WINTER 2016 NEWSLETTER

Youth Presentation to Residents

COMMUNITY BUILDING & ENVIRONMENT

This winter, NOAH's Youth Leadership Crew members have been very busy, performing advanced research for the ClimateCARE initiative, working on advocacy campaigns including their 'Clean Streets' (trash and litter) and Safe Speeds projects, and making community presentations at the many East Boston neighborhood associations. ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages) staffers have begun the new semester, offering two levels of both day and evening classes, as well as a 'Tech Goes Home' (TGH) course. TGH is an initiative helping to provide under-served residents the opportunity, tools, education, and access required for 21st century skills development. It is focused on tackling the entrenched barriers to technology adoption and Internet access in Boston and across the US.

Tech Goes Home Class & Instructor Jacky Lara

NOAH's East Boston Climate Resiliency work is going strong! This winter, the East Boston ClimateCARE team members have begun work on a resident-driven Three-Year Implementation Program, largely funded by The Kresge Foundation. Project partners include climate change expert Dr. Paul Kirshen, NOAH 'green' consultant Kim Vermeer, the City of Boston's Energy and Environment Department, the Community Design Resource Center of Boston, and additional agencies such as Massport, Boston/Water Sewer, DOT, as well as the Urban Land Institute Boston/NE. Climate change sea-level-rise is an issue we will continue to concentrate on

The EB ClimateCARE Team at Work

going forward. A major focus over the next few weeks will be outreach regarding the upcoming new FEMA flood maps being released in March. We are in the process of launching ClimateCAREEastBoston.org, a new website, with specifics. Contact Director Chris Marchi at 617-418-8241 for more information about CBE programs.

Soil Testing at Coppersmith Village

REAL ESTATE NEWS

Work has begun on our $33 million mixed-income, mixed-use, 'green' Coppersmith Village development in East Boston, which will feature 56 apartments, 15 town homes, and a restaurant. NOAH is thankful for its funders, including the City of Boston DND, the State DHCD and MassWorks, Community Housing Capital, and NeighborWorks Capital.

Windows Going In at Shoe Shop

Shoe Shop Place, a 25-unit affordable development in Middleborough, is about 60% complete. The courtyard addition is framed; rough plumbing and electrical are nearly done; windows have been installed; and some of the interior painting has begun! The affordable housing lottery will be held in May.

East Boston Acquisitions Working Group: A dedicated group of East Bostonians, including NOAH, the East Boston CDC, local religious organizations, and concerned housing activists, is in the process of developing a financially viable acquisitions program to purchase triple-deckers, with a mission of keeping rental units at affordable levels for working families. Looking to retain affordable rental homes in high enough numbers to create impact, they are working hard on an acquisition strategy with the City of Boston DND. Gentrification and displacement in and around East Boston have become real threats to lower- and moderate-income families in the community. Rents have risen 40% over the last four years, with a median monthly rent of $2,255 in Eastie today. Pictured in the photo below, from left to right, are: Mossik Hacobian, Pedro Morales, Phil Giffee, Sal Colombo, and Tanya Hahnel.

East Boston Affordable Acquisitions Working Group

If you have any questions about NOAH's current or pending real estate developments or projects, please contact Executive Director Philip Giffee at pgiffee@noahcdc.org.

HOMEBUYER SERVICES UPDATE

Leo Ramirez & Volunteers Prepare Taxes

It's tax season! At NOAH, clients can receive FREE, FAST tax preparation Services in either English or Spanish if they earned less than $54,000 in 2015. They can call 617-418-8266 to make an appointment. Service hours are Mondays and Wednesdays from 5 to 9 PM and Saturdays from 10 AM to 3 PM through mid-April.

January's Financial Capability classes saw the highest level of attendance yet. The Department provides FREE Financial Capability courses, coaching and counseling in both Spanish and English. The next course begins on Saturday, March 5. To reserve a slot, clients can call 617-418-8264. The Homebuyer Services Department continues to offer high-impact bilingual low-cost First-Time Homebuyer and no-cost Foreclosure Prevention and Mitigation services; dates and times are listed in the Calendar below. If you are interested in learning more about our Homebuyer Services activities, please contact Director Diana Franco at 617-418-8266.

Phil at Award Presentation

NOAH'S ED RECEIVES CHAMBER AWARD!

Kudos to our Executive Director Phil Giffee who was honored recently with an East Boston Chamber of Commerce 'Prosperity Award'! Representatives from NOAH's Board and staff were on hand to witness the presentation. The awardees were described as "East Boston's most influential business and community leaders, who have blazed a trail for the rest of us and have made a difference in their professions and our community". NOAH first joined the Chamber in the fall of 1987. In 1990, the Chamber named NOAH its 'Business of the Year'. Congratulations on receiving this well-deserved award, Phil!

THANK YOU TO ALL OUR FABULOUS FUNDERS!

All of us at NOAH want to say THANK YOU to all our recent funders, including: Mr. Lawrence Braman, Boston Private Bank, Cambridge Savings Charitable Foundation, Mr. James T. Curtis, Mr. Gregory Comeau, Deloitte, East Boston Savings Bank, English for New Bostonians, Ms. Susan Esper, Ms. Rose Fiore, First Literacy, Mr. & Mrs. George Koehler, Mr. Vasileios Krokidis, Mr. Peter Lawson, the Mass. Attorney General's Office, the Mass. Mortgage Bankers Foundation, Mr. & Mrs. Mario Moniz, Narrow Gate Architecture LTD, NeighborWorks America, TD Charitable Foundation, United Way of Mass. Bay & Merrimack Valley, Mr. Matthew Yarmolinsky, and a very generous Anonymous CITC donor.

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 so very grateful to all of them! We want to give a special shout-out to The Kresge Foundation folks for their generous 3-Year climate resiliency funding, to TD Charitable Foundation for its 'Housing for Everyone' grant to complete a solar sustainability upgrade to Benfield Farms, to The State Street Foundation for its support of our ESOL programming, and to Enterprise Community Partners for an award towards NOAH's ClimateCARE resiliency work. And, as always, many thanks to long-time funding partners NeighborWorks America and United Way of Massachusetts Bay & Merrimack Valley. Thank you all.

DONORS GET HALF BACK IN STATE CREDITS OR REBATES WITH CITC!

Soon NOAH should be looking for 2016 donors who'd like to double the impact of their donation dollars! It's easy to do! Any individual or corporation can make a donation of $1,000 or more for a 50% state tax credit or refund. Depending on your tax bracket, your $325 final 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. For more information, please check out our website or contact your tax professional.

PLEASE 'LIKE' US ON FACEBOOK!

NOAH's Facebook page has 3,020 Likes! If

YOU haven't done so already, we would really appreciate it if you would go to our Facebook page through the link below, and click the "Like" button -thanks!

UPCOMING EVENTS

EBE & GAL Meet-Up!

East Boston Environmental and Grupo Ambiental Latino are meeting together on Friday, February 26, from 6 to 7:30 PM

at NOAH. A light dinnner and Spanish translation will be provided. For more information, please contact Community Organizer Magdalena Ayed at 617-418-8243 or mayed@noahcdc.org.

First-Time Homebuyer Classes

The next available available English First-Time Homebuyer course will meet at NOAH on Saturday, March 12 & Saturday, March 19 from 9:30 AM to 2:30 PM. The next Spanish First-Time Homebuyer course will meet on Saturday, April 16 & Saturday, April 23, also from 9:30 AM to 2:30 PM at NOAH. 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 $50 per individual or $65 per couple (or any two individuals registering together). Also, 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 free bilingual Loan Modification/Foreclosure Prevention clinics will occur on the following Monday evenings: February 29; March 7, 14, 21, and 28; and April 4, 11, 18 and 25 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 on Saturday, March 5 from 9:30 AM to 3:30 PM and on Monday, March 7, from 6:30 to 9:30 PM.To register, please contact Carrie Tennant, Esq. at 617-418-8264 or ctennant@noahcdc.org.

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