On October 6th the Joint Committee on Revenue held a hearing for The Community Development Partnership Act.  The bill's sponsors, Senator Sal DiDomenico and Representative Linda Dorcena Forry, jointly testified about why they are working to pass a bill that will strengthen communities throughout the Commonwealth.  MACDC's President and CEO, Joe Kriesberg, testified on a panel with Michael Durken, President and CEO of United Way of Mass Bay and Merrimack Valley, and Joanna Ain, Program Director at the Housing Corporation of Arlington and the co-chair of MACDC's Public Policy Committee.

During his testimony, Joe Kriesberg emphasized that the program is based on a competitive selection process, benchmarks would be tracked to determine success and the tax credits would be capped.  

The bill will now be considered by the Revenue Committee.  MACDC hopes the bill will be favorably released soon.  Please click here or contact Allison Staton for more information about the bill. 

Young residents of Thankful Chases Pathway in Harwich, MA showing their scooting techniques during Jt. Committee on Community Development tour.

While standing in Thankful Chases Pathway in Harwich, MA, an affordable rental housing development, a 5-year-old boy on his scooter whizzed by the thirty adults listening to Community Development Partnership Executive Director Elizabeth Bridgewater explain the award-winning energy efficient development. "What are you doing here?!?!" he asked, loudly. "We're admiring your beautiful home" someone answered. "Oh, o.k." he replied, "Wanna see me do a trick?" he offered the crowd.

This exchange perfectly captured the spirit and enthusiasm shown in

Jt. Committee on Community Development tour in Springfield, MA.

the first three stops of the Joint Committee on Community Development and Small Business Listening Tour of Massachusetts. Led by co-chairs Representative Linda Dorcena Forry and Senator Sal DiDomenico, members of the committee and other legislators, have visited Springfield, Harwich and Chatham on Cape Cod, and the Box District of Chelsea to learn directly from community development leaders about their work, the challenges they face and how the state can best support them. In Springfield the legislators heard about the importance of policies that recognize that "one size doesn't fit all" when dealing with both urban and rural communities. On the Cape, legislators heard about the opportunities to support small businesses, in particular local fishermen, while in Chelsea local leaders emphasized the importance of a long-range community vision and having the resources to make it happen.

Chelsea stop for the Jt. Committee on Community Development.

The Committee has four more stops planned on their tour. The remaining stops are:

Beverly - Tuesday, October 18th, 2:00pm-4:00pm - tour begins at 9 Mill Street, Beverly

Worcester - Wednesday, October 19th, 9:00am-11:00am - tour begins at 674 Main Street, Worcester

Plympton/Kingston - Monday, October 24th - 10:00am-12n - tour begins at 154 County Road, Plympton; discussion at 169 Summers St, Kingston

Boston - Monday, October 24th - 2:00pm-4:00pm - tour begins at Codman Health Center, 637 Washington Street, Dorchester; discussion will follow tour at same location.

All of the information shared during the tour will be compiled into a report by the committee staff. For more information about the tour or the report, please contact Stephanie Keller, Research Director for Representative Linda Dorcena Forry at Stephanie.keller@mahouse.gov or 617-722-2080.

Best Practices for Hiring General Contractors 

Date:  November 2-3, 2011
Time: 9:00am - 4:00pm
Location:  Third Sector New England Nonprofit Center (89 South Street, Boston, MA 02111)
Instructor: Jennifer Pinck (Pinck and Co., Inc., a provider of Design and Construction Management Services)

Registration Deadline: October 26, 2011

This training will provide participating community development practitioners with strategies, techniques and resources to engage a General Contractor and to achieve economic development and hiring goals, comply with state and federal and funder regulations, and create the contractual language to manage the risks and challenges inherent in real estate projects.

Topics include:

• Construction Contracts Overview 
• Creating Complete Contractor Documents and Incorporating Stakeholder Requirements 
• How to Select and Hire a Contractor 
• Accomplishing Economic and Other Objectives 

To register please click here.

New Markets Tax Credits

Date: November 9-10, 2011  

Time: 9:30am-4:30pm
Location: Worcester Neighborworks Homeownership Center (647 Main Street, Worcester, MA 01610)

Instructor: Michelle Mooney (National Development Council)

This intensive two-day course takes you from the basics - what NMTCs are and how they are allocated - to important legal and regulatory parameters and the financing models that work best and maximize NMTC benefits. Case studies and hands-on work will take you step-by-step through actual NMTC projects, including commercial real estate, mixed-use development, community facilities for non-profits, business financing, and projects that include historic rehabilitation tax credits.

NDC is a recipient of several large NMTC allocations and has developed successful models for applying them to a full range of community development projects.  Participate in this course and begin applying this federal tool to your most pressing economic development needs.  Specific topics include:

• Outline of the NMTC program
• How funds flow through an NMTC deal
• Determining the amount of tax credits available to investors
• Calculating the Qualified Equity Investment
• Structuring a Qualified Low-Income Community Investment
• Compliance and recapture issues

To register please click here.

For more information, please contact: susanne.m.cameron@citi.com

Economic Development Credit Analysis 

Date: December 5-7, 2011
Location: Third Sector New England Nonprofit Center (89 South Street, Boston, MA 021111)

Instructor: Robert Sweet (National Development Council)

A three-day course sponsored by the National Development Council that provides important analytical and financing skills needed by non-profit development practitioners who are assisting local small businesses and creating jobs for neighborhood residents.  Specific topics include:

• Goals of community economic development
• Public and private sector tools and incentives
• Underwriting practices of private sector lenders
• Plugging the gaps with economic development financing incentives
• Business credit analysis
• Economic development finance programs
• Structuring incentive financing

To register please click here.

For more information, please contact: susanne.m.cameron@citi.com

Registration Information:
MACDC Member Organizations: $50/day
Non-MACDC Member Organizations: $100/day

October 13 - Greater Gardner CDC Annual Meeting 7:15am-9:00

October 13 - NHS of South Shore 30th Anniversary 6:00pm

October 23 - Valley CDC Ride the Path Pedal Poker Run 12:00n-4:00pm

October 25 - CHAPA's 43^rd Annual Dinner 5:30pm-8:30

October 27 - Community Development Partnership Annual Meeting 5:30pm-7:30

October 27 - Nuestra CDC 30^th Anniversary Celebration 6:00pm-10:00

October 27 - Coalition for a Better Acre 29^th Annual Meeting 6:00pm-8:30

October 29 - Twin Cities CDC 2011 Annual Meeting 3:00pm-4:00

MACDC members, please tell us about your events by sending an email to Rosa at rosan@macdc.org.