FEBRUARY 2012 

North Shore CDC hosted its Doughnuts with Your Delegation meeting on Jan. 20th.

Since late January, MACDC members across the state have sat down with their legislators for doughnuts and coffee to discuss key policy issues. North Shore CDC kicked off the 5th Annual Doughnuts with Your Delegation on Jan. 20th by hosting several state legislators at a recently completed project. NHS of South Shore has hosted two of their three breakfasts meetings in Brockton and Quincy. In total, twelve meetings have been held with nearly a dozen more scheduled. MACDC members are telling their state Representatives and Senators about the important work they are doing in communities throughout Massachusetts, asking what is happening in the State House and talking about how The Community Development Partnership Act will advance comprehensive strategies for community improvement and economic development.

Urban Edge hosting its 2012 Doughnuts with Your Delegation meeting.

For more information about MACDC's Doughnuts with Your Delegation or the Community Development Partnership Act, please contact Allison Staton.

HRI Board Chairman Harry Johnson II speaking at the Chapman Arms Celebration.

MACDC member Homeowner's Rehab, Inc. (HRI) has become the first affordable housing developer to buy an expiring use property using Chapter 40T, the state's new Affordable Housing Preservation law.  Chapter 40T gives purchase rights to the Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) or its designee (in this case HRI) to acquire and preserve affordable housing developments that would otherwise be converted to market rents. MACDC worked with other affordable housing advocates to help to pass this new law in 2009.

On Wednesday, February 8, HRI hosted an event at Harvard University to celebrate the first acquisition under Chapter 40T.  Working with the City of Cambridge, DHCD, CEDAC, and Harvard University (which held the ground lease on the property), HRI purchased Chapman Arms, a 50 unit, mixed use, mixed income building in the heart of Harvard Square.  The transaction will allow families to remain in their homes and preserve affordability for another 50 years. It also establishes a model for how Chapter 40T can help the state preserve thousands of affordable homes across the state.  

For more information about Chapter 40T, please contact Joe Kriesberg. 

Twin Cities CDC's transformation of Elm Street highlighted in Worcester T&G

Recently, an article in the Worcester Telegram and Gazette began with the following: 

"The area was nicknamed the 'Nightmare on Elm Street,' and two three-deckers side by side riddled with problems on the street were referred to as the 'Twin Towers' by Fitchburg residents and city officials alike."   

"But Marc S. Dohan, executive director of the Twin Cities Community Development Corp. in Fitchburg, said the nonprofit is replicating the success of other CDCs in the state and has transformed the area from a nightmare to an "American Dream" on Elm Street."

Read more about MACDC member Twin Cities CDC in the Worcester Telegram and Gazette article. 

NACEDA Summit in Washington, DC May 21-23

MACDC and Boston LISC offered coordinated testimony to the Massachusetts Energy Efficiency Advisory Council (EEAC), urging aggressive intervention on the part of the EEAC in the upcoming 3-year Energy Efficiency Plans for utilities. Both organizations focused on how to improve the already successful LEAN Multifamily Program, which uses utility ratepayer dollars to fund energy improvements to nonprofit and public owners of buildings occupied by low income families. MACDC and LISC testified that the program should be fuel-blind so that gas and electric improvements can be made from all available dollars, allow building owners to pay for higher levels of efficiency beyond what the program determines to be cost effective, and require utilities to utilize a single third party program administrator in allocating the funds. 

This effort continues the collaboration between MACDC and Boston LISC to help CDCs in their efforts to increase the energy efficiency of their properties. LISC spearheaded the CDC Green Retrofit Initiative and MACDC has worked closely with LISC on bringing its members together to network and to share information, strategies and resources. Both have collaborated to encourage CDCs to benchmark the energy usage in their buildings through WegoWise.

In 2011, the LEAN Multifamily Program helped 19,000 units of housing receive retrofit services (15,000 electric and 4,000 gas) spending approximately $16 million in funding. Savings average 30-40% on electric projects and approximately 20% for gas projects.

Mel King Institute for Community Building - Winter 2012 courses

Making Use of Local Census Data

Date: March 14, 2012
Time: 9:30am-1:30pm
Location: Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Pierce Laboratory 1-115 (77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge) MAP
Instructor: Ezra Glenn (Dept. of Urban Studies and Planning, MIT)

Registration Deadline: March 7, 2012

"Presentation flowed smoothly, presenter was very knowledgeable and responsive to questions!"

"Well-organized, good pace, informative, and practical."

                 -Making Use of Local Census Data participants, Oct. 2011 

The Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) now provides a wealth of census data on demographics, housing, jobs, transportation, and other topics at the level of individual census tracts - perfect for CDCs and neighborhood planning projects. However, the ACS requires some new ways of thinking about how we use numbers and how we deal with uncertainty and change. This hands-on session will draw on real-world examples to help you learn how to get and use ACS data to make sense of your own community.

This session will consist of two hours of lecture and one hour of clinic, where participants can engage with the new ACS website using projects of their own.

This seminar is being offered at no cost by the Mel King Institute for Community Building. Space is limited, register early.

Please click here to register.  

MACDC's Calendar - promote your event

MACDC provides a calendar on our website for members and supporting organizations to publicize their events including Annual Meetings, Ribbon Cuttings and fundraisers.  Several upcoming member events are:

 MACDC members, please tell us about your events by sending an email to Rosa Nin.

MACDC's Job Postings