Summer 2015 Newsletter

RED Asst. Director Kristen Carlson & Benfield Farms LEED Gold Certificate

Real Estate Department Update

The $20.5 million 66-unit Sitkowski School senior housing apartment complex in downtown Webster has been completed, and residents began moving in this spring. This historic school was rehabbed to create LEED Silver certifiable, all-affordable housing for seniors aged 55+. The Webster Senior Center is relocating to an attached newly remodeled 9,300 square foot space which includes a multipurpose room, kitchen, reading room, conference room, art space, exercise room, health office and salon. All units are fully adaptable, and feature large windows, wood floors, ceiling fans, and step-in showers. This project could have only been completed with the great support of funders and partners such as The Town of Webster, MassHousing, MHIC, MAPFRE/Commerce, Selective Insurance, RBS Citizens Bank, DHCD, Dellbrook Construction, DiMella Shaffer Architects, and Winn Property Management.

We are continuing to make significant progress with several additional projects, including the $33 million mixed-income, mixed-use, 'green' Coppersmith Village development in East Boston. This project will feature 56 apartments (44 of which are affordable), 15 townhomes (8 affordable), and a restaurant. A State One-Stop funding decision is expected after Labor Day. In Middleborough, the 25-unit, $10 million Shoe Shop Place project is being developed with partner The Neighborhood Corporation, and will renovate a historic shoe manufacturing facility. Work at the site finally is beginning at the end of the month; and leasing will start in spring 2016. Shoe Shop Place will offer family housing consisting of 100% affordable one-, two- and three-bedroom units. NOAH is also pursuing projects in Taunton, Grafton and Haverhill. If you have any questions about NOAH's current developments, please contact Director of Real Estate Development Toby Kramer at tkramer@noahcdc.org.

East Boston Resiliency TAP Report

Community Building & Environment Activities

Funded by the Kresge Foundation, NOAH is holding a series of participatory community planning meetings leading towards the development of a final resident-driven climate resiliency implementation plan for East Boston. With our key partner, the Urban Land Institute Boston/NE (led by East Boston's own Sarah Barnat), Chris Marchi and Magdalena Ayed of NOAH's Community Building & Environment staff have been gathering community residents, soliciting input on various climate change preparedness topics and providing technical expertise sessions with Dr. Paul Kirshen, a climate change expert, Kim Vermeer, NOAH Green consultant, and Gretchen Schneider, ED of The Community Design Resource Center of Boston. As noted, the'Climate Resilience and Urban Opportunity Initiative' is supported by a grant from The Kresge Foundation. City and State agencies such as the MBTA, Massport, Boston/Water Sewer, DOT as well as the City's Energy and Environment Department, have presented their thoughts or plans on Climate Change preparedness and greenhouse gas reduction. NOAH's intention is: 1) to assist local residents in understanding the challenges Climate Change, Sea-level rise and Green House Gas emissions impose on our neighborhood, 2) to assist agencies in understanding the neighborhood and household needs of East Boston families due to the effects of Climate Change and 3) to implement and budget recommended changes.

Another CBE initiative this summer is helping to ensure that Eastie residents reap the benefits of, and become more aware of, living on the coast. We are offering a free program that teaches residents boat safety and how to kayak. There are beginner courses being taught all around East Boston, including at Constitution Beach, Jeffries Point, Carlton Wharf in Maverick Square and Mill Creek in Chelsea. On Memorial Day, we held a Reenactment Regatta of the Revolutionary War Battle of Noddle Island, which happened right here in East Boston! During the Revolutionary War, the British Navy controlled Boston Harbor. In the Battle of Noddle Island, the Colonists were able to take back a portion of the harbor by seizing cattle and food from Noddle Island and Hog Island (two of the five islands making up present-day East Boston). During the Reenactment Regatta, a boat parade traced the HMS Diana route to the Condor Street Urban Wild 'Battlefield', which featured an interactive battle reenactment for the community. Children and their families joined in the reenactment and drove 'cattle' home. Other residents were able to retrace the British naval pursuit in the kayaks provided, traveling the historic route around East Boston's shoreline from a Central Square launch point to the Condor Street Urban Wild. The day was full of fun, laughter and history!

The NOAH Leadership Team Youth continue to assist with the climate change resiliency, waterfront and other initiatives, including spearheading a carbon-free green space maintenance program and a weekly community movie night. Free movies are offered every Friday night at various public spaces in East Boston (weather permitting). The O'Donnell Schoolyard Summer program continues to provide local elementary school children with daily educational, recreational and physical activities, as well as free breakfast and lunch. Programming features guest speakers from the local Police/Fire Departments, area museums and more. The free Children and Youth Community Soccer Program is held at City Yards on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays from 3:30 to 6 PM. Please contact CBE Director Chris Marchi at 617-418-8241 for more information about any of these initiatives.

Mass.AG Maura Healey (center), Sen. Jamie Eldridge (top left) & NOAH HomeCorps Counselors (right)

Homebuyer Services News

The Homebuyer Services Department has been hard at work assisting First-Time Homebuyers and helping families in our community avoid foreclosure. So far this summer, we have had 110 graduates from our First-time Homebuyer courses, and 34 families have purchased their first homes. Over the prior 12 months, NOAH saw 419 course graduates, and 132 households were able to buy their first homes. Our foreclosure prevention team has helped 45 new clients and has received 21 approved mortgage modifications so far this season. Over the prior 12 months, our counselors served 322 new foreclosure prevention clients, and over 100 ongoing client families, with a 96% success ratio. Additionally, NOAH co-hosted a special Foreclosure Prevention event with partner Wells Fargo, with underwriters on the spot, and we were able to get two families approved for loan modifications that day alone! As part of our community outreach, HBS staff staffed a booth at El Festival Salvadoreño, an event with over 8,000 attendees. Also, our counselors were featured at a recent 'thank you' event for all of the Attorney General's Office/CHAPA HomeCorps counselors.

The next FREE Financial Capability course will be held at NOAH over four nights, on Wednesday, September 9, Thursday, September 10, Monday , September 14 and Tuesday September 15, from 6:30-9:30 PM. Our comprehensive bilingual (Spanish and English) financial capability programming teaches students to set realistic financial goals, maximize their income, save money, build assets, make prudent spending decisions, borrow appropriately, and adequately protect assets and wealth. Upon completion of our 8-hour financial capability seminar, students are invited to participate in our no-cost financial coaching, which helps ensure that after students learn these skills, they have the necessary support and resources to put them into action. These free financial capability services are provided by a certified financial counselor, a consumer banking officer, and a licensed financial adviser. Over the past 12 months, we have had 122 graduates of this program. If you or someone you know are interested in attending one of our courses, please contact Carrie Tennant, Esq. at 617-418-8264.

Please Tell Your Friends About CITC:
Donors Get Half+ of Their Donations Back!

NOAH is looking for donors who'd like to more-than-double the impact of their donation dollars! We are one of the Massachusetts CDCs (Community Development Corporations) who have received Community Investment Tax Credits for 2015. It's easy to do! Any individual or corporation can make a donation of over $1,000 for a 50% tax credit or refund. Depending on your tax bracket, your $325 net donation could work like a $1,000 donation to help NOAH offer free or very low cost programming to seniors, disabled individuals, families, and children in need. Credits area available on a 'first come, first served' basis. Click here to see a recent news clip on the CITC program featuring MACDC ED Joe Kriesberg. Or, click here to make a donation now!

New Paint at 149 Marion Street

Shalom Properties Rehab Nearly Complete!

'Shalom Properties' is comprised of seven scattered-site buildings in East Boston containing 30 affordable units. In 2014, NOAH refinanced the properties with MHP to a lower interest rate of 3.83%. Along with grant funding from Neighborworks America and the City of Boston Lead Safe forgiveable loan program, the refinancing enabled us to capitalize much-needed improvements on the exteriors, common areas, and within the units. At 20 years old, 'Shalom' is one of NOAH's oldest projects, and was in need of many updates. Construction is now over 90% complete, and NOAH is leading the East Boston neighborhood with Shalom's improved curb appeal. Some 75 residents call the Shalom apartments 'home'. To date, NOAH has an affordable rental portfolio of 265 units.

Thank You to Our Wonderful Funders!

All of us at NOAH want to say 'Gracias', 'Grazie', 'Danke' and 'Merci Beaucoup' to all our recent funders, including: Greg Comeau, Lauren DeMayo, Jean Staropoli, Branka Tihic, NeighborWorks America, United Way of Mass. Bay & Merrimack Valley, the City of Boston (including BCYF Summer Fund and Department of Neighborhood Development), English for New Bostonians, Boston Forge and Welding, Century 21 - Mario Real Estate, Citizens Bank, the Alfred E. Chase Charity Foundation (Bank of America, N.A, Trustee), the Bushrod Campbell & Adah Hall Foundation, Capital One, the Clipper Ship Foundation, Deloitte, East Boston Dental Associates, the East Boston Foundation, Enterprise Community Partners, Eastern Flooring Company, First Literacy Lab, Harvard Memorial Church, the Massachusetts Attorney General's Office, People's United Bank/Eastern Mass. and Sailor's Snug Harbor. Without our wonderful supporters, we could not maintain our client services or programs at their current high levels. With them, we continue to create and maintain more sustainable neighborhoods, community services and affordable housing than ever before. We are grateful.

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Upcoming Events

First-Time Homebuyer Classes

The next available available English First-Time Homebuyer course will meet at NOAH on Saturday, September 19 & Saturday, September 26 from 9:30 AM to 2:30 PM. The next Spanish First-Time Homebuyer course will meet on Saturday, October 17 & Saturday, October 24, also from 9:30 AM to 2:30 PM at NOAH. To receive a City of Boston certificate, attendees must be present at all class sessions. Students learn from industry guest speakers, including home inspectors, as well as from NOAH staff, about how best to select and purchase a home and about appropriate loan products. The cost for the group course is $45 per individual or $55 per couple (or any two family members registering together). Also, now we are offering individual online course sessions in both English and Spanish. For more information, please call Dept. Director Diana Franco at 617-418-8266 or dfranco@noahcdc.org.

Loan Modification/Foreclosure Prevention Clinics

Our next bilingual Loan Modification/Foreclosure Prevention clinics will occur on the following Monday evenings: August 17, 24 & 31 and September 14, 21, & 28 from 5:30 to 8 PM at NOAH. These workshops are the initial counseling and education sessions for NOAH's foreclosure prevention and mitigation counseling. The sessions are held in Spanish and in English. All of NOAH's foreclosure prevention education and counseling sessions are free of charge. Workshops are held weekly, except for holiday weeks. For additional information, please reach Carrie Tennant, Esq. at 617-418-8264 or ctennant@noahcdc.org.

Financial Capability Classes

The next free bilingual Financial Capability course will be held at NOAH over four evenings: Wednesday, September 9, Thursday, September 10, Monday, September 14, and Tuesday, September 15, from 6:30 to 9:30 PM. To register, please contact Carrie Tennant, Esq. at 617-418-8264 or ctennant@noahcdc.org.

Summer Outdoor Movie Nights

New! We are showing free outdoor movies on Friday nights from 7:30 to 9:30 PM at various parks throughout East Boston through September 4. We select films that are not only family friendly but have a particular theme that resonates and brings light to the East Boston community. Locations and movie titles are posted on our Facebook pages. For more information, please contact Magdalena Ayed at 617-818-4583.

Summer Kayak & Boating Safety Lessons

Free! Saturday, August 22, at Mill Creek in Chelsea. These events get East Boston residents out on the water to learn the basics of boating and safety tips, enjoying the benefits of living on the coast and experiencing the recreational resources available. For more info., please call Chris Marchi at 617-418-8241.

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