2022
In 2022 CEDAC continued to play a crucial role in the development of affordable housing with nonprofit partners across the Commonwealth through early-stage project financing and technical assistance. As state and municipal leaders reinforced their commitments to addressing a housing shortage that is a dire threat to at-risk populations, CEDAC helped implement innovative solutions aimed at alleviating the ongoing housing shortage and creating a greater range of options for struggling families and individuals alike.
Through our affiliate, Children’s Investment Fund, our efforts also extended to the expansion and improvement of early education facilities. CEDAC’s statewide activities made a difference in urban, suburban and rural communities. We hope you enjoy learning more about the projects highlighted here, as they demonstrate CEDAC’s firm commitment to build stronger communities in Massachusetts.
CEDAC provided the Jamaica Plain Neighborhood Development Corporation (JPNDC) with a $750,000 predevelopment line of credit to develop a new 44-unit, 4 story transit oriented affordable rental project at the corner of Centre and Amory Streets. It is located across from the Jackson Square MBTA station in Jamaica Plain. This project is part of the final phase of Jackson Square, the multi-decade community driven master planning and redevelopment process led by the Jackson Square Partners (JSP), composed of JPNDC, Urban Edge, the Hyde Square Task Force, and The Community Builders (formerly Mitchell Properties). The project is a perfect example of the long-term vision CEDAC and its CDC partners bring to these projects, aiming to achieve lasting positive change for residents in urban neighborhoods that undergo a cycle of abandonment and disinvestment followed by gentrification and displacement pressure.
The Vietnamese American Initiative for Development, Inc. (Viet AID) has completed the development of 41 units of affordable multifamily rental housing and 6,700 square feet of ground floor retail space on two vacant parcels of land in the Bowdoin-Geneva neighborhood of Dorchester. 191-195 Bowdoin is Viet AlD's third family housing project, replicating an affordability model to set aside 25% of its units for extremely low-income families, with additional rental-assisted units for households up to 50% AMI. CEDAC committed critical acquisition and predevelopment financing to Viet AID, including capital provided by the philanthropic Home Funders initiative. CEDAC is proud of its deep involvement in this project from start to finish and its successful completion provides not only affordable homes but a new food cooperative to this neighborhood.
With CEDAC acquisition and predevelopment funding, the Greater Lawrence Community Action Council (GLCAC) purchased a vacant building and adjacent lot in downtown Lawrence to create 39 units of affordable housing with first-floor commercial space. The project was unusually challenging as it involved both the adaptive reuse of a historic commercial building and attached new construction with a unified design. The new housing consists of 14 one-bedroom, 20 2-bedroom, and 5 3-bedroom units with 12 units for extremely low-income households and 27 units for households with 60% AMI or below. The 370 Essex Street project succeeds in renovating a prominent downtown building in a Gateway city and re-energizing a central section of the Lawrence commercial district, while creating much needed affordable housing.
Harborlight Community Partners, Inc. (HCP) used CEDAC acquisition and predevelopment financing to purchase a five-acre site at the corner of Sohier and Tozer Roads in Beverly for the new construction of 77 affordable family rental units in two phases, consisting of two- and three-bedroom units. Each phase will consist of a three-story wood frame building with a community space, laundry and elevator connected by a pedestrian bridge. Completed in 2022, Anchor Point Phase 1 offers 38 units affordable to low-income households at or below 60% of AMI. Ten units will be reserved for households at or below 30% AMI, including eight of which will house formerly homeless families. HCP is deeply committed to providing services to the residents and will have a full time Resident Services Coordinator (RSC) in each phase. In 2017, Beverly entered into an agreement with Salem, Peabody, and Danvers, to increase housing opportunities for lower income families and individuals at risk of homelessness. The 16 homeless set-aside units in the two-phase Anchor Point project will help Beverly fulfill its family unit pledge.
In 2019, the East Boston Social Center’s (EBSC) infant and toddler program in Chelsea was in limbo after the City of Chelsea announced plans to demolish the public housing complex wherein it was located. EBSC worked closely with the East Boston CDC and the Children’s Investment Fund to leverage a $1,000,000 FY20 EEOST grant to redevelop first-floor space within the Barnes School Senior Housing development in East Boston to create a beautiful new space for EBSC’s relocated and expanded infant and toddler program. EBSC navigated construction challenges during the first year of the pandemic with special care to protect the vulnerable populations within the building. The new program serves 7 infants and 26 toddlers displaced from their Chelsea site and adds capacity for 8 additional infants and toddlers. Architects STA Design retained the original terracotta vaulted ceilings within the historic building but added custom wave-shaped acoustic panels to buffer sound, provide diffused light, and adapt the space to the needs of young children and educators. The result is a bright, nurturing space offering an expanded program for a neighborhood with a significant need for additional early education and care.
The Berkshire Housing Development Corporation (BHDC) created 46 units of affordable housing on a property acquired from the town of Williamstown. 34 of the units are affordable to households at or below 60% of AMI, and another 12 units are reserved for households at or below 30% of AMI. 3 units are fully accessible, and all units are visitable. Leveraging a predevelopment loan from CEDAC totaling $400,000, the project restored an underutilized and blighted riverside site that has been a detriment to the town. The federal government (EPA), state, and town invested a significant amount of funds over the years to abate and remediate the building and soil, which contained hazardous materials. There is a very strong need for affordable housing in Williamstown, one of the wealthiest communities in Western Massachusetts with insufficient housing opportunities for its lower income residents.
For over a century, the Hattie B. Cooper Community Center has served children and families in Boston and recently became a Boston Public Schools Universal Pre-Kindergarten site. The Center undertook several renovations over the past few years, which were phased as funding became available. An FY21 EEOST Capital Fund grant of $250,000 funded the expansion of the front vestibule of the building. The construction work also involved the critical repair of a distressed structural beam. The new, spacious vestibule facilitated safe social distancing of families at drop off and pick up to align with the emerging COVID-19 guidelines at the time. Children now have a welcoming entrance where they can transition from their families, greet the educators, and wash their hands before entering their classrooms.
With a predevelopment loan from CEDAC, the Planning Office for Urban Affairs and its community-based joint venture partner, Caribbean Integration Community Development (CICD), have constructed 76 units of mixed income family rental housing on city-owned land abutting the new Blue Hill Avenue MBTA commuter rail station on the Fairmont Indigo line. In 2015, the City of Boston's Department of Neighborhood Development designated this innovative joint venture as developer of the vacant former car dealership called Cote Ford. The affordability mix includes 12 units at or below 30% AMI, 2 units at or below 50% AMI, 42 units at or below 60% AMI and 20 workforce units at or below 100% AMI. In addition to rental housing, the development includes 1,200 square feet of commercial space with an office for CICD and substantial common space, including a fitness room and community room.
In 2018, Home City Development (HCD) purchased the vacant Elias Brookings School from the City of Springfield using acquisition and predevelopment financing from CEDAC. The historic building is located near the border of the Old Hill and Six Corners neighborhoods, an area that was seriously impacted by the 2011 tornado. HCD has redeveloped the structure into 42 multifamily apartments with a mix of 1-, 2-, and 3-bedroom configurations. Of those units, 14 will be targeted to extremely low-income households, and 21 for residents with incomes up to 60% of AMI. There will also be 7 units of workforce housing at 80% of AMI. Construction was completed in August 2022. Home City Development’s resident engagement staff has developed a service plan particularly targeted to the 14 extremely low-income households on the property. Services will be provided through the property management company, and will include tenancy preservation, financial counseling, support for mental and physical health, substance abuse services, and hoarding prevention.
Leveraging an acquisition loan from CEDAC to purchase the site, Metro West Collaborative Development (MWCD) completed the construction of 48 units of affordable multifamily rental housing in Medway, a suburban community with a well-regarded school system. This project, located on West Street, comprises Phase I of a two-phased development, with an additional 44 units for seniors adjacent to the family site. The Town of Medway demonstrated its strong commitment to affordable housing throughout this development process, both through a smooth zoning process and significant financial support using the Community Preservation Act. MWCD created a service-enriched family development in the first phase of the project, with an emphasis on ELI housing and resident services. All units are available for households at 60% AMI and below, and 12 of the 48 units are set aside for households at 30% AMI.
The historic 1920s former elementary school building that houses the Monument Square Early Childhood and School Age Center in North Adams featured oversized windows, historic woodwork, and an obsolete heating, ventilation, and air conditioning system (HVAC). A $1,000,000 EEOST Capital Fund grant in 2017 supported the construction of an elevator, building envelope upgrades and repairs, replacement of the HVAC system, and improvements to life safety systems. The renovation allows CCB to relocate and expand its school-age classrooms to enroll more children. Anne Nemetz-Carlson, CCB’s President and CEO of over 30 years, set the vision for the renovations and persisted through phased construction and ongoing fundraising to achieve her dream of these renovations. She took advantage of the opportunity for a second EEOST grant when the Children’s Investment Fund and the Department of Early Education and Care modified the EEOST Capital Fund during the pandemic. CCB was awarded a $207,000 grant in 2021 to address additional mechanical and safety system needs that arose from the initial project. The center is now fully accessible and benefits from new windows, flooring, and ventilation measures that will ensure another fifty years of operations in this facility.
Leveraging acquisition and predevelopment loans from CEDAC, The Community Builders, Inc. (TCB) purchased a site in Northampton to build 53 multifamily rental units in a building defining the northern edge of the Village Hill campus. The project is part of a 126-acre public/private redevelopment of a former state hospital site in Northampton de-commissioned in the 1990's as part of the Commonwealth's Surplus Property Program. Over the past 20 years, the Village Hill campus has been transformed into a community of predominantly market rate single-family and condominium homes. North Commons features 12 units that are affordable to households at or below 30% of AMI, including 8 FCF and 4 CBH units, 27 units at or below 60% AMI, with another 14 workforce units reserved for households up to 120% AMI. The large number of FCF units created in this project represents the state’s continued commitment to serving the residential needs of persons with disabilities on this campus.
Leveraging a total of $875,000 from CEDAC for technical services in connection with the development of Sanderson Place, Rural Development Inc. created 33 units of affordable senior housing on a property acquired from the town of Sunderland. The development includes the renovation of an existing single-family house into 3 units and the creation of 30 units in a new building. All of the units are affordable to households at or below 60% of AMI, with 12 units reserved for households at or below 30% of AMI. 3 units are fully accessible, and all of the units are visitable. There are 41 off-street parking spaces. The site is conveniently located and within walking distance of Town Hall, the public library, Riverside Park, small grocery stores, bus service, and several restaurants. RDI partnered with Valley CDC who served as the development consultant.
In July of 2019, using $750,000 of CEDAC acquisition financing, CHOICE purchased The Richardson, a fully occupied 16-unit senior affordable housing project in Chelmsford. CHOICE completed renovations to the building, which included new kitchens and baths in all of the units and updates to the HVAC system, elevator, life safety systems and accessibility. In addition, CHOICE deepened the project’s affordability, designating 8 units to be affordable for very low-income households at or below 50% of area median income and another 8 units reserved for households at or below 30% of area median income. CHOICE provides supportive services to the tenants of The Richardson. CEDAC also provided CHOICE a $250,000 predevelopment loan to cover technical services for the preservation and stabilization of the property.
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John is the primary caregiver for his wife Rebecca, who has advanced dementia and, as a result, has significant mobility impairments. She requires the use of a wheelchair and needs assistance with all daily living activities. The couple live in Shrewsbury, and John worked with the HMLP provider agency, RCAP Solutions, to secure a $32,305 HMLP loan to fund a curb-free shower in the existing half-bath on the first floor, so that Rebecca can comfortably live on the first floor of their 2-story home. With these modifications, John is better able to care for his wife, reducing some of the challenges of caregiving and ensuring Rebecca has a higher quality of life.
The Old Colony YMCA’s Brockton site serves over 150 youth in after-school programming. The site received a $1,000,000 EEOST grant in 2020 to renovate its lower level substantially, creating 3 new classrooms, upgraded and accessible bathrooms, and a massive indoor physical activity space for the children served in the program. This facility lacks an outdoor play area, so the new indoor climbing structure provides a welcome opportunity for new activities within a formerly underutilized space. A second EEOST grant of $247,000 in 2021 allowed the organization to upgrade its heating, ventilation, and air conditioning system, allowing for fresh air intake and improved filtration, and renovate additional bathrooms. The YMCA celebrated both projects in 2022 with a dedication and naming of the building in honor of longtime CEO Vincent Marturano and his wife, Nancy.
