Each year, CEDAC is lucky to work with organizations across Massachusetts that strive to strengthen their communities through access to affordable housing and high-quality child care. These projects require significant planning, a strong team, financial resources, and – at times – patience. Though the projects highlighted on this page are at varying stages of development, each will have an important impact on their communities and the individuals they serve. We’re proud to be a partner.
CBH = Community Based Housing
EEOST = Early Education and Out of School Time Capital Fund
FCF = Facilities Consolidation Fund
HIF = Housing Innovations Fund
HPSTF = Housing Preservation and Stabilization Trust Fund
CIF
Ellis Memorial & Eldredge House, Inc.
Founded in 1885 as one of Boston's earliest settlement houses, Ellis Memorial and Eldredge House required expanded space for its infant and toddler programs and a significant overhaul to its 19th century building, a former church, occupied by their childcare programs since 1924. With an $800,000 grant from the Early Education and Out of School Time Capital Fund program (EEOST), Ellis completed a full renovation, adding four new classrooms serving an additional 32 infants and toddlers, and upgrading space for 60 children in its out-of-school time program. Completed in June 2017, 66 Berkeley Street’s crowning glory is a massive multi-purpose room on the top floor that allows children to run, play, and dance under the building’s restored rose window.
Housing
Jamaica Plain Neighborhood Development Corporation (JPNDC)
Jamaica Plain Neighborhood Development Corporation (JPNDC) has spent more than a decade in collaboration with community residents and its development partners, Urban Edge and The Community Builders, planning the redevelopment of the long-vacant land at Jackson Square. Most recently, JPNDC completed 75 Amory Avenue Apartments, located on the southernmost edge of the Jackson Square site. The newly constructed four-story building, which celebrated its grand opening in May 2017, created 39 apartments for low-income families; nearly three quarters of the units offer two or three bedrooms. The project includes four units for formerly homeless households and four units with enhanced accessibility features for households with disabilities. Located less than a quarter of a mile from the Jackson Square MBTA station, the project offers easy access to public transportation, shopping, and services.
CIF
Aspire Developmental Services, Inc.
Ribbon Cutting Ceremony, October 25, 2017
Aspire Developmental Services, Inc. (Aspire), formerly the Cerebral Palsy Association of Eastern Massachusetts, was established in 1951 and provides early intervention and center-based early childhood services to over 1,500 families on the North Shore. In 2015, Aspire purchased a former school on Franklin Street in Lynn that allowed the organization to relocate its existing childcare program and expand to serve an additional 20 toddlers and preschoolers. With a $1,000,000 grant from the Early Education and Out of School Time (EEOST) Capital Fund program, Aspire renovated the building to create a high-quality learning environment, including on-site early intervention and physical therapy space for children who are at risk for or who already present with developmental delays. The facility was completed in October 2017.
Housing
House of Hope, Inc.
Irisaury Encarnacian, Resident
House of Hope, Inc. (HOH), a non-profit organization that provides temporary shelter, employment training, and housing services to homeless families in Lowell, purchased and renovated a former assisted living facility on Fletcher Street to create an emergency shelter for homeless families. Having celebrated its grand opening in July 2017, Fletcher Street offers temporary housing for 31 homeless families and provides them with supportive services. In addition, HOH has expanded its workforce development program to include culinary training in the Fletcher Street commercial kitchen. With the completion of Fletcher Street, HOH now operates four shelter locations, four permanent housing sites, and a non-profit resale store.
CIF
Guild of St. Agnes
In 2016, the Guild of St. Agnes, one of the largest early education providers in Massachusetts, was awarded $700,000 through the Early Education and Out of School Time (EEOST) Capital Fund grant program. For four years, the Guild leased and operated a site on Bigelow Street in Webster owned by MAPFRE Insurance Company. The EEOST funds enabled the Guild to acquire the site and preserve long term use of the facility serving low-income families. The 13-classroom facility, designed and constructed in 1998 as a high-quality childcare center, is located on a wooded lot with a 11,000 square feet of outdoor play space designed to accommodate the needs of the infants, toddlers and preschoolers in the Guild’s program.
Housing
Planning Office for Urban Affairs, Inc. (POUA)
Harbor Place is a new project with multiple phases including a 50-unit affordable rental property, 30 market-rate apartments, and a six-story commercial/office building adjacent to the Merrimack River in downtown Haverhill. Located in the heart of Haverhill's busy downtown and a short walk from the MBTA commuter rail station, the project will revitalize a long-vacant stretch of Merrimack Street with residential and commercial activity along the riverfront, as well as a MassWorks-funded boardwalk to provide public access to the river. The project includes four units with enhanced accessibility features for households with disabilities. Developed by the Planning Office for Urban Affairs and the Greater Haverhill Foundation, the property opened its doors earlier this year.
Housing
Harborlight Community Partners
Daisy Bradstreet and Richard Hegarty, Residents
Harborlight House has been providing affordable housing at this site for almost 50 years. Located just two blocks from Beverly City Hall, it has long served as a congregate home for seniors. In 2014, having reached Year 15 of its tax credit compliance period, Harborlight Community Partners (HCP) sought to reposition the project for increased marketability and financial stability. The completion of the renovation, which included enlarging rooms and repairing building systems, was celebrated in December 2016. HCP also transitioned the project programmatically from licensed assisted living to permanent supportive housing for the elderly. Harborlight House provides an array of on-site services to residents, including personal care, housekeeping, recreational activities, transportation, laundry, case management, and meals.
Housing
Peabody Veterans Supportive Housing (Peabody Properties, Inc.)
Left to right: Steven Cherone, Richard Couture, and Michael Alden
In December 2016, federal, state, and local officials celebrated the grand opening of Howard House. The historic building on the VA medical center campus in Brockton was redeveloped to create permanent supportive housing for formerly homeless veterans. Once known as the Howard Home for Aged Men, the property was originally built in 1924 and has since served various purposes in the community. The newly refurbished 14-unit residence is a great example of public-private partnerships for community development. Developed by Peabody Properties, its non-profit affiliate, Affordable Housing and Services Collaborative, Inc. and Windover Development, Howard House also provides vocational training to help residents live independently.
Housing
Way Finders, Inc.
PFRA+LDa
Way Finders, Inc., formerly known as HAPHousing, acquired and demolished the former Northampton Lodging single-room occupancy residence to make way for a new mixed-income, mixed-use development. The new development, known as Live 155, is part of the revitalization of Pleasant Street, the gateway to downtown Northampton, and is scheduled to be completed in the summer of 2018. Once completed, Live 155 will provide approximately 2,600 square feet of commercial space and 70 rental apartments, 47 of which are permanent supportive housing units. The residence is located close to public transit and bicycle path. Both the Commonwealth and the City have been strong supporters of this redevelopment project.
Housing
Father Bill’s & Mainspring
Elton + Hampton Architects
Montello Welcome Home II, a 23-unit permanent supportive housing project is being developed by Father Bill’s & Mainspring (FBMS) on North Main Street in Brockton on a site that was vacant for over ten years. The site, formerly occupied by Catholic Charities South, and Phaneuf Hospital before that, will soon become new housing for formerly homeless individuals. This project is creating 23 studio homes, 12 of which will be reserved for formerly homeless veterans, just across the street from Jack’s Place and Patti’s House, two existing supportive residences owned by FBMS. Residents of Montello Welcome Home II will receive a range of supportive services to help them stabilize in the housing and move forward with their lives.
Housing
Victory Programs, Inc.
In October 2014, when the lone bridge to Boston Harbor’s Long Island was deemed unsafe, the residents of Joelyn’s Family Home, a residential recovery center on the island run by Victory Programs, Inc. (VPI), were evacuated. Victory Programs, a Boston-based non-profit providing access to safe, stable housing and supportive services for those facing homelessness and health issues, worked quickly to identify new sites for those who were displaced. In July 2015, VPI acquired a Victorian home in Roxbury to replace the last remaining beds lost from the Long Island center. New Joelyn’s Home celebrated its grand opening in May 2017, complete with staff offices and meeting space in the basement.
Housing
Mission Hill Neighborhood Housing Services
Goody Clancy and Mission Hill NHS, Inc.
Initially known as Parcel 25 Phase 1A, One Gurney Street is a mixed-use, transit-oriented project being developed by Mission Hill Neighborhood Housing Services (MHNHS). The project, which celebrated its groundbreaking in November 2016, marks the redevelopment of a formerly vacant MBTA parcel on the corner of Gurney and Tremont Streets, at the nexus of the Roxbury Crossing and Mission Hill neighborhoods. As the first of three phases of development envisioned for the site, Phase 1A will create 40 units of affordable housing – including five for formerly homeless families and three for individuals with disabilities. The development will also include neighborhood-serving ground-floor retail and serve as the new headquarters for Metro Housing Boston (formerly Metropolitan Boston Housing Partnership).
CIF
Rainbow Child Development Center
Rainbow Child Development Center’s preschool and out of school time programs serve more than 100 children living in poverty within the heart of downtown Worcester. Rainbow’s facility had the benefit of a recent interior upgrade, but the outdoor play area’s barren asphalt and two splintering wooden play structures, and a failing retaining wall supporting the entire rear of the property, required significant capital investment. With an award of EEOST, Rainbow overhauled its outdoor play space to include two large playgrounds, sensory play stations, a rock tunnel, musical instruments, a basketball court, a trike loop, a log hut, and raised garden beds filled with edible classroom experiments, as well as a new retaining wall, and celebrated its grand opening in September 2017.
Housing
Neighborhood of Affordable Housing, Inc. (NOAH)
Developed through a partnership between Neighborhood of Affordable Housing, Inc. (NOAH) and The Neighborhood Corporation, Shoe Shop Place is an adaptive re-use project in downtown Middleborough that converted a historic mill building into affordable rental housing. Formerly the Leonard, Shaw and Dean Shoe Factory, the new residence was developed with strong community support. Just blocks from downtown Middleborough, the property was an eyesore. With 25 affordable homes, Shoe Shop Place provides a much needed affordable housing option for families in the community – including five units reserved for extremely low-income households.
Housing
Virginia Blanchard Memorial Housing Association, Inc.
With CEDAC predevelopment financing and technical assistance, Virginia Blanchard Memorial Housing Association, Inc. (VBMH) and Jon Juhl of JNJUHL and Associates will develop a vacant, historic school building located in Uxbridge into 25 units of affordable family rental housing. Since designation by the Town of Uxbridge in 2012, VBMH has worked to plan the renovation of this historic school plus a modest addition. Five of the 25 units will be reserved for households with incomes below 30% of area median, and two units will include enhanced accessibility for households with persons with disabilities. The project started construction in fall 2017.
Housing
Valley Community Development Corporation
Valley Community Development Corporation (Valley CDC) is developing The Lumber Yard, a new affordable residence, on land formerly occupied by a Northampton lumberyard. Located on Pleasant Street, the new rental housing will create 55 affordable units for individuals and families, including 13 for extremely low-income households. Three of the units will be fully accessible. A great example of smart growth, the mixed-use development will include commercial space on the ground floor, and is located close to public transit and the bicycle path. The Lumber Yard, along with Live 155, are two non-profit sponsored development projects on Pleasant Street that are transforming the gateway to downtown Northampton.
HMLP
Pioneer Valley Planning Commission
Ruth and Leonard Perrault learned about the Home Modification Loan Program (HMLP) from the staff at the rehabilitation facility where Ruth was recovering from a recent amputation surgery. Ruth was concerned about the potential challenges she might face while using a wheelchair when she returned home. After reviewing the information provided by the staff, they chose to pursue an HMLP loan with one of our regional non-profit providers, the Pioneer Valley Planning Commission, to help eliminate some of the anticipated challenges. The loan allowed them to completely remodel the existing bathroom and entrance to their home so it is wheelchair accessible. The Perraults describe the impact of these modifications as allowing Ruth to “feel less dependent on others” and has “significantly improved her spirits and outlook on life since the operation”.
Housing
Southwest Boston Community Development Corporation
DMS Design LLC
Southwest Boston CDC (SWBCDC), a newer CDC formed in 2001 with efforts focused in Hyde Park and Roslindale, has partnered with Traggorth Companies to develop Residences at Fairmount Station, a transit-oriented affordable housing project. The project, which began construction in July 2017, will create 27 affordable rental homes on five formerly vacant commercial properties adjacent to the MBTA’s Fairmount Avenue transit station. The development includes a community room, outdoor recreational space, and infrastructure improvements to sidewalks, crosswalks, and street lighting to enhance access to the train station. CEDAC has worked with SWBCDC since 2012 on this project, which serves as a great example of CEDAC’s technical assistance as an important resource for non-profit developers.
Housing
Planning Office for Urban Affairs & St. Francis House
Located between the Boston Common and Chinatown, The Union at 48 Boylston formerly served as the home of the Boston Young Men’s Christian Union (BYMCU), a non-profit charitable organization, for over 150 years. In 2012, through a joint venture partnership between St. Francis House and the Planning Office for Urban Affairs (POUA), plans to repurpose the historic building into permanent supportive housing began. St. Francis House, a comprehensive day shelter, has provided wrap-around services to homeless individuals directly across the street from the BYMCU building for over 30 years. The redevelopment of The Union will provide 46 affordable apartments, 26 of which will be reserved for extremely low-income individuals. St. Francis House will provide educational and rehabilitative services to residents and create workforce training and employment opportunities for residents with a street-level business venture. A proposed second phase at 48 Boylston Street would see the construction of a mixed-income housing development adjacent to The Union.
Housing
Vietnamese American Initiative for Development (Viet AID)
In summer 2017 Vietnamese American Initiative for Development (Viet AID) completed Upper Washington Apartments, 35 units of affordable rental housing with over 3,000 square feet of commercial space, located at the busy intersection of Washington and Bowdoin Streets in Dorchester’s Four Corners neighborhood. The project replaces an auto body shop and nine parcels of vacant land, transforming this neighborhood. The project’s 35 units include 14 set aside for formerly homeless families, with access to supportive services including out of school time care at Viet AID’s community center in nearby Fields Corner. Commercial tenants include Four Corners Main Streets and Four Corners Yoga and Wellness.
Housing
Urban Edge Housing Corporation
PCA, Inc.
In the rapidly gentrifying Egleston neighborhood of Roxbury, Urban Edge will create 49 affordable rental apartments in two new buildings on Walnut Park. Located a block from Egleston Square, the buildings will consist of predominantly family-sized affordable rental apartments. Urban Edge plans to include three units for persons with disabilities, and five units for formerly homeless families who will receive transitional supportive services. Named for renowned community activist Delphine Walker, the units will help to revitalize a block with several vacant and abandoned properties.
Housing
NeighborWorks Southern Massachusetts
Bringing the number of veterans’ housing projects that NeighborWorks Southern Massachusetts has developed up to seven, Weymouth Veterans Home was completed and occupied in June 2017. After demolishing an existing three-bedroom home, NeighborWorks constructed a single room occupancy (SRO) residence on Main Street in Weymouth. The new residence, a two-story complex, is now home to six low-income or formerly homeless veterans. While each room has its own kitchenette, the veterans share a full kitchen, laundry room, bathrooms, and an office that functions as an educational space. Supportive services are provided by Father Bill’s & MainSpring.
Housing
Codman Square Neighborhood Development Corporation
Tiffany Cogell and children, Residents
This important affordable housing development celebrated its grand opening with a ribbon cutting in May 2017. Developed on four properties in the heart of Codman Square by Codman Square Neighborhood Development Corporation (NDC), Whittier Lyndhurst Washington Homes created 44 units of affordable rental homes; five for formerly homeless families. In addition to the residential component of the project, the new development includes 1,000 square feet of commercial space, a community room, and open space. The NDC worked closely with the Codman Square community and the City of Boston to make the project a success.
Next: Financials
