Allston Brighton Comm Dev Corp

THE ALLSTON BRIGHTON COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION BUILDS A STRONGER AND MORE STABLE COMMUNITY BY REPRESENTING AND SUPPORTING THE EXPRESSED INTERESTS, POSITIVE ENGAGEMENT AND LEADERSHIP OF ALLSTON BRIGHTON'S DIVERSE LOCAL COMMUNITIES, INSTITUTIONS, INDIVIDUALS AND FAMILIES OF ALL INCOMES.

RESIDENT SERVICES AND HOUSING DEVELOPMENT AND MANAGEMENT.ACQUIRED A 16-UNIT LICENSED LODGING HOUSE WITH $2 MILLION CITY OF BOSTON FUNDS AND AN ACQUISITION LOAN FROM BLUEHUB CAPITAL. SECURED OVER $2 MILLION FROM THE STATE, QUASI-PUBLIC AND PRIVATE SOURCES TO REHAB THE PROPERTY BEGINNING IN 2022. CONTINUED WORK WITH THE COMMUNITY, ABUTTERS AND PROPERTY OWNER TO ACQUIRE AND REDEVELOP TWO CONTIGUOUS PARCELS OF LAND, WITH THE AIM OF CREATING A HOMEOWNERSHIP DEVELOPMENT WITH 40% INCOME-RESTRICTED UNITS. SUBMITTED A REQUEST FOR PRIVATE FUNDING FOR THIS PROJECT. COMPLETED A $2 MILLION MASONRY REPAIR PROJECT AT A 235-UNIT PROPERTY. CLOSED ON THE REFINANCE OF A 59-UNIT PROPERTY, SECURING A FAVORABLE INTEREST RATE ON THE NEW FIRST MORTGAGE. SECURED NEARLY $800,000 FROM THE STATE FOR CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS AT A 12-UNIT PROPERTY. SUBMITTED A PRE-APPLICATION TO THE STATE FOR OVER $5 MILLION IN LOW INCOME HOUSING TAX CREDITS AND NEARLY $3 MILLION IN OTHER SUBSIDIES FOR THE REHAB OF A 33-UNIT PROPERTY. RECEIVED APPROVAL TO PROCEED TO SUBMIT A FULL APPLICATION. SECURED $32,500 FROM 3 SOURCES TO FUND A FEASIBILITY STUDY FOR A DEEP ENERGY RETROFIT AT A 20-UNIT PROPERTY. IF DEEMED FEASIBLE, THIS DEEP ENERGY RETROFIT WOULD DECARBONIZE THE PROPERTY AND ACHIEVE A PASSIVE HOUSE DESIGN CERTIFICATION FROM PHIUS. SUBMITTED AN APPLICATION TO THE BOSTON HOUSING AUTHORITY FOR 12 PROJECT-BASED VOUCHERS FOR USE AT A 50-UNIT PROPERTY AND INITIATED EXPLORATION OF A REHAB AT THE PROPERTY.PROVIDED SERVICES FOR RESIDENTS IN 506 UNITS OF RENTAL HOUSING, WITH A MIXTURE OF VIRTUAL AND IN-PERSON PROGRAMMING. REFERRED 183 FAMILIES FOR RENTAL ASSISTANCE, ASSISTING 82 OF THEM WITH COMPLETING APPLICATIONS AND ADVOCATING WITH CASE MANAGERS. PRODUCED AND DISTRIBUTED A MONTHLY NEWSLETTER TO 502 HOUSEHOLDS TO KEEP THEM INFORMED ABOUT RESOURCES AND SUPPORT AVAILABLE THROUGH THE PROGRAM AND IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD. HELD BI-MONTHLY MOBILE FOOD PANTRIES AT 2 PROPERTY SITES IN PARTNERSHIP WITH ABCD, PROVIDING FOOD TO 175 HOUSEHOLDS. DISTRIBUTED BACKPACKS AND SCHOOL SUPPLIES TO 30 HOUSEHOLDS TO SUPPORT YOUTH AS THEY WENT BACK TO SCHOOL IN THE FALL. CONTINUED AN AFTER-SCHOOL PROGRAM WITH TUTORS FROM BOSTON COLLEGE. COLLABORATED WITH THE ELIOT SCHOOL OF FINE AND APPLIED ARTS TO RUN A VIRTUAL ART PROGRAM FOR YOUTH AGES 8-13, WITH THE FOCUS ON ART CREATION AS A WAY TO EXPRESS EMOTIONS. FACILITATED TWO 8-WEEK COMPUTER LITERACY CLASSES, WHERE THE 15 GRADUATES, 6 OF WHOM WERE SENIORS, RECEIVED CHROMEBOOKS FUNDED BY A CITY GRANT. OFFERED 2 VIRTUAL MOBILITY CLASSES TAUGHT BY A CERTIFIED YOGA INSTRUCTOR. DURING THE HOLIDAYS, DISTRIBUTED TURKEYS AND GROCERIES TO 23 FAMILIES WITH A DONATION FROM WEST END HOUSE, HELD A COOKIE DECORATING EVENT ATTENDED BY 9 YOUTH, AND IN PARTNERSHIP WITH TOYS FOR TOTS DISTRIBUTED TOYS TO 67 FAMILIES. COORDINATED WITH MASSHOUSING'S TENANT ASSISTANCE PROGRAM (TAP) TO PROVIDE 2 PROGRAMS AT THE COMMUNITY CENTER, ATTENDED BY 18 RESIDENTS.

COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT. ENCOURAGED A HEALTHY, AFFORDABLE, EQUITABLE AND ENGAGED ALLSTON BRIGHTON BY STRENGTHENING OUR WORK WITH LOW AND MODERATE INCOME RESIDENTS SO THAT THEY CAN CONTINUE TO HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO RESIDE IN AND BECOME LEADERS IN THE ALLSTON BRIGHTON COMMUNITY. DEVELOPED AND MAILED OUTREACH MATERIALS AND A SURVEY IN ENGLISH, SPANISH, PORTUGUESE, CHINESE AND RUSSIAN INFORMING RESIDENTS OF THE WESTERN AVE STUDY AND REZONING PROCESS. RESULTS OF THE SURVEY IDENTIFYING PRIORITIES FOR COMMUNITY BENEFITS WERE PROVIDED TO BOSTON PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT AGENCY (BPDA) AND SERVE AS A BASIS FOR CONTINUING COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT EFFORTS BY A NUMBER OF LOCAL COMMUNITY GROUPS. FACILITATED A SERIES OF 4 VIRTUAL TRAININGS TO INCREASE COMMUNITY MEMBERS' SKILLS WITH THE PLANNING PROCESS - PUTTING THE 'COMMUNITY' BACK IN PLANNING, UNDERSTANDING THE DEVELOPMENT PROCESS AND AVENUES FOR COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT, THE ROLE AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF IMPACT ADVISORY GROUPS (IAGS), AND A PRIMER ON AFFORDABLE HOUSING, ATTENDED BY 60 RESIDENTS. FACILITATED VIRTUAL WORKSHOPS ON LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT ATTENDED BY 15 RESIDENTS. THROUGH THE "HOMES WE CAN AFFORD" CAMPAIGN, THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING ACTION COMMITTEE WORKED WITH A GROUP OF STUDENTS FROM NORTHEASTERN UNIVERSITY ON A MICRO-DOCUMENTARY HIGHLIGHTING THE IMPACT OF RISING RENTS AND DISPLACEMENT IN ALLSTON BRIGHTON. INITIATED A YOUTH DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM FOR YOUTH AT FANEUIL GARDENS AND COMMONWEALTH HOUSING DEVELOPMENT FUNDED BY A STATE GRANT.TO INCREASE OWNER OCCUPANCY IN THE NORTH ALLSTON/NORTH BRIGHTON NEIGHBORHOODS, THE PROGRAM ACQUIRED 2 PROPERTIES AND SOLD 2 HOMES TO OWNER OCCUPANTS. CONTINUED TO PARTICIPATE IN AND SERVE AS FISCAL SPONSOR FOR THE ALLSTON BRIGHTON HEALTH COLLABORATIVE, FORMED TO WORK ACROSS SECTORS TO IMPROVE OVERALL COMMUNITY HEALTH, AND TO SERVE AS FISCAL SPONSOR FOR THE ALLSTON BRIGHTON PAUSES, FORMERLY KNOWN AS ALLSTON BRIGHTON SUBSTANCE ABUSE TASK FORCE.

HOMEBUYING EDUCATION AND COUNSELING.PREPARED FIRST-TIME HOMEBUYERS FOR SUSTAINABLE AND STABLE HOMEOWNERSHIP: BY TEACHING FIFTEEN 9-HOUR HOMEBUYING 101 CLASSES, FOUR OF THEM IN SPANISH, GRADUATING 712 PEOPLE; BY PROVIDING ONE-ON-ONE PRE-PURCHASE COUNSELING TO 71 GRADUATES FROM THE HOMEBUYING 101 CLASSES; AND BY GRADUATING 54 INDIVIDUALS FROM FRAMEWORK, AN ONLINE HOMEBUYER EDUCATION COURSE. HOMEBUYING 101 CLASSES AND COUNSELING WERE PROVIDED ON-LINE. THE 2 HOUSING COUNSELORS HIRED IN 2021 OBTAINED HUD CERTIFICATION AND ARE BILINGUAL (ENGLISH AND SPANISH).