber Yard Company site, near downtown Northampton.  The newly constructed four-story building will provide affordable homes for 55 families, 5,400 square feet of street-level commercial space, and office space for Valley CDC.  Valley CDC partnered with Way Finders in the redevelopment, and Way Finders will manage the property.  The Grand Opening included remarks by Northampton Mayor David Narkewicz, DHCD Undersecretary Janelle Chan, and other dignitaries.  Refreshments, good conversations, and a tour of the building made it a great afternoon! 

Housing Assistance Corporation's Rent 365 Program encourages year-round rentals on The Cape.  Incentives to participating homeowners include a $1,000 bonus, a lease template, and a free 30-minute phone consultation with an attorney. The program launched last fall and has enrolled 18 homeowners to date. The goal is 25 for its pilot phase. 

Hilltown CDC and its Executive Director, Dave Christopolis, were recently featured in a CommonWealth Magazine article about revitalizing the "Hilltowns."  The article explores the challenges faced by the communities that make up the Hilltowns, and highlights the efforts made by Hilltown CDC in the 22 towns in which it works. Christopolis believes that the Hilltowns need a rural economic development plan that is supported by the state, and that works with the area's constituent towns; and the private and nonprofit sectors. Read more here .

 

On June 20th, Somerville Community Corporation kicked off its 50th Anniversary Celebrations with a breakfast at the Blessing of the Bay Boathouse. The event included a keynote address by Dr. Karilyn Crockett on community building, activism and commitment to social justice, and ended with Mayor Joseph Curtatone and SCC CEO Danny LeBlanc jumping into the Mystic River. Read more about the eventful morning here.

Just-A-Start Corporation recently completed renovations on 112 units of affordable housing in Cambridge, including construction of a new building at 50 York Street, which was destroyed by a major fire in 2016. 

The Metropolitan Area Planning Council (MAPC) recently hosted a Peer Exchange of leadership teams  from seven regional planning agencies across the country and the National Association of Regional Councils (NARC). MAPC shared hosting responsibilities with Madison Park Development Corporation and Somerville Community Corporation, along with other organizations. 

Asian CDC intern Cindy Tsang is the recipient of the Metropolitan Area Planning Council's Charles Eliot II Scholarship.  This scholarship is open to any senior in a secondary school in the 101 cities and towns of the MAPC region who is planning to further his/her education in the planning field.

 

June 2019

Housing Assistance Corporation CEO, Alisa Magnotta Galazzi recently penned an op-ed in the Cape Cod Times on how seasonal rentals are driving up home prices for locals. According to the article, outdated zoning, which has inadvertently made it easier for summer people than year rounders to obtain housing, is the leading contributor to the housing crisis on the Cape. Read more here.

 

Madison Park Development Corporation kicked off its Census 2020 Roxbury Counts event on June 14. MPDC is partnering with the MA Census Equity Fund to ensure residents are engaged, educated and informed with the right information around the Census. Learn more  here.
 
In response to record wealth and income gaps, reduced economic mobility, and unaffordable housing, Jamaica Plain NDC is completing a strategic plan for the next five years. Among JPNDC's top priorities are: embracing a citywide role, aggressively pursuing opportunities to keep JP inclusive, and doing more to help low-income people enjoy long-term security. Learn more from JPNDC's Bashier Kayou and John Fitzgerald in this Jamaica Plain News  article.

Inquilinos Boricuas en Acción (IBA) will rehabilitate and preserve a series of historic brownstone apartments in the South End of Boston in partnership with the Boston Housing Authority (BHA). The West Newton and Rutland Street Apartments were constructed in the late 1800s and became public housing when IBA handled the transition after BHA acquired the property 42 years ago.

 
On June 1, the Groundwork Lawrence Green Team debuted their Lawrence Made Pipe Project at the S.A.L.S.A Kite Festival. The project is a moving exhibit that showcases the resilience of the community in response to the natural gas over-pressurization of 2018. The exhibit was subsequently featured in the Illuminación Lawrence launch event on June 5, and it will be on display at various locations around town before it is eventually auctioned as a part of Eco Art.
 
Waterfront Historic Area LeaguE (WHALE) on May 31 held a ribbon cutting for its second first-time homebuyer property at 318 Pleasant Street in New Bedford. The house was recently restored by WHALE and is available for sale through lottery.
 
Massachusetts Food Trust Program awards funding for healthy foods projects:The Massachusetts Food Trust Program, overseen by the Department of Agricultural Resources and administered by two MACDC members, the Local Enterprise Assistance Fund (LEAF) and Franklin County CDC, announced the initial funding of seven healthy food projects totaling $760,000 in loans and grants. The projects funded are located in six Massachusetts counties: Berkshire, Bristol, Franklin, Hampden, Plymouth, and Suffolk, and range in scope and size. 
 
Jobs without degrees: Just-A-Start Corporation's Biomedical Careers Programwas recently in the national spotlight when it was highlighted by NBC News in an article about jobs without college degrees, and programs that help make it possible for people to be hired for such jobs. The program was launched in 1992, and since then, its alumni have reported substantial salary increases. As part of t he program, Just-A-Start reaches out to employers and encourages them to consider candidates who do not have four-year degrees.
 
Congratulations to Lawrence CommunityWorks for winning a $75,000 prize in United Way's first Annual Social Innovation Venture Fund for their program that encourages manufacturers to create bilingual workspaces.  There were 75 applicants. 
Asian CDC, at their Dim Sum breakfast in April, shared two new videos highlighting community members who have benefited from and been empowered by their match savings programs. In one video, Fan, a Chinese immigrant talks about how ACDC helped her achieve her dream of owning a home in America, while in the other, Lina, whose parents are Chinese immigrants, talks about how ACDC's Blueprints program taught her to budget and save, and make educated financial decisions.

Neighborhood of Affordable Housing (NOAH) is working with the Mayor and the Department of Neighborhood Development to buy three-decker houses and keep working families, who may otherwise be evicted, living in their homes. NOAH has already purchased 15 buildings. A long-time East Boston resident, who NOAH is helping, was recently featured on  the Boston 25 News by 25 Investigates' Kerry Kavanaugh. Watch the report here.

The City of Salem and the Metropolitan Area Planning Council (MAPC) launched a four-part video series called "Home for Salem"  that explains the importance of creating affordable housing policies in Salem. Part 3 in the video series "Meeting Housing Need," features Andrew DeFranza, Executive Director of Harborlight Community Partners, and Mickey Northcutt, CEO of Northshore CDC. Watch the video here.
 
At the recent spring's Town Meetings in Cape Cod, Lower Cape Select Boards recommended 48 housing-related articles totaling over $8.5 million in town funding . This is a big win for Community Development Partnership (CDP). Earlier in the spring, CDP's Lower Cape Community Housing Partnership (LCCHP) wrapped up its second year in which 55 municipal officials participated in the Housing Institute and 58 local residents were trained as housing advocates. 

 

May 2019

After serving as  Executive Director of Madison Park Development Corporation for 20 years, Jeanne Pinado prepares to step down.  WGBH's Saraya Wintersmith recently took a driving tour of MPDC's real estate in Roxbury with Jeanne, during which they talked about the CDC's accomplishments under her leadership, as well as her plans and MPDC's plans for the future. 

SEED Corporation welcomes Susan E. Murray as new Executive Director: Susan started her tenure on May 10. She has 30 years of experience in commercial and community banking, and has been involved with many community organizations.

MassDevelopment provides funding for CDCs to clean up contaminated sites: MassDevelopment announced recently that 1 3 municipalities and organizations, including four MACDC members, were  awarded over $2.6 million in Brownsfield Redevelopment Fund grants . The grants will be used to support the environmental assessment and cleanup of contaminated and challenging areas across Massachusetts. The four CDCs awarded are: Codman Square NDC, Dorchester Bay EDC, NewVue Communities, and Lawrence CommunityWorks.
 
Harborlight Community Partners has received an award of $900,000 from the state's Department of Housing and Community Development for the construction of six family units in Beverly. The funding comes from the Community Scale Housing Initiative that the Baker Administration created in response to advocacy from MACDC. The project has also received local support with additional funding from Beverly HOME, Beverly Community Preservation Committee, and the Beverly Affordable Housing Trust. North Shore HOME has also committed federal funding of $75,000. The project is expected to cost $2,310,000 and construction is set to commence this summer.
 
Oak Hill CDC continues to be instrumental in the improvement of local schools in Worcester. Recently, Oak Hill CDC Executive Director, Mullen Sawyer, joined Ben Forman of MassINC on the Gateway Podcast to talk about how the community of Union Hill in Worcester managed to transform the once struggling Union Hill elementary school, and how Oak Hill CDC was involved. Listen here .
 
Lawrence CommunityWorks recently held a ribbon cutting ceremony for the five families who benefited from a homeownership lottery through the Union-Milford Affordable Homes project. This project is  part of their Project Reviviendo efforts focused in the North Common Neighborhood.  The five homes are expected to generate new tax revenues of approximately $12,000 annually to the City of Lawrence.
 
Community Teamwork Inc. and NeighborWorks of Southern Massachusetts are among seven organizations that received funding from the state for the production and preservation of 147 units of supportive housing for vulnerable populations. Low- and extremely-low- income families will now have access to these units thanks to $6 million in grant funding and $2.5 million in federal funding and state project-based housing vouchers.
 
Congratulations to B'nai B'rith Housing on breaking ground for The Coolidge at Sudbury, Phase 2. The community will provide 56 one-bedroom affordable apartments for seniors and older adults.
 
Asian CDC recently celebrated 32 years of community building  with a dim sum breakfast at the China Pearl restaurant. Vivien Li, a nationally recognized Waterfront Expert, in her keynote speech, urged people to get involved in service in their communities. "Individually and collectively, we can make a difference," she said. President of Bunker Hill Community College,  Pam Eddinger,  was presented with the Neil Chin Community service award.
 
Community Development Partnership recently celebrated 28 years of service in the Lower Cape region. Following its Annual Meeting on April 25, CEO Jay Coburn said the event was a great reminder of "the powerful role our community plays in helping entrepreneurs build a business to create jobs and in ensuring that all of our residents, regardless of income, have a safe stable and affordable home from which to build a successful life on the Lower Cape." Congratulations to CDP!
 

April 2019

CDCs Funded: Nine CDCs were among the 44 nonprofits to be awarded grants ranging from $5,000 to $20,000 by the Massachusetts Census Equity Fund to aid the 2020 Census. The CDCs that were funded are: Coalition for a Better Acre, CEDC-SM, Dorchester Bay EDC, Groundwork Lawrence, Jamaica Plain NDC, Lawrence CommunityWorks, Madison Park CDC, South Middlesex Opportunity Council, and Viet-AID. These CDCs and CBOS will be working to make sure the Census counts everyone who lives here regardless of race, ethnicity, country of origin, or income.
 
Congratulations to the CDC of South Berkshire County on winning a Clean Energy Award of  $139,625 through the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center (CEC) Commercial Scale Minisplit Rebate program for the upcoming work on the Bentley Apartments project.
 
Congratulations to Dr. Vanessa Calderón-Rosado ,  CEO of IBA - Inquilinos Boricuas en Accion and Chair of the MACDC Board, on receiving the 2019  SCI Idealists Award  for her outstanding leadership of a community development corporation.
 
Madison Park Development Corporation seeks new CEO:  Jeanne Pinado will be stepping down effective December 31, 2019. We wish her well in her future endeavors, and we wish MPDC good luck in their  search for a new CEO.

 

The Community Economic Development Center (CEDC) is making significant efforts to help Guatemalan immigrants in New Bedford.  Some of these efforts were highlighted in a recent article by South Coast Today, which told the story of a mother whose son was taken from her at the border. 

 

Congratulations to Nuestra CDC, and its partner, Preservation of Affordable Housing (POAH)on receiving a $1.8M MassWorks award for the creation of 135 housing units in Mattapan.
 
Congratulations to Valley Community Development Corporation and Way Finders, Inc ., Developers of the Lumber Yard Project, a 55-unit affordable rental property in Northampton. Get a virtual tour of the new multi-use complex  here. 

 

Led by Revitalize CDC, volunteers repair homes and clean vacant lots in Springfield.  This year's annual rebuilding day marks the culmination of an effort announced seven years ago to fix up more than 200 homes on 10 contiguous blocks in Springfield's Old Hill neighborhood. The initiative is ahead of schedule, as it was o riginally planned to take a decade. Next year, Revitalize CDC plans to move it's "GreenNFit Neighborhood Rebuild" program to a different area of Springfield. 
 
Through the Punto Urban Art Museum,  art is being used as a catalyst for fostering creativity and neighborhood pride in The Point neighborhood in Salem. The museum is a project of North Shore CDC and it was recently featured on Channel 5's Chronicle .
 
Franklin County CDC Executive Director, John Waite and Business Development Director, Amy Shapiro recently traveled to Morocco as part of a grant awarded to The Institute for Training and Development (ITD) from the U.S. Department of State's Bureau for Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA). Read more about the purpose of the trip, and their experiences, in these blog articles:
Past, Present and Future by John Waite;
Creativity Sparks Civic Engagement by Amy Shapiro
.
 
Hilltown CDC releases new Business Directory:  The 2019 edition of the Hilltown Business Directory  is your go-to resource for finding information on local businesses and services throughout the Hilltowns. 
 
 
December 2018
  • MACDC congratulates Chris Sikes on his retirement as President of Common Capital Inc, after 30 years of service.  Chris founded CCI (then known as Western Mass Enterprise Fund) in partnership with local CDCs and MACDC long before the CDFI industry has blossomed across the country.  Throughout his tenure, Chris was a tireless advocate for small business, an innovative thought leader in the CDFI movement, and creative practitioner who helped hundreds of businesses throughout the region. “Much of what I know about small business development, I learned from Chris when I served on his board from 1995 to 2005,” said MACDC President Joseph Kriesberg. “His impact on the field extends well beyond Western Mass to include the entire Commonwealth and the Country.  I look forward to taking advantage of his newly found free time to provide me (and MACDC) with continued mentorship and friendship."

  • Congratulations to South Boston NDC on breaking ground at O'Connor Way, 46 new homes.

  • Asian CDC, Corcoran Jennison Cos, and Tufts University to build a 45 homes for low-income residents as well as 107 residences for low- and moderate-homeownership, The Boston Globe reports.
  • Congratulations to Karen Sheers, a Community Organizer at Dorchester Bay Economic Development Corporation, on her reciept of the first Community Ambassador Award from Keolis.
  • Check out this great video by Harborlight Community Partners highlighting their Boston Street Crossing development.  The before and after images are incredible.  

November 2018

October 2018

  • NewVue Communties and WHALE awarded grants through the Baker-Polito Administration’s $2.2 million Collaborative Workspace Program

  • Congratulations to Pat Flaherty of Mission Hill NHS for receiving Hall of Fame award and Leslie Reid of Madison Park Development Corporation for receiving a Rising Star Award by Metropolitan Housing Partnership.

  • Helping respond to the crisis in Lawrence, Andover, and North Andover, Mill Cities Community Investments is managing the Small Business Emergency Loan Fund, which was recently recapitalized with an additional $2 million in funds;

  • Congratulations to SEED Corporation on making $19.3 million in small business loans in 2018, which helped create 306 new jobs;

  • Congratulations to Housing Assistance Corporation on completing 44 mixed-used apartments in Bourne.

  • Check out this video that highlights what Lawrence CommunityWorks, NewVue Communities, and The Neighborhood Developers accomplished through the Working Cities Challenge.

  • Housing Assistance Corporation released a study covering the scarcity of housing on the Cape.  As the Cape Cod Times notes, "In the Housing Assistance Corp. report unveiled Tuesday, "Housing on Cape Cod: The High Cost of Doing Nothing," a sampling of online rental listings showed the average rent for a room in a house was $75 a month, the average studio rent ran close to $1,000 a month, and renting a three bedroom home cost $1,875," Doug Frazier, Cape Cod Time (CLICK HERE to read the article). To read the report by HAC, CLICK HERE.

  • Mill Cities Community Investments (MCCI) to manage an emergency loan fund for businesses impacted by the natural gas disaster in Lawrence, North Andover, and Andover communities. “MCCI is pleased to provide ongoing support, including managing the emergency loan fund for the businesses that were affected by the gas disaster,” said Mill Cities Community Investments Executive Director Frank Carvalho. “MCCI is properly staffed culturally and linguistic to provide this most needed service and we thank our community lending partners and MGCC for making this resource available to help our business community.”

  • Hilltown CDC celebrates the grand opening of 10 new affordable apartments for seniors in Goshen, Mass. The Community Preservation Act supported project, "has set an example for rural America about how small communities can come together and do something to protect their way of life."
     
  • Asian CDC's (ACDC) ANCHOR (Activation, Needs, Community, Housing and Open Spaces, Residents) creative placemaking initiative seeks to "remind Chinatown residents and visitors that Chinatown is a place of live, work, and play." The ANCHOR project is an initiative to stabilize Boston's Chinatown that revolves around anchor landmarks and is "dedicated to preserving Chinatown residents, businesses, and cultural institutions."
     
  • South Eastern Economic Development (SEED) Corporation receives $600,000 grant from the Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) Fund that will "enable SEED to continue meeting the financing needs of start-ups and expanding small businesses in underserved markets, and economically distressed areas in our region." 
     
  • Metro West Collaborative Development's Glen Brook Way project receives permit to add an additional 44 units of housing! The completed project will include 48 family units and 44 senior units.
     
  • Jewish Community Housing for the Elderly is now 2Life Communities. The name change was spurred by the organization's need to capture their "vibrancy while reflecting our Jewish identity. 2Life Communities embodies the central tenet of L'Chaim, celebrating life, and also captures enthusiasm round the 'second phase' of life and all of its possibilities." 

September 2018

July 2018

  • CDC of South Berkshire's recent purchase will convert an old house into 40-50 affordable homes in Great Barrington.

  • The Supreme Judicial Court delivered a major victory for the preservation of affordable housing on June 15th when it ruled that Homeowner’s Rehabilitation., Inc (HRI, a CDC in Cambridge, MA) could exercise its right of first refusal as general partner of a Low Income Housing Tax Credit property to purchase the property without advance consent from the limited partners (i.e. investors) at a below market price.  The decision affirms that CDCs and other nonprofit affordable housing developers should be able to buy LIHTC properties they originally sponsored at a price that allows for the long term preservation of the project and that investors receive their full financial return through tax benefits, not property appreciation.  The decision is highly technical and relied heavily on the specific language in the original partnership agreement so CDCs and others should consult their attorneys to make sure such agreements are drafted properly.  MACDC signed on to an Amicus Brief organized by CHAPA and written by the attorneys at Klein Hornig that supported HRI.

  • Bodegas in Lawrence now offer healthier options thanks to work done by Groundwork Lawrence and Mill Cities Community Investments as part of an effort to increase healthy food options in the neighborhood in partnership with a Lawrence General Hospital program called Healthy on the Block/Bodegas Saludables.

  • Lt. Gov. Polito visited Housing Nantucket on Saturday, July 14th.  During her visit, she learned more about a real estate development project made possible thanks to CITC.

  • Somerville Community Corporation and Preservation of Affordable Housing released a new video highlighting Resident Voices to help win support for their redevelopment of their Clarendon Hill public housing community.
 
  • East Boston CDC, in partnership with Trinity Financial and the Boston Housing Authority, recently completed the first phase of the Orient Heights redevelopment project which added 120 new public housing homes to the housing stock. 
     
  • CDC's will go to great lengths to secure affordable housing. Check out the pictures from OneHolyoke's #HouseMovingDay.
     
  • Congratulations to NeighborWorks of Southern Mass for participating in the recently launched, NeighborhoodLIFT program. The program, a collaboration between NeighborWorks America and Wells Fargo, assists first-time homebuyers with $20,000 in down payment assistance.

June 2018

May 2018

April 2018
 

  • 39 East Boston families facing displacement can stay in their homes thanks to NOAH and the City of Boston's partnership. Working with the City and local property owners, NOAH has been able to purchase 10 triple-deckers and are closing soon on three more.
     
  • When storms and natural disasters happen, CDCs are often there to help families and neighborhoods recover.  This is precisely what happened after the March 10 Nor'easter hit Quincy and Neighborworks Southern Mass stepped in to help.

 

March 2018

February 2018

January 2018

  • Urban Edge’s Jackson Square Recreation Center is $500,000 closer to becoming a reality thanks to a grant from the TD Charitable Foundation.

  • North Shore Community Development Corp.’s open-air murals are a stunning approach to transforming affordable housing. Scroll over to page 48 of Design New England magazine to read about North Shore CDC’s innovative approach to neighborhood revitalization

  • Long-time affordable housing and climate change advocate, Phil Giffee, Executive Director of NOAH CDC, urges the city and its residents to make resiliency a priority after unprecedented flooding in East Boston and the Seaport District.

  • Congrats to Just-A-Start on their 50th Anniversary! Watch their video highlighting their incredible role in developing affordable housing and creating opportunities for youth and young adults in Cambridge! Here’s to 50 more years of success!

  • Dorchester Bay EDC is set to launch their online lending platform for their Small Business Assistance Center program. DBEDC plans to expand its lending to $400,000 microloans that will result in more than 100 jobs retained or created.

  • Codman Square NDC goes green with the installation of solar panels at 16 of its multifamily homes. The transition to renewable energy will produce an environmental impact that’s equivalent to planting 515 acres of trees!

  • On January 21st, JALSA will present Jeanne Pinado with the Distinguished Leadership Award at its annual meeting. Jeanne is being recognized for her role in transforming the Roxbury neighborhood, developing affordable housing, preserving Hibernian Hall, and establishing a host of community programs. To learn more about this event, visit JALSA's event page.

  • Vanessa Calderon-Rosado, Executive Director of Inquilinos Boricuas en Accion, was recently featured in the Boston Globe, here are five things you might not know about Vanessa Calderon-Rosado.

December 2017

  • Congratulations to JPNDC and Madison Park Development Corporation, recipients of TD Charitable Foundation's "Housing for Everyone" grant. This funding will advance two new projects for the Jamaica Plain NDC, the General Heath Square Apartments, and the Lorenzo Pitts Portfolio, which will add 47 new affordable homes and preserve 193 at-risk affordable apartments. Madison Park DC will use the funding for the Madison Melnea Cass Apartments project which will add 53 new homes for low and moderate income families in Roxbury.
     
  • The Best Ethel Ever!  Congratulations to Ethel Griffin on her Lifetime Achievement Award.  Check out this incredible video by Revitalize CDC honoring Ethel and her work in Springfield.

  • On December 6th, MACDC’s Members Housing Solutions and NeighborWorks of Southern Mass along with a diverse group of stakeholders held a housing roundtable discussion with Rep. Joseph Kennedy. They expressed their concerns about the impact the tax reform could have on LITHC, Historic Credits, New Market Credits, the Section 8 program and FSS, elderly housing, and block grants. Rep. Kennedy cautioned that Democrats will be marginalized in the tax reform process and suggests that national affordable housing organizations orchestrate pressure on legislators in New York, California, New Jersey, and Illinois.

  • Congratulations to MACDC’s members Housing Assistance Corporation on Cape Cod and Community Development Partnership for founding the Cape House Institute  (a program designed to address the region’s housing problems), and celebrating its first cohort of program graduates, which included 100 Cap Cod town officials.

November 2017

October 2017

Revitalize CDC "rehabbed so many Springfield neighborhood homes, that the organization is now being called upon to apply its experience in Holyoke."
 
Fenway CDC $15.2 million acquisition of the Burbank Gardens saves 39 apartments from converting to market rate units. 
 
The Neighborhood Developers to convert old French Club into 34 units of affordable rental housing.
 
 
Island Housing Trust breaks ground on nine-unit project in West Tisbury.
September 2017

$900,000 grant from the Massachusetts Community Housing Initiative helps Island Housing move forward on housing development in West Tisbury.

Community Teamwork Inc's Youthbuild program receives $1 million grant to help young adults earn a GED and receive job training in culinary or construction industries.

NeighborWorks of Southern Mass and WinnCompanies partner to develop 140 mixed-income apartments in Quincy.

Viet-AID celebrates the completion of the new Upper Washington apartments with incoming tenants and Mayor Walsh.

Nuestra CDC receives $250,000 grant to support the development of a community grocery store in Roxbury.

Harborlight Community Partners and the City of Beverly move forward on 40R "Smart Growth Zoning Overlay" project that will bring 60-80 units of housing to the city.

AUGUST 2017

Housing Corporation of Arlington secures funding to convert the former Arlington Heights Methodist church into nine-units of affordable housing.

Dorchester Bay to convert historic Pierce Building in Upham's Corner into commercial innovation hub

Lena Park CDC and New Boston Fund partner to redevelop the former Boston State Hospital into 41-units of mixed-income homeownership in Mattapan.

Dorchester Bay EDC taps local talent, Outside the Box Agency for #DotImpact Video Series.

Jamaica Plain NDC, The Community Builders, and Urban Edge partner to renovate Boston Housing Authority's 199-unit residential building for senior citizens and disabled people. Additionally, they will develop 10 new units in a space currently used for BHA offices.

"HAC and CDP Launch Cape Housing Institute:  HAC CEO Alisa Galazzi and Community Development Partnership (CDP) Executive Director Jay Coburn have announced a collaboration between their two agencies that would address the challenges local municipalities face due to the shortage of affordable housing on Cape Cod."  READ MORE

JULY 2017

NOAH engages vulnerable community residents to prepare for climate change threat.

Housing Assistance Corporation and Preservation of Affordable Housing (POAH) celebrate the groundbreaking of their 44 unit project. This third and final phase will complete the 117-unit mixed income project.

North Shore CDC commissions local artists to turn The Point neighborhood in Salem into an urban museum.

NOAH's Youth Brigade highlighted in the WBUR's piece on bringing more trees into East Boston.

North Shore CDC's "The Lighthouses" project will bring 46 new mixed-income apartment homes to Salem.

JUNE 2017

Community Teamwork opens Merrimack Valley Small Business Center, offering a variety of business development services.
 

Community Development Partnership and Housing Assistance Corporation partner to create the Cape Housing Institute, a program for elected officials and municipal leaders to learn about navigating the process of affordable housing development.
 

WATCH CDC receives Excellence in Advocacy award from Mass Nonprofit Network.
 

Development Without Displacement: Dudley Neighbors Inc. Add 527 Columbia Road Property to Land Trust.
 

Urban Edge resident leader, Judith Lamb, is honored by state Rep. Liz Malia as a member of the Massachusetts Commission on the Status of Women's 2017 class of Unsung Heroines.
 

North Shore CDC uses Massachusetts Growth Capital Corporation grant to engage and celebrate immigrant-owned small business across Salem and Peabody.
 

South Middlesex Opportunity Council celebrates the graduation of 18 local residents from it's Joan Brack Adult Learning Center.
 

Community Teamwork Inc. resident leader recognized for five decades of dedication.
 

Waterfront Historic Area League (WHALE) announces annual preservation award winners.
 

The Neighborhood Developers expects its new One Beach housing development to be LEED certified.
 

Coalition for a Better Acre receives $500,000 grant to create a new public park along the Northern Canal in Lowell.

4/11/17 Just-A-Start plans to rebuild St. Patricks Place, which was heavily damaged in a fire several months ago. The work to rebuild the 16 units of affordable housing will begin later this month.

4/11/17 JPNDC and Hyde Square Task Force's Immigrant Speak-Out event draws nearly 100 people.

4/11/17 Oak Hill CDC receives Official Citation from the Massachusetts Senate for their work in financial education.

4/11/17 Nuestra Comunidad's first phase of the Bartlett Station has begun, the first building will include 60 apartments that will be affordable to families earning a range of incomes. The building will also include a grocery store on the ground floor that will offer new options in the neighborhood. 

4/5/17 Mill Cities Community Investments leads in helping homeowners get rid of lead through MassHousing's Get the Lead Out loan program.

4/3/17 Viet-AID's 41 units of affordable housing plan approved under the Boston 2030 initiative. 

4/3/17  Asian CDC receives $16.6 million from DHCD to renovate and extend affordability of 161 units of affordable housing at Oak Terrace.
  
4/3/17 North Shore and Salem State partner to provide free income tax prep for qualifying families.

3/28/17 Harvard and MIT students pair up with Island Housing Trust in search of innovative ways to increase affordable housing in the Vineyard

3/27/17  Watch Asian CDC's Executive Director, Angie Liou, talk about the effect of federal budget cuts on BNN News.

3/2/17  Check out Vanessa Calderon-Rosado's, Executive Director of Inquilinos Boricuas en Acción, book review of "Villa Victoria: The Transformation of Social Capital in a Boston Barrio" by Mario Luis Small.

2/28/17  As part of the Social Innovation Forum, CEDC is set to host a "Social Issue Talk" focused on "Revitalizing Southeastern Mass". The event will be held on March 21st at noon. 

2/22/17  City of Boston announced 22 million in new funding for affordable housing, several CDC's have been chosen to develop or preserve 602 units of housing.  

2/13/17 Lawrence Community Works converts the previously abandoned historic Duck Mill into affordable homes.

2/2/17 Somerville Community Corporation Social Equity Campaign surpasses goal.

1/27/17  The Fairmount Indigo CDC Collaborative; a partnership between Codman Square NDC, Dorchester Bay EDC and Southwest Boston CDC, announced the launch of the Fairmount Job Referral Network. The program will focus on working with applicants and businesses along the Fairmount MBTA line. Learn more about their inaugural job fair.

1/18/17 Lawrence works on turn around with Lawrence Venture Fund administered by Mill City Community Investments 

1/11/17 Somerville Community Corporation held a ribbon-cutting ceremony for their 35-unit complex for families earning below 30 percent of median income in Somerville. 

1/4/17 Housing Corporation of Arlington beats end of year fundraising goal with help from Board of Directors and CITC.

1/3/17 Local artist teams up with the JPNDC to restore historic brewery name.

12/27/16 Vanessa Calderón-Rosado and Angie Liou recognized on YW Boston's 150 Boston Women of Influence series.

12/23/16 NOAH CDC's 71-unit mixed-income Coppersmith Village project gets closer to reality with $26 million in funding.

12/20/16 Madison Park DC along with several partners receive $30 million HUD grant to invest in the Lower Roxbury Community. 

12/13/16 After 42 years under Rick Presbrey's leadership, HAC has announced a new Executive Director.

12/12/16 CEDC is to take part in the 2017 Social Innovators Accelerator program. 

12/08/16 Somerville CC launches Succeed Together Video Series.

11/7/16 Urban Edge partners with Union Capital Boston to increase voter turn out in JP & Roxbury. 

11/2/16 Metropolitan Boston Housing Partnership's Hoarding Program brings hope to residents at risk of losing their homes.

11/1/16 Watch the Community Development Partnership's vision of "A Sustainable Future" video to learn about how they are helping small businesses go green.

11/1/16 The JPNDC raised nearly $170,000 at it's annual Octoberfest Fiesta! fundraiser. Check out pictures from the Fiesta!

10/31/16 Check out Asian CDC's pedestrian safety campaign video shot in Boston's Chinatown neighborhood.

10/31/16 Congratulations to Madison Park Development Corporation on their 50th Anniversary Gala. Watch their new MPDC @ 50 video.

10/31/16 Franklin County CDC received $250,000 to expand capacity at their food processing center as part of the Baker-Polito Administration’s grants to local food ventures.

10/28/16 Congratulations to Inquilinos Boricuas en Accion on the completion of renovations to 11 SRO units in the South End. Watch the video from the event

10/18/16 Congratulations to SEED Corporation for being named Micro Lender of the Year at the 2016 Rhode Island SBA Lender Awards a& Emerging Leaders Graduation.

10/7/16 Read about the ways Gateway Cities are reinventing their image, including how NewVue Communities sees vacant properties as vehicles of opportunity for the community.

10/5/16  Worcester Common Ground's Piedmont Plays: A Campaign to Love Your Neighborhood wins Kaboom's Play Everywhere Challenge.

10/4/16 Congratulations to Urban Edge for receiving the William L. Boyan Award from Boston Children's Hospital.

10/4/16 Thanks to Housing Solutions' recent renovations, a formerly homeless family now has a place to call home.

9/19/16 Olde Holyoke CDC has changed their name to OneHolyoke CDC.

9/15/16 Somerville Community Corporation received $300,000 from state grant to redevelop Clarendon Hill into 526-unit mixed-income complex.

9/8/16  SCC celebrated Governor Charlie Baker’s signing of Bill H. 4303, An Act Establishing the Somerville Municipal Job Creation and Retention Trust. The trust will allow Somerville to collect fees from developers to ensure their projects benefit local residents.

9/8/16  Southwest Boston CDC scores first grant from a relatively new city program designed to help landlords preserve affordable housing

8/31/16  Madison Park Development Corporation celebrated their 15th Annual National Night Out with Marty Walsh. Check out pictures from the event.

8/25/16  WHALE's Co-Creative Center project receives $1 million in financing from MassDevelopment.

8/19/16 - Community Teamwork's YouthBuild students help restore iconic mural.

8/19/16 - Watch how Harborlight Community Partners builds community while hand delivering the last custom made kitchen cabinet for thei Harborlight House Rehab Project.

8/17/16 - Learn more about Dorchester Bay EDC's new partnership with the Tech Goes Home Initiative.

8/5/16 - Millennium Partners plans to work with Asian CDC to meet the city's inclusionary development policy guidelines by contributing $25 million toward affordable housing.

7/29/16 - Better together, Community Teamwork Inc. and the Lowell House announce merger in order to increase access and ease of services for their clients.

7/26/16 North Shore CDC and Action Inc. receive permit to transform vacant Harbor Village into mixed-use development.

7/14/16 North Shore CDC’s annual Build Day was a tremendous success thanks to more than 100 volunteers who turned out to complete several revitalization projects in Salem and Beverly. 

7/13/16 Parsons Village in East Hampton now has a new set of solar panels thanks to a collaboration between HAPHousing and Valley CDC. To commemorate the installation a celebration was held on July 14th.

7/11/16 At their 37th annual fundraiser, held at the historic Shirley Eustis House in Roxbury, Dorchester Bay EDC celebrated another year of achievements in the community. The event also served as a formal introduction of their new CEO, Perry B. Newman. Read more about the festivities.

7/11/16 Urban Edge's Jackson Square Recreation Center is $500,000 closer to completion thanks to the Roy A. Hunt Foundation.  

7/11/16Learn more about Somerville Community Corporation's Leadership Development Institute, a program where emerging community leaders can learn how to become effective community organizers. 

7/7/16 South Boston Neighborhood Development Corporation proposes developing two vacant parcels into a mixed-use property where all 16 units will be affordable in Boston's most expensive neighborhood.

7/1/16 Congratulations to the first 15 graduates of the Advanced Manufacturing Training Program! The program is a collaboration between Somerville Community Corporation and Somerville High School.

6/23/16 Nuestra CDC is celebrating their 35th Anniversary with a series of videos highlighting the impact they have made in the community. Gallery Eye Care is a small business Nuestra has helped along the way. Watch Gallery Eye Care’s success story.

6/16/16 Just-A-Start's TBT picture from the 1970's has some serious style.

6/16/16 Check out JPNDC's TBT picture circa 1990!

6/10/16 The Neighborhood Developers' ribbon cutting celebrates opening of 39 affordable rental apartments for Seniors in Revere.

6/3/16 Boston Fed announces winners of their Working Cities Challenge

6/2/16  Somerville's Inclusionary Zoning Law Leads Nation

5/24/16 Somerville Community Corporation received an astronomical 3,400  applications for their 35 units of affordable housing currently under construction in Union Square.

5/20/16  Nuestra CDC in partnership with POAH were selected to develop transit-oriented development in Mattapan. The proposal includes building 135 units of housing and commercial space on a underutilized parking lot.

5/17/16 Community Development Partnership's Board President, Lori Meads, has been named "2016 Community Bank Hero" by Banker & Tradesmen and was honored at their annual meeting in Boston.

5/10/16 Vanessa Calderon-Rosado from Inquilinos Boricuas en Accion was named one of El Planeta's 100 Most Powerful People for Massachusetts' Latinos

4/26/16 Somerville Community Corporation teamed up with POAH and Gate Residential to proposal a new 300 unit development in Somerville.

4/25/16 Congratulations and good luck to MACDC Members, Inquilinos Boricuas en Accion and Mickey Northcutt from Northshore CDC for being named finalists for the Massachusetts Nonprofit Network's (MNN) 2016 Nonprofit Excellence Awards

4/15/16  Check out this circa 1800's #TBT picture JPNDC posted of Haffernreffer Brewery! 

4/14/16 Congratulations to Lena Park CDC on their inaugural gala.

4/13/16 Revitalize CDC and the Big Y SurPRIZE Squad helped improve the accessibility of the senior citizen in Springfield.

4/12/16 Check out this time lapse video of the construction of Island Housing Trust’s Water Street apartments; six new apartments on the island.

4/2/16  North Shore CDC and Harborlight Community Partners held "Doughnuts with you Delegation" meeting with their respective legislators.

4/1/16 Madison Park looks to expand services for their residents, plans new community space.

3/31/16 Check out this interview with Gail Latimore on her (almost) 20 years at the helm of Codman Square Neighborhood Development Corporation.

3/29/16 Congratulations to Codman Square NDC for making all of their units smoke free.

3/29/16 With his announcement of an additional $28 million, Boston Mayor, Marty Walsh has made a total of $66 million available to create or preserve affordable housing in Boston. Many of our members, including Viet-AID, Back of the Hill CDC, Jamaica Plain NDC, Madison Park DC, South Boston NDC and Caritas Communities received funding.

3/28/16 On March 29th, David Christopolis from Hilltown CDC participated in a panel at the MA Food Trust Program’s event, ‘From Concept to Impact’. The event, taking place at the MA State House, will discuss ways in which the trust can “create jobs, leverage private investment, and increase access to healthy food choices.”

3/22/16 Codman Square NDC and Nuestra Comunidad both put in bids to redevelop vacant Mattapan parking lot.

3/8/16 David Queeley from the Codman Square Neighborhood Development Corp will receive recognition for his work on promoting safe streets for pedestrians from WalkBoston with the 2016 Golden Shoe Award at their Annual Meeting on March 22nd.

3/1/16 On March 1st, The Neighborhood Developer's held a ribbon cutting ceremony of Lewis Latimer Place, an affordable housing partnership between The Neighborhood Developers + ROCA will provide supportive services for young parents in Chelsea.  The celebration included the unveiling of an historic marker, to commemorate the birthplace of Lewis Latimer, the son of a runaway slave, who became an honored inventor working with Alexander Graham Bell and the Edison Electric Light Company.

2/29/16 Madison Park Development Corporation in partnership with Nuestra CDC hosted a "Doughnuts with your Delegation" meeting with their legislators. 

2/26/16 On February 26th, Worcester Common Ground welcomed local and state officials to discuss their development goals, the challenges they face as a CDC in Worcester, and how we can work together to provide the best resources to our community and create a thriving neighborhood. This meeting was incredibly productive and successful, generating many creative suggestions which we hope to explore in the coming year. 

2/10/16 - South Middlesex Opportunity Council celebrates microloan fund launch in partnership with Commerce Bank, MA Growth Capital Corp and the Worcester Regional Chamber of Commerce.

2/9/16 - Asian CDC hosted a great Doughnuts with your Delegates meeting with State Senator Tackey Chan and State Senator John Kennan.

1/28/16 - Nuestra CDC celebrates 35 years of success in Roxbury! 

1/22/16 - Island Housing Trust is reporting that they used all of their Community Investment Tax Credits from 2015 and successfully completed their fundraising for the Water Street Apartments.  Way to go!

1/22/16 - Codman Square NDC wins a Golden Shoe Award from walkBoston!

1/22/16 - Congratulations to Somerville Community Corporation for exceeding their 2015 Social Equity Campaign goal by raising $201,000!  This is a great example of how the Community Investment Tax Credit can power donations and dramatically impact an organization.

1/15/16 - On Tuesday, January 12th, Coalition for a Better Acre won approval to acquire and redevelop the Smith Baker Center in Lowell into a community and arts center.

1/14/16 - Governor Baker spoke at SMOC about their plan to create the Framingham Business Resource Alliance with support from a new program in the Commonwealth, the Urban Agenda Grant Program.

1/13/16 - The Community Development Partnership (CDP) announced that it hired Glen Ohlund as its new Director of Economic Development. Before joining CDP, Glen was TD Bank's Community Development Manager for Northern New England.

1/9/16 - Somerville Community Corporation is installing solar panels on the rooftop of the St. Polycarp development in Somerville.

1/2/16 - Somerville Community Corporation and Somerville High School are partnering to create manufacturing training program.

12/23/15 - North Shore CDC receives recognition for their crosswalk project from the American Planning Association.

12/23/15 - Congratulations to Nuestra CDC on the opening of Ellen S. Jackson Apartments, 40 units of affordable housing for seniors in Roxbury.

12/21/15 - Mission Hill NHS celebrates the opening of the Maria Sánchez House, a 40-unit affordable housing development for seniors.

12/18/2015 - Kresge Foundation provides $660,000 grant to NOAH for climate resiliency planning.

12/14/15 - Check out Leah Camhi, Fenway CDC's new Executive Director, in the Boston Business Journal.

12/9/15Fenway residents protest in the rain to keep their homes affordable.


Vanessa Calderón-Rosado says her organization, Inquilinos Boricuas en Acción, is "thrilled" to have been chosen by the Boston Housing Authority to redevelop 146 units of housing in the South End.


Walsh taps Asian CDC and other groups to create more affordable housing.


Congratulations to NOAH for holding the ribbon cutting on the redevelopment of the Sithowski School Senior Housing apartment complex in Webster.  The project $20.5 million rehab provides 66 units of housing for seniors aged 55+.


South Shore Housing changes its name....it's now Housing Solutions for Southeastern Massachusetts.


JPNDC, Urban Edge and The Community Builders to renovate over 500 homes in Jamaica Plain.


Congratulations to HAC on Cape Cod and POAH for completing construction of Melpet Farm, an affordable housing community in Dennis.


Twin Cities changes its name....it's now NewVue Communities.  Check out article in the Sentiinel & Enterprise.


Great article on the continued revitalization of Lawrence by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation that highlights the work of Lawrence CommunityWorks.  The city of Lawrence was a 2015 RWJF Culture of Health Prize Winner.


Congratulations to Just-A-Start for the preservation and rehabilitation of the Bishop Allen and Norfolk Street Apartments in Cambridge.  This project consists of 27 three bedroom apartments and 5 two bedroom apartments.


Congratulations to Janelle Chan, Executive Director of Asian CDC, who was honored by the Boston Business Journal on November 5th as one of "16 to watch in 2016."


Check out this great interview with MACDC Board Member, Vanessa Calderón-Rosado, in Banker and Tradesman highlighting the work of IBA and even her favorite books!


Congratulations to Revitalize CDC, ACT Lawrence and Inquilinos Boricuas En Accion (IBA) for receiving Community Investment Tax Credit allocations!  Check out the entire list of organizations participating in the CITC program.


In partnership with the former Salem resident, Dominican artist Ruben Ubiera, North Shore CDC will bring art to the corner of Dodge Street and Peabody Street.


Senate President Stanley Rosenberg joined Greenfield YMCA and Franklin County CDC for a "greener diet" Food Day Celebration on October 24th.


JPNDC’s new mural is featured in Boston Magazine! Be sure to create a walking JP art tour w/ their map.


Congratulations to The Neighborhood Developers for receiving a Neighborhood Builders grant award from Bank of America.


Congratulations to Madison Park Development Corporation for receiving approval from the Boston Redevelopment Authority on two projects: 1) Whittier Street public housing redevelopment, which will include 387 units; 2) Madison Park Infill, which will include 76 homes.


Congratulations to HAC Cape Cod the completion of the Melpet Farm Residences, which will soon be home to 27 people.


Critical rent support in Waltham, championed by WATCH, may go into effect


The Jamaica Plain NDC and the Mission Hill NHS join forces to  build 47 units of affordable housing.


Congratulations to Community Development Partnership on the lower Cape for receiving a $100,000 grant from U.S. Department of Agriculture to establish a Farmers Market Development Program.


Valley CDC's Executive Director was interviewed by WRSI radio to discuss affordable housing in their area, the CDC's Pedal Poker Run and the local band, And The Kids, which Joanne's daughter is a member!


Somerville Community Corporation celebrated the beginning of construction of 181 Washington Street with a groundbreaking on September 17.  The project, when completed, will house groundfloor commercial space and 35 units of affordable housing.


Harborlight Community Partners, thanks to a $4 million tax-exempt bond will be able to renovate Harborlight House, their affordable senior housing development.


Island Housing Trust announced a new development on Martha's Vineyard of eleven duplexes on 14.8 acres; 8.9 acres were sold to the Martha's Vineyard Land Bank as a conservation easement to further protect and preserve the island.


Valley CDC and HAPHousing host Parsons Village Ribbon Cutting, a new 38 unit housing development.  Channel 22 News covered the project.


Coalition for a Better Acre held a ribbon cutting for it's Gorham Street Apartments, a 24-unit building in Lowell.


North Shore CDC wraps up $18 million / 11 building renovation on the Salem Point Apartments that includes not only significant green improvements to the property, but also preservation of murals painted in the 1990s and a new park.


Jamaica Plain NDC will be breaking ground on the 75 Amory Ave. development this month, as reported by the Jamaica Plain Gazette.


Check out this great video highlighting Jeanne Dubois' career at Dorchester Bay EDC.


Michael Moriarty, Executive Director of Olde Holyoke CDC, is joining the Commonwealth's 11 member Board of Elementary and Secondary Education.


The Jamaica Plain Neighborhood Development Corporation unveiled the community painted "Welcome to Jason Square" mural. Designed by JP resident, Alex Cook, and painted by 50 residents the mural aspires to welcome all those traveling through Jackson Square.


WHALE purchased 139 Union Street in New Bedford. They will renovate the space to become a community gallery with multi-purpose function space and space for artists to work, in addition to affordable housing for artists.


Dorchester Bay EDC and Madison Park Development Corporation are helping lead the hiring of people of color in Boston on their real estate development projects.


Check out Madison Park Development Corporation's Executive Director, Jeanne Pinado, talking about the brand new Tropical Foods supermarket development on Cityline.


Asian CDC's Executive Director, Janelle Chan, named a Loeb Fellow at Harvard University's Graduate School of Design. As highlighted in Asian CDC's article announcing Janelle's 10 month fellowship, "While at Harvard, Chan plans to study various new financing models to apply to community and affordable housing development, as well as creating new models for cultural economic development that could meld her two loves: food and real estate development."  Angie Liou will be acting Executive Director.


Congratulations to Asian CDC for completing the rehabilitation of Tremont Village Apartments, 20 units of affordable housing between Chinatown and Bay Village. 


Oak Hill CDC highlighted as a key partner in the revitalization of the Union Hill neighborhood in Worcester by Worcester Magazine.


Housing Assistance Corporation on Cape Cod highlights an extreme case of homelessness on the Cape.


Back of the Hill CDC and JPNDC are partnering on a new 47-unit, $16.4 unit affordable housing development called General Heath Square Apartments.  The Mission Hill Gazette is reporting that the project just filed with the BRA to continue moving forward with the project.


Congratulations to Coalition for a Better Acre for helping run a National Night Out program with the Lowell police where over 400 people attended.


CITC in Action! Harborlight Community Partners is "introducing the Resident Advisory Committee (RAC)" to all their residents to support resident advocacy and increased recognition of affordable housing needs within the community.  This is a part of their Community Investment Plan, which was submitted to DHCD as a part of the CITC program.


Congratulations to IBA for completing renovations to their community spaces.  Boston Mayor Marty Walsh joined IBA on July 29th for the official ribbon cutting.


Nuestra CDC welcomes Karla Jaramillo as their new CFO.


The Women's Institute named Betsy Crum as their new Executive Director.  Betsy was formally the Executive Director of the Connecticut Housing Coalition.


Allston Brighton CDC receives $11.5 million from MHIC to redevelop affordable housing in their community.


Great article in Worcester Magazine highlighting the incredible work of Main South CDC helping to lead the revitalization of Worcester.  


The Boston Redevelopment Authority recently approved Urban Edge to develop the Walker Park Apartments, 49 units of housing in Roxbury.


"Somerville Community Corporation's Saint Polycarp Village Phase III Awarded LEED Platinum Honor"


Viet-AID held a groundbreaking for their Upper Washington development last week. The Dorchester Reporter featured an article on it in this week’s issue, and the Mayor’s Office produced a video highlighting some of the speakers.


Dorchester Bay EDC announces plan to develop 92-unit mixed-income development.


Great article by The Salem News on the CITC program, Harborlight Community Partners and North Shore CDC.


Allston Brighton has been working diligently to address student housing issues. Read the artcicle here


Check out Lawrence CommunityWorks Executive Director Jess Andor's article in Municipal Advocate magazine "Ambitious Project Seeks to Change Lawrence’s Path—and That of Its Residents."


Congratulations to Jamaica Plain NDC's Real Estate Directors Leslie Vos for winning a 2015 Women of FIRE (Finance, Insurance, Real Estate) Award.


Community Development Partnership released a fantastic video highlighting their incredible work on the Lower Cape.  It's informative, engaging and inspirational.


Franklin County CDC announces a CITC matching program with Greenfield Savings Bank. Through the support of Greenfield Savings Bank, Franklin County CDC can boast a 4:1 donation impact to donation ratio through the CITC program.


Asian CDC Youth set up Chinatown street art gallery to spruce up their neighborhood. Check our the article here.


Nuestra CDC's Bartlett Place begins demolition.  The Boston Globe covers the final look at all the graffiti art that graced the existing buildings.  The Boston Globe followed up on Sunday, June 13 with an editorial on the success of the arts and community activities at Bartlett Yard.


Lawrence CommunityWorks' Movement City hosted a block party on May 29th where a grant from New York Life was presented. Jessica Andors, Executive Director of Lawrence CommunityWorks shared, “We are thrilled to receive New York Life’s investment in Movement City.  …New York Life’s commitment to LCW is key to helping us empower our youth here in Lawrence to explore their creative potential, gain job skills and develop dynamic portfolios for college and career.”


CDCs in Boston are stepping up and helping take a significant leadership role understanding, promoting and incorporating health programs and practices throughout the communities in which they work.  Check out what CDCs are doing through the Boston Foundation's "Health Starts at Home" initiative.  CDCs involved in the program included Urban Edge, The Neighborhood Developers, Madison Park DC, and Nuestra CDC. 


Harborlight Community Partners received $2 million make critical improvements to their 35 unit assisted living home, Harborlight House.


MassDevelopment recently created a 6.2 million dollar bond for the creation of Patriot Homes, a development focused on housing United States Veterans in South Boston. Caritas Communities and South Boston Neighborhood Development Corporation will use the bond to build 24 units of rental housing for low-income veterans, a much-needed benefit to a community with a reputation of military service.


Congratulations to Madison Park for holding a ribbon cutting on May 12 with Governor Baker and Boston Mayor Walsh to celebrate the opening of the new Tropical Foods.


Jeanne DuBois, former Executive Director of Dorchester Bay Economic Development Center was recently mentioned in a Boston Globe article on leadership transitions in nonprofit organizations. Read more on DBEDC and the other organizations featured here.


MACDC member, Watch Community Development Corporation has developed a thoughtful proposal to use CPA funds for rental voucher program. Read more!


Did you know that 64% of North Shore CDC's housing serves families with children?  Learn more about the incredible work of North Shore CDC.


3 Boston CDCs (Allston Brighton CDC, Codman Square NDC, Dorchester Bay EDC) were selected to help lead the Partnership to Improve Community Health's (PICH) "Healthy Community Champions," a national initiative to organize and empower residents to create sustainable changes in healthy food and beverage environments, and active transportation throughout the city's neighborhoods. Overall, twelve organizations were selected for this program.


Island Housing Trust held its 1st business symposium on March 19th. 21 businesses attended to discuss housing solutions for their employees.


Congratulations to Peter Gagliardi, President and CEO of HAP Housing, for being an award recipient at the upcoming Annual Human Relations Award Banquet!  The Banquet will be hosted by the National Conference for Community and Justice on June 11, 2015 in Springfield, MA.


WWLP recently posted a video and short article featuring Revitalize CDC's Green-N-Fit Neighborhood Rebuild Event on April 25th.  Over 1,200 volunteers and 80 sponsors gathered for the event, helping rebuild the Old Hill Neighborhood in Springfield, one block at a time.


 
Franklin County Community Development Corporation announces Nan Parati, owner of the Elmer Store in Ashfield as the latest recipient of the Haas Entrepreneur of the Year Award.  Parati will be awarded at the 5th Annual Presentation of the award on May 21st at Shea Theater in Turners Falls.
 

Meredith Levy, of Somerville Community Corporation will be facilitating an Island Housing Trust workshop on collective power and community organizing. Read more about this incredible event taking place on May 9th, and be sure to register!
 

Revitalize CDC Featured on WBGY!
On April 8th, Executive Director Colleen Loveless and Associate Director Ethel Griffin of the newly renamed Revitalize CDC were featured as guests on WBGY.  Watch the full video here!
 

 
Revitalize CDC Releases New Video
Watch Revitalize Community Development Corporation's newest video! The video illustrates the great impact they've had on the community through the rebuilding of homes for the elderly, families with children, and veterans.
 

WATCH holds Leadership & Organizing Skills Training
35 Waltham residents interested in affordable housing and community building spent their Saturday on March 14th at the Leadership & Organizing Skills Training put on by MACDC’s member group WATCH.  They learned about voter registration, community organizing, grassroots lobbying, outreach, and communicating their message.  Workshops were held in Spanish and English.
 
The training event was part of WATCH’s campaign for the city of Waltham to use $3.1 million of its Community Preservation Act (CPA) funds on a rental assistance program that would assist over 800 Waltham families with their housing. There is currently over $20 million in Waltham’s CPA fund. The city’s Community Preservation Committee, which oversees the fund, is required to spend at least 10% of it on community housing. (The balance can be spent on open space and historic preservation.)
 
During lunch, at the training event, participants made commitments to attend two public meetings of Waltham’s Community Preservation Committee and ask family, friends, neighbors and co-workers to also attend.  A number of participants committed to bringing 10 people with them to the hearings – a real act of leadership.
 

 
Congratulations to Dorchester Bay EDC for conducting a great Doughnuts with Delegates session!

Attending were Legislative Aide to Senator Chang-Diaz Angela Kim Nhien Vo, and State Representative 5th Suffolk District Evandro C. Carvalho. In addition, Board President Daryl Wright, Director of Economic Development  Dan DeSantis, Director of Resource Development Meg Flanigan, COO Michelle Green, Director of Resident Initiative Community Organizing  Elias Monteiro, and Director of Finance  Chuck McVea were in attendance.


Congratulations to Harborlight Community Partner for conducting a great Doughnuts with Delegates session!

Attending were Senator Joan Lovely, Representatives Brad Hill, Jerry Parisella, Leah Cole, Steve Smalley from Senator Tom McGee's office and Barry Pett from Senator Bruce Tarr's. In addition, Harborlight Community Partners were grateful for the strong local representation from Beverly's Mayor Mike Cahill and Planning Director, Aaron Clausen; Fred Mills of the Hamilton Affordable Housing Trust; Josh Anderson of the Wenham Affordable Housing Trust; Karen Sawyer, Peabody's Director of Community Development and Planning; and Housing Advocate and chair of the Gloucester Community Preservation Committee, Stacy Randall.


Congratulations to Madison Park DC & Nuestra CDC for conducting a great Doughnuts with Delegates session!

Attending were Senator Sonia Chang-Diaz, Rep. Russell Holmes, and Rep. Byron Rushing, alongwith community members, Madison Park DC and Nuestra CDC staff.


A new Gloucester Crossing Neighborhood-Wide Needs Assessment shows that 70% of respondents felt the community improved in the past 3 years. The community survey will help North Shore CDC's strategies for community impact in the coming year.


Congratulations to JPNDC for conducting a great Doughnuts with Delegates session!

Attending were State Senator Sonia Chang-Diaz, State Representative Liz Malia, and Boston City Councilor Matt O'Malley, alongwith community members and JPNDC staff.


The Boston Housing Authority is asking for $30 million "to revitalize the Whittier Street public housing development in Roxbury." POAH and Madison Park Development Corporation are the co-developers of the project.


Congratulations to North Shore CDC for conducting a wonderful Doughnuts with their Delegates session!

Attending where 10 state legislators and city councillors, 8 community members, 10 NSCDC staff and 4 program youth!


Check out this great video highlighting IBA's new logo, web site and overall graphical identity!


Chrystal Kornegay, new undersecretary of the Department of Housing and Community Development, was recently interviewed by the Boston Globe. In her interview, Kornegay stressed that she will use the skills she's gained at UrbanEdge for working to alleviate housing insecurity at the state level.


North Shore Community Development Corporation just acquired ten new buildings in the Point neighborhood! These buildings will become 84 new units of housing for the community, expanding their impact to a total of 247 housing units in Salem.


Check out this short article highlighting Hilltown CDC and Valley CDC’s fundraising through #CITC!


Congratulate Susan Davy with MACDC: Susan Davy has just been named the Interim Chief Executive Officer of Urban Edge.  She comes to the organization with a background in organizational leadership that numbers over 30 years and will be taking the place of newly appointed Undersecretary for the Department of Housing and Community Development, Chrystal Kornegay.


Beverly Johnson, Founder and President of Bevco Associates, has just been named the first female President and Chairwoman of the Board for the Massachusetts Minority Contractors Association.


Check out an additional piece by Nuestra CDC's Executive Dirctor, David Price, on the anti-gentrification movement in Boston.


Van Paul Le, JD has just been named the interim Executive Director for VietAID, effective January 12, 2015.  Van carries many distinguished awards, including the Michael C. Rockefeller Fellowship, which allowed him to work in refugee camps with unaccompanied minors in the Philippines. Van will be replacing Nam Pham, who has been chosen by Governor Charlie Baker to serve the Commonwealth as Assistant Secretary in the Executive Office of Housing and Economic Development.


Check out Nuestra CDC's Executive Director's, David Price, piece on gentrification in Shelterforce.


Fern Selesnick, Homebuyer Education Coordinator at Valley CDC was recently awarded the 2014 Collaborative Service Award, for maintaining high standards in her homebuyer education courses to the community.


A recent story in Latino USA mentions the work of CEDC in Massachusetts for aiding undocumented immigrants in paying their taxes. According to Latino USA, there are approximately 200,000 that may be able to benefit from these services in the upcoming tax season.


Dorchester Bay Economic Development Corporation (DBEDC) releases new strategic direction on December 4th to enhance the Innovation Economy.


Ground Broken for Patriot Homes in South Boston: Through South Boston CDCs work, veterans will soon a new opportunity for affordable housing in the South Boston neighborhood with the ground breaking of the former City of Boston D6 Police Station.  Entitled the "Patriot Homes," these 24 units will primarily provide housing for local U.S. Veterans.


WCHR launches Project Homefront:  On November 25th, Worchester Community Housing Resources, in collaboration with Bank of America, featured an open house luncheon kickoff for their latest work, Project Homefront.  This project works to offer men and women in the armed services with affordable housing for their families.  For more information, contact Olivia Cepeda at ocepeda@wchr.org.


Congratulations to Hilltown CDC Executive Director Dave Christopolis, who received the Congressman John W. Olver Scholarship, named in honor of former U.S. Representative John W. Olver who served the Massachusetts 1st Congressional District from 1991 to 2012. The scholarship allows Dave to attend a week long intensive NeighborWorks America training, offered annually to professionals whose work advances the community development philosophies embraced by John Olver during his tenure.


Congratulations to Gail Latimore, Codman Square DC Executive Director and MACDC Board Chair, and Jeanne Dubois, Executive Director of Dorchester Bay EDC, for their recognition by The Boston Foundation as this year's "Change Makers"


Congratulations to Chrystal Kornegay, Executive Director of Urban Edge, and Nam Pham, Executive Director of Viet-AID, for becoming 2015 Barr Fellows!


Congratulations Madison Park Development Corporation for the opening of the new Greenville Apartments in Roxbury! #CDCsWORK


The Urban Edge and Jamaica Plain NDC were recently mentioned for their work in Egleston Square on CityLine 5's segment on communities. LEARN MORE


A great reflection of Main South CDC's work is now being highlighted by WCVB News Channel 5.  Check out what they had to say about this #CDCsWORK!


Congratulations to JPNDC and IBA for receiving grants from the inaugural round of The Boston Foundation's Latino Legacy Fund


The Neighborhood Developers welcomed Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen to tour their Connect program on Thursday, October 16th.  Check out the article in the Boston Globe.


Asian CDC tops off One Greenway!  363 new homes in Boston!


This year's "The Big Fix" event in Yarmouth had a huge turnout for only being a 5 year old tradition.  With over 225 volunteers this year alone, the event was able to help elderly members of the community with small home repairs in just a few hours.  Congratulations to the Housing Assistance Corporation in Cape Cod and their wonderful volunteers for a job well done!


Franklin County CDC is now packaging vegetables for local schools for the winter!  With the recent start of their IQF Nitrogen Freezing Project, the Food Processing Center is able to freeze and package locally grown vegetables to be used long after the harvest season has passed.  More on the project here, and how to attend a training session on starting a similar project.


The American Planning Association named Boston's Fields Corner Neighborhood as one of the Top 10 Neighborhoods in the United States.  They highlighted MACDC member Viet-AID as one of their reasons for selecting this community.


Jamaica Plain NDC helping preserve local businesses - Coverage by WCVB.


Allston Brighton helps lead the conversation around student housing in their community.  Check out a great Boston Globe article covering their work.


Great article in the Boston Globe on Dorchester Bay EDC's partner at the renovated Pearl Meats Factory, Crop Circle Kitchen.


Congratulations to Janelle Chan, Executive Director of Asian CDC, for being listed as one of the "40 Under 40" for this year by the Boston Business Journal!  Great recognition for a strong leader in the CDC field.


Listen to Gubernatorial Candidate Charlie Baker highlight the great work of our member Viet-AID in Fields Corner (Starts at minute 7:00 in this rebroadcast from the recent debate  http://www.wbur.org/2014/08/13/gop-governor-debate-video).


North Shore CDC just kicked off an $18 million renovation of 77 units across 11 buildings in Salem's Point Neighborhood.  It's their largest renovation project yet!


VietAID recently announced four finalists in the Freedom Public Art Project competition to develop artwork for Town Field (also known as Doherty-Gibson Park) in Fields Corner. VietAID, in conjunction with the Edward Ingersoll Browne Trust Fund, a public charitable trust administered by the City of Boston and the Boston Art Commission, is commissioning the work to honor the sacrifices made in the name of freedom and to serve as inspiration for the neighborhood's aspirations for freedom from poverty and crime.

The four finalists, selected from a highly competitive pool of 144 artists from 27 states and nine countries, will each be awarded a $2,000 stipend from the Edward Ingersoll Browne Trust Fund to produce concept designs. The artists will share their designs with the community and solicit comments at a public meeting at VietAID on October 20, 2014. The designs will be on display at the Fields Corner Branch Library following this meeting and will be posted online. The winner will be announced on November 7th. 


In New Bedford, the Community Economic Development Center (CEDC) recently gave local regency and business representatives a tour of Acushnet Avenue, a gateway into the city that also serves as a rich hub for small businesses. CEDC is hoping to use the CITC program to help fund additional improvements to the "Avenue." 


The MA Division of Banks announced $1.5 million in grants to 11 regional foreclosure prevention centers and 10 organizations involved in first-time homebuyer education. Funding for these grants comes from administrative fees associated with the licensure of mortgage loan originators. This funding resulted from passage of legislation in 2007 that MACDC played a major role in passing, at the onset of the foreclosure crisis.

Twelve MACDC members were among those organizations who received awards:

  • Allston Brighton CDC
  • Arlington Community Trabajando, Inc.
  • Dorchester Bay Economic Development Corporation
  • HAPHousing
  • Housing Assistance Corporation
  • Lawrence Community Works
  • Neighborhood of Affordable Housing (NOAH)
  • NeighborWorks Southern Massachusetts
  • Oak Hill CDC
  • South Middlesex Opportunity Council 
  • Urban Edge
  • Valley CDC

To combat acres of invasive plants and poison ivy in Hyde Park, Southwest Boston CDC got creative. Student's from the organizaton's Green Team proposed the idea of using goats to "landscape" the wooded areas. Southwest Boston CDC is helping cover the costs of four goats, who will feast on the plants in sections of the area for two months. At the end of this pilot program, the overgrown area will be trimmed down, and the plants that are preventing access to the space will be gone, courtsey of the goats. (For the full story, visit the Boston Magazine website.) 


SEED Corporation recently closed on four small business loans totaling $1.47 million to Plymouth County businesses (Besthands Construction and Repair in Norton, Coast Automation in Hingham, and Mockingbird Restaurant and Martini Lounge in East Bridgewater). The loans will enable the businesses to start-up, expand and create 20 new jobs. Under various programs, SEED makes loans from $1,000 up to $5.5 million to assist small businesses to grow and create jobs throughout the region.


A recent article in the Boston Globe takes a look at Pine Street Inn's bold choices in the fight against chronic homelessness. 


On July 7th, Governor Patrick announced $83.6 million in funding to create 24 affordable housing projects across the state. Projects and developments sponsored by the following 10 MACDC members were among those who received funding:

  • Berkshire Housing Development Corporation
  • Codman Square Neighborhood Development Corporation
  • HAPHousing
  • Jamaica Plain Neighborhood Development Corporation
  • Neighorhood of Affordable Housing (NOAH)
  • The Neighborhood Developers
  • NeighborWorks of Southern Massachusetts
  • Somerville Community Corporation
  • South Shore Housing Development Corporation
  • Waterfront Historica Area League (WHALE)

Read the official press release for all the details on each funded project. 


Learn more about a collaborative project between Southwest Boston CDC and Codman Square CDC: "Will Walsh boot a chance to boost housing in Hyde Park?" - Boston Globe


Nuestra CDC is featured in LISC's "Safe Streets, Strong Communities" video, which is part of LISC's 2013 Annual Report. The video, embedded below, highlights how local community development organizations in Boston are working with neighborhood residents and local police to help reduce crime and ensure everyone's safety.


On June 20th, The Boston Foundation announced the recipients of its quarterly discretionary grants. Boston LISC and the Somerville Community Corporation (SCC) were among the organizations receiving grants. LISC received a one-year grant to support the Resilient Communities/Resilient Families Entrepreneurship and Small Business Program. SCC received a one-year general operating grant to support its affordable housing efforts. 

Both grants were part of The Boston Foundation's larger strategic initatives to: (1) increase neighborhood stability and the production and preservation of affordable housing for vulnerable populations; and (2) promote the career advancement and economic security of low-income individuals. The full announcement of grantees is available on TBF's website


On June 11th, Pine Street Inn celebrated its annual graduation ceremony, recognizing the achievements of nearly 100 men and women who completed job training programs in food services, building maintenance and housekeeping. The ceremony also honored more than 200 men and women who moved into housing during the previous year and 227 people who found employment. Boston Mayor Marty Walsh gave the commencement address, encouraging the graduates not to give up. (Video of Mayor Walsh's remarks and photos from the event are available on Pine Street's website.) 


On June 13th, HAP Housing celebrated the opening of Olympia Oaks, a new 42-unit affordable housing development in Amherst. Working with town officials and other housing advocates, HAP oversaw the project, which includes eight units for extremely low-income households as well as three units that are accessible for people in wheelchairs and three units for people who are hearing impaired. 

Eight units will open to renters in July, with the others being rented out as they are completed through the fall. Several state and federal officials were on hand for the ribbon cutting, including U.S. Representative James McGovern, who spoke at the event.  


Last week, the City of Salem, working in collaboration with local community development organizations, won an additional $5,000 as part of The Working Cities Challenge. Hosted by the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston, the event introduced participating organizations and cities to funders interested in investing in projects and programs within the Commonwealth. The Boston Fed event allowed all gateway cities to pitch to investors, with the best three pitches winning and receiving $5K each. Salem, along with the two other winning cities (Chelsea and Fitchburg), beat out 15 other cities for the grants. 

Salem's team, which included the Point Neighborhood Association, the North Shore Community Development Coalition, the North Shore Workforce Investment Board, and Salem State University, will use their grant to support grassroots community engagement, particularly in helping reduce disparities of key socioeconomic characteristics (such as unemployment, poverty, and income) between the Point neighborhood and the City of Salem as a whole. 

For more information on The Working Cities Challenge, visit its website, http://www.bostonfed.org/workingcities/.


On Friday, June 13, 2014, Lawrence CommunityWorks (LCW) will celebrate the opening of Casa di Anna, an 18-unit affordable housing complex located in Lawrence. The development is named for Anna LoPizzo, a young woman who died during the Bread and Roses Strike of 1912.

LCW staff and board will be joined by Congresswoman Niki Tsongas, Mayor Daniel Rivera, representatives from MA DHCD, MHIC, NeighborWorks America, the MassHousing Partnerhsip and members of the MA state delegation for the ribbon-cutting ceremony. More information about Casa di Anna and all of LCW's work can be found on its website


Springfield Neighborhood Housing Services welcomed Aaron Gornstein, Undersecretary of Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD), for an announcement on new opportunities and support for homeownership in Springfield. The event, held on June 11, 2014, included the presentation of grant awards to Springfield NHS and HAP Housing. Springfield NHS will use its grant to build affordable homeownership units in an area of town affected by the June 2011 tornado. Meanwhile, HAP will use its grant to offer first-time homebuyer classes and counseling.   

The Massachusetts Office of Consumer Affairs & Business Regulation live-tweeted the event, and pictures are available on its Twitter feed. 


DHCD Undersecretary Aaron Gornstein traveled to another part of the Commonwealth on June 9th, to tour some of the housing properties developed by the Fitchburg Housing Authority and the Leominster Housing Authority (LHA). Fitchburg Mayor Lisa Wong and LHA Gene Capoccia were also in attendance for the tour. Two short videos of Mr. Capoccia's presentation can be viewed here.  


On Monday, June 9th, Somerville Community Corporation (SCC) held a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the St. Polycarp Village, an 84-unit affordable rental housing development in Somerville. The ceremony was kicked off by Housing and Community Development Undersecretary Aaron Gornstein; also in attendence were Somerville Mayor Joe Curtatone, U.S. Congressman Mike Capuano, HUD Regional Administrator Barbara Fields, and Mass Housing Executive Director Tom Gleason. 

Photos from the event are available on HUD New England's Twitter feed and on SCC's Facebook page


Neighborhood of Affordable Housing (NOAH) was one of the 2014 Greenovate Boston Award winners. NOAH was one of 11 organizations honored by Mayor Walsh and the City of Boston at the Greenovate Community Summit on May 31st. The winners were selected for their impressive sustainability achievements and commitment to greenovating Boston. NOAH's Community Climate Preparedness project raised awareness of storm surge and climate vulnerability from 12% to 60% in East Boston. Congratulations, NOAH! 


In its most recent e-newsletter, the Community Development Partnership did an excellent job of highlighting the CITC program, its benefits and how you can get involved. Thanks, CDP! 


In Great Barrington, the Community Development Corporation of South Berkshire is using a revolutionary cleanup technique to neutralize polluted land for future development. 


Three MACDC members – Harborlight Community Partners, Homeowners Rehab and Urban Edge – will receive “Excellence in Community Development” awards at the Massachusetts Housing Investment Corporation’s annual meeting, on Monday, June 2, 2014. 


The U.S. Small Business Association recently named Maria Gooch-Smith, executive director of the South Eastern Economic Development Corporation (SEED), the 2014 Financial Services Champion for Massachusetts and New England. This award is presented annually to individuals who increase access to financial services for small businesses, by providing financing and advocating on behalf of small businesses. 


Urban Edge recently celebrated its 40th anniversary and the debut of its "Lift Me Up" music video


Check out North Shore CDC's 2013 Community Impact Report.  It's infographically awesome!


Congratulations to Asian CDC and the New Boston Fund for breaking ground on the One Greenway project, which is a 21 story tower with 363 units of housing.


Check out a great article in Boston Magazine on how the former Pearl Meats Factory is tranforming into a hub of culinary entrepreneurship.


In March, John Waite, the Executive Director of Franklin County CDC, attended the National Food Hub Conference in Raleigh, NC as a featured presenter.  The Franklin County CDC is viewed nationally as a leader in sustainable food and farm circles and the Western MA Food Processing Center is regarded as a model food hub.  At the conference John spoke on two panels and you can hear them here.  The first addressed how Food Hubs can add-value to local produce through processing, and the other focused on freezing local produce for schools and institutions as a way to extend the season for both farmers and eaters.


Congratulations to Harborlight Community Partners for being named Nonprofit of the Year by Greater Beverly Chamber of Commerce.


Congratulations to Mission Hill NHS for breaking ground on Saturday, March 29th on a 40 unit affordable housing project for the elderly.  The project will be LEED Silver certifiable.


North Shore CDC to Offer Home Buying Classes in Spanish: Since 2013, North Shore CDC’s Homebuying 101 course have taught over 100 North Shore residents the in’s and out’s of the home ownership process in Salem, Peabody, and Beverly. This May, North Shore CDC will be offering the Homebuying 101 course in Spanish in Salem’s Point Neighborhood.


On March 7, Worcester Common Ground hosted a Doughnuts with Delegates meeting with Main South CDC and Worcester Community Housing Resources; they met with Senator Harriet Chandler, Representative Daniel Donahue and Representative Mary Keefe.


"Entrepreneurs float ideas for Dudley Square business incubator" - Bay State Banner.  Highlights the work and efforts of Nuestra CDC and Dorchester Bay EDC.


Congratulations to the MIDAS Collaborative for being selected as a CFED Learning Cluster Partipant.  MIDAS is just 1 of 6 organizations selected out of a 114 applicants!


Nuestra CDC named a finalist for ArtPlace America Creative Placemaking Grant.


Check out Common Capital's CEO's, Chris Sikes, latest post: Take It Back!


Congratulations to North Shore CDC for hosting a great Doughnuts with Your Delegates meeting!


”When I look at Lawrence, I don’t see it the same way other people from outside the city do or others who have given up,” said Jessica Andors, executive director of LCW. “I see it as a very vibrant city with people who have overcome tremendous odds to come to a city rich in history, infrastructure and a fighting spirit. You don’t turn your back on those assets.”

Great article on Lawrence CommunityWorks' in the Eagle Tribune.


Congratulations to Asian CDC for hosting a great Doughnuts with Your Delegates meeting!


Congratulations to NeighborWorks of Southern Mass for hosting a great Doughnuts with Your Delegates meeting!


Congratulations to Jamaica Plain NDC for hosting a great Doughnuts with Your Delegates meeting!


Congratulations to Nuestra CDC and Madison Park Development Corporation for hosting a great Doughnuts with Your Delegates meeting!


Congratulations to MetroWest CDC for hosting a great Doughnuts with Your Delegates meeting!

 


Great article on the work Dorchester Bay EDC is accomplishing hiring a diversified workforce for their construction projects along Quincy Street in Dorchester with help from another MACDC member, Quincy Geneva CDC.

  • North Shore CDC and River House have a great Polar Plunge!
  • Check out MACDC's President and Community Development Partnership's Executive Director, Jay Coburn, on WOMR's The Place Matters for a great conversation on the Community Investement Tax Credit
  • Congratulations to NeighborWorks Southern Mass for winning the NCDA 2014 Audrey Nelson Award for their Winter Gardens project!
  • Great article in The Boston Globe on Dorchester Bay EDC's work at the former Pearl Meats factory: "Renovations and dreams on Quincy Street"
  • Community Development Partnership announced on January 8th that their revolving loan fund to help local Cape Cod fisherman received an additional $250,000 from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts to expand the program. With the expanded opportunities, commercial fishermen in the groundfish industry will have access to capital needed to repair vessels, purchase new gear, lease Groundfish quota and refinance fisheries-related debt. The $250,000 in funding for the loans is from the Commonwealth’s Commercial Fisheries Revolving Loan Fund via a federal grant from the National Marine Fisheries Service.
  • Congratulations to Madison Park DC and Tropical Foods for completing financing on a major redevelopment project.
  • Check out this great map of Dorchester Bay Economic Development Corporation's service area highlighting some of the great work they've accomplished.
  • Congratulations to Valley CDC for their recent $100,000 from TD Bank: http://news.westernmassedc.com/articles/1511040/td-charitable-foundation-awards-100-000-to-parsons/
  • Congratulations to Philippe Jordi, Executive Director of Island Housing Trust, for winning a Community Preservation Coalition Kuehn Community Preservation Award.
  • Great article on Nuestra's Executive Director, David Price, in Harvard Magazine.
  • Check out a great article and an editorial about the work the Community Economic Development Center is accomplishing in New Bedford:  Community economic group reaches out to 'The Avenue'Our View: Immigrant entrepreneurs move the economy.  
  • Check out this video by Valley CDC; it's a compelling way to get people engaged with what they're doing.
  • Congratulations to Asian CDC and New Boston Fund, Inc. for closing on a $170 million in financing and a ground lease for One Greenway.  This project will product 362 units in new housing in Chinatown. 
  • Congratulations to the following MACDC members who received funding through the latest DHCD round of funding:

- Father Bill's & MainSpring
- Just-A-Start
- Homeowners Rehab Inc.
- The Neighborhood Developers
- Housing Assistance Corporation
- Lawrence CommunityWorks
- Coalition for a Better Acre
- NeigborWorks South Mass
- Common Ground Development Corporation, a subsidiary of Community Teamwork Inc.

  • Congratulations to Viet-Aid as they're "honored for work improving Fields Corner."
  • Congratulations to Worcester Common Ground for completing the renovations of 7 Bellevue Street in Worcester:  http://www.telegram.com/article/20131103/NEWS/311039988/1237
  • 2013 Lifetime Achievement Award Winner Inspires Crowd with His Personal Story:  READ MORE about MACDC member Charles Rucks, who was awarded the 2013 Lifetime Achievement Award by Massachusetts Nonprofit Network.
  • Nuestra Comunidad and the Boston Police Department are excited to announce that they are being recognized with a national MetLife Foundation Community-Police Partnership Award for greatly improving the safety and vitality of the Blue Hill Avenue Corridor and the surrounding community. http://nuestracdc.org/news-in-english/161-nuestra-comunidad-receives-national-community-policing-award
  • Congratulations to Dorchester Bay Economic Development Corporation for breaking ground on the Quincy Street Corridor redevelopment project. Articles: http://www.bankerandtradesman.com/news157086.html  and  http://www.bizjournals.com/boston/news/2013/10/23/hud-secretary-celebrates-dot-project.html?ana=e_bost_real&s=newsletter&ed=2013-10-24
  • Welcome Carol Ridge Martinez as Allston Brighton CDCs new Executive Director!  Ms. Martinez brings more than 25 years of experience in community development to the organization. Most recently, she has been the Assistant Director of the Department of Planning and Development for the City of Chelsea, MA. She has also served as the President of the Board of Directors of The Neighborhood Developers, a Chelsea-based organization that is one of the region’s most respected community development corporations. She has also served as Director of Housing in Chelsea and as a Housing Finance Manager for Boston’s Department of Neighborhood Development.  CLICK HERE to read more.
  • Congratulations to Steve Teasdale, Executive Director of Main South CDC, for being honored by Clark University for all the incredible work he's and his colleagues at Main South CDC have accomplished in the community.  CLICK HERE to read the article.
  • Cambridge Is A Model For Affordable Housing Initiatives:  Congratulations to HRI and Just-A-Start for their continued hard work and success. CLICK HERE for the Banker and Tradesman article.
  • Congratulations to SEED and Quaboag Valley Business Assistance Corporation for receiving CDFI grants.
  • "After Great Recession, Olmsted Green Project Gets New Life" - Banker and Tradesman highlight homeownership in Dorchester and the work of Lena Park CDC.
  • Marc Dohan, Executive Director of Twin Cities CDC, is a MassINC Gateway Cities Innovator for 2013!
  • Congratulations to Charles Rucks, Executive Director of Springfield NHS, for receiving the MNN's Lifetime Achievement Award. The award will be presented at the conference, titled Solutions 2013: The Intersection of People and Technology, on Tuesday, October 29 at the Sheraton Framingham.
  • CLICK HERE to read/listen NPR's piece on Madison Park Development Corporation's self-defense program for women, held this past summer.
  • Check out this great article about Nuestra CDC and the arts in Boston: CLICK HERE to go to the Boston Globe article from August 29th, 2013.
  • Two CDCS, Quaboag Valley CDC and Twin Cities CDC, and the Mass Growth Capital Corporation (MGCC) received great press on the GoLocalWorcester website in the article "Central Mass Businesses Thrive with State Grants + Loans."  CLICK HERE to read the article.
Fairmount Indigo CDC Collaborative receives funding from The Kresge Foundation to improve climate resilience and reduce health risks in low-income communities. The collaborative comprises three CDCs: Codman Square NDC, Dorchester Bay EDC, and Southwest Boston CDC.
 
Groundwork Lawrence Executive Director, Heather McMann, recently kayaked the full length of the Merrimack River , as a member of the Merrimack River Valley Voyagers. The  group of local leaders spent four days paddling and camping along the 117-mile length of the river. Check out the stunning photos and read more about their journey in this article.
 
North Shore CDC's Punto Urban Art Museum partners with Notch Brewing to create "Punto Pils," a Caribbean-style lager that will be on sale at Notch Brewing's Tap Room and by select retailers in greater Salem. A portion of the proceeds will benefit the Punto Urban Art Museum. Check out the amazing artwork featured on the packaging here.
 
South Boston NDC launches Climate Action Partners (CAP), a partnership of community members, nonprofits and businesses who will work together to build a more climate smart and resilient South Boston. Check out this Facebook page to learn more.
 
Three MACDC members were honored with "Partners of the Year" awards at the Boston Business Journal's 14th Annual Corporate Citizenship Awards on September 5 .  A total of six corporate-nonprofit partnerships were recognized for making an immediate and lasting impact by working together, including Ninety Nine Restaurant & Pub in partnership with Pine Street Inn, Tufts Health Plan in partnership with 2Life Communities, and Harborone Bank in partnership with NeighborWorks Housing Solutions.

 

Check out these two documentary shorts from Island Housing Trust. 
The first film, It Takes an Island - A Martha's Vineyard Story illustrates the nature of the housing crisis faced on the island, while the second one, Finding Our Way Home - A Year of Impact and Innovation highlights the progress Island Housing Trust has made in the past year.
SIx MACDC members receive Community Development Capital and Microlending grants to support job creation and small business growth. Congratulations to Community Teamwork, Franklin County CDC, Coastal Community Capital, Cooperative Fund of New England, Jamaica Plain NDC, and Quaboag Valley CDC. This program was established in the Economic Development Bond Bill in 2016 following a campaign by MACDC to promote small business development.
 
Ten MACDC members among developers to receive funding from the City of Boston  to create and preserve affordable housing in 10 Boston neighborhoods. Congratulations to 2Life Communitites, Asian CDC, B'nai B'rith Housing, Dorchester Bay EDC, Fenway CDC, Madison Park CDC, Neighborhood of Affordable Housing, Nuestra CDC, Pine Street Inn, and Urban Edge. Find out where these funds are coming from and how they will be used in this press release.
 
Six CDCs funded through the Urban Agenda Grant Program. The program is focused on promoting economic vitality in urban neighborhoods. Congratulations to Community Economic Development Corporation (CEDC) of Southern Massachusetts, Lawrence CommunityWorks, Main South CDC, North Shore CDC, South Middlesex Opportunity Council, and The Neighborhood Developers. Read more here.
 
Coalition for a Better Acre receives a Circle Health grant  to implement its Supported Training Education Program (STEP). STEP is a workforce development program that provides low-income community members with training, resources and skills needed to become self-sufficient. 
 
Asian CDC gets the green light from the Boston Planning and Development Agency for a 350-foot tall affordable housing building in Boston's Chinatown. Asian CDC is working with Millennium Partners, Corcoran Jennison Co., and Tufts University to develop the project, which will also include a hotel, and a parking garage for Tufts Medical Center.
 
NewVue Communities is the Center for Community Progress' 2020 Institutional Partner for Fitchburg, MA. Six Fitchburg residents have been selected to join the 2020 Community Revitalization Fellowship, a nationwide training program that aims to grow resident-driven efforts to combat vacant, abandoned, and distressed properties.
 
Housing Nantucket is among the groups in Nantucket advocating for a real estate transfer fee. The 0.5% fee on property sales of above $2 million would go into the town's affordable housing trust. Check out this WBUR article on the affordable housing crisis in Nantucket and the proposed solution.
 
Pittsfield Economic Revitalization Corporation recently worked with the City of Pittsfield to launch a website, which serves as a resource for existing businesses, new businesses, and those looking to locate to Pittsfield. Check it out here
 
South Middlesex Opportunity Council is planning to build 18 micro-units for formerly homeless people in Worcester. They're the first to apply for state funding for such projects. Check out this WBUR article on homelessness in Worcester, and what they are doing to fight it.
 
Community Development Partnership offers scholarship to Nauset High School Graduate.  The $1000 scholarship is to be awarded to a student who is a resident of the Lower and Outer Cape and who intends to further their education with an interest or course of study in community development. Students with interests in creating housing that is affordable, supporting entrepreneurs in developing businesses, and serving the needs of LMI (low- to moderate-income) individuals are eligible to apply for the scholarship. Read about this and more in CDP's February newsletter.
 
Commenting Closed

CDCs’ Respond to COVID-19

August 6th, 2020 by Elana Brochin

Artwork: "Minerva" by April Jakubec

“Minerva” is named after the Roman goddess of wisdom and the arts. 

This portrait captures a Latina woman enjoying the outdoors as the wind blows through her flowing hair. Flowers are clustered together to form a face mask, hiding her smile, but showcasing strength in her exposed eyes. The blooms represent what good can stem from these strange and difficult times (innovation, connection, kindness, etc.). 

Women of all ages and backgrounds have strongly identified with my bright and positive portrait style, and have been able to see themselves in the pieces. I intend for this piece to show that compliance with health and safety regulations is strong, fashionable, and even fabulous.

April Jakubec's art is published through the Punto Urban Art Museum, a program of North Shore CDC. Learn more about the museum's programs and their "Free COVID Resources."


Starting in March, we began hearing story after story about ways CDCs were responding to the COVID-19 health crisis and the economic repercussions that reverberated throughout their communities. More recently, we surveyed our members to better understand the ways in which Massachusetts CDCs are responding in aggregate to this unprecedented crisis. What follows is a description of a few of the stories that we heard, as well as what we learned as a result of our Member Survey.

Back in March, we learned that many CDCs noted food security as a top concern in their communities and responded through food distribution efforts:

  • Allston Brighton CDC mailed out Stop & Shop cards, so that their tenants could buy food.
  • The Coalition for a Better Acre's Youth Development staff, who usually run its after-school program, became its food distribution team.
  • Groundwork Lawrence launched "virtual" markets, to replace its in-person farmers market.
  • Franklin County CDC responded to the crisis with a new outlet for frozen produce.

We also heard about the many ways in which CDCs are shifting their key services online, such as Island Housing Trust which held its first remote homeownership lottery via video conference. Inquilinos Boricuas en Acción (IBA) adapted its culture-driven youth workshops to an online format and turned their annual Festival Betances into an online event.

Early on we also learned that many CDCs were establishing emergency relief funds to help families with rent, food and other necessities. For example, Housing Assistance Corporation established the Cape Cod COVID-19 Workforce Housing Relief Fund to assist with past due rent, mortgage payments, and other housing-related expenses for current, year-round Cape Cod and Island residents who are losing income.  We have also been working with CDCs across the state, like Dorchester Bay Neighborhood Business Loans (DBNBL), which is serving as a resource hub for small businesses in need of COVID-19 resources and guidance.

As we moved into month five of the crisis, MACDC sought to understand the cumulative nature of the work in which MACDC members are engaged. At the beginning of July, we sent a survey to our members. You can see some of the results of the member survey on the graph below.

Number of Members providing Specified Responses to COVID-19 in Their Communities, Out of 47 Total Respondents

Our anecdotal observation that many of our members engaged in food distribution efforts was supported by the survey responses indicating that more than two-thirds of MACDC members reported providing food assistance in their communities. We also learned that more than half of CDCs worked with community members to secure assistance to cover rent, or mortgage payments and over half helped small businesses to obtain financial assistance and other support.

In addition to these responses to economic challenges in their communities, we learned that many MACDC members stepped up to help mitigate disease spread. Half of respondents indicated that they partnered with public health organizations, close to a third of respondents indicated that they connected residents to COVID-19 testing, and close to a quarter of respondents said that they provided PPE to community residents.

Massachusetts CDCs’ have succeeded in slowing the spread of COVID-19 in their communities, as illustrated in a recent New York Times article highlighting the work of the Neighborhood Developers in Chelsea. Despite Chelsea being designated as a COVID hotspot, The Neighborhood Developers only had eight reported cases which is about a tenth of the rate of surrounding community.

Beyond the efforts to mitigate physical health concerns, many CDCs engaged in efforts to reduce potential negative mental health impacts of social isolation. Eighteen out of the forty-seven survey respondents reported that they connected residents to mental health resources. Additionally, close to a third of respondents said that they had established opportunities for socially distant connectivity. These opportunities included virtual exercise and art classes, participation in the Front Steps Project, and hosting outdoor events.

We know that while every CDC in Massachusetts is stepping up to support their communities, each CDC is doing this in a unique way suited to their community’s strengths and needs. For example, just last week, we learned that North Shore CDC and the Punto Urban Art Museum recently released twenty-five free artistic educational resources to raise awareness of COVID-19 safety measures in low-income, primarily Spanish-speaking communities.

In years past, individual CDCs have had to respond to local disasters like the tornados in Western Mass in 2011 and the Columbia Gas explosions in Lawrence last year. Each time, the local CDCs rose to the occasion to help residents with emergency shelter, food and relief while also helping those communities rebuild.  Now, in the face of a global pandemic that is impacting the entire Commonwealth, CDCs across the state are showing that community development is a core component of our disaster resilience, response and recovery system.  Unfortunately, it looks like this could become a permanent feature of community development across the United States. Fortunately, CDCs are demonstrating that they are up to the challenge.

You can read about more stories from Massachusetts CDCs by checking out our Notebook archive and the special newsletter that we published in collaboration with LISC Boston featuring stories from the field.

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