April 12, 2012
Quincy dedicates Wahlberg Learning Center
By Lauren DiTullio
QUINCY — In a Wednesday morning ceremony that turned into a standing-room-only affair, the Rosemary & Archie Wahlberg Early Learning Center was dedicated to its namesake couple.
Quincy Community Action Programs purchased the building at 22 Pray St., formerly the St. Joseph’s School, from the Archdiocese of Boston in 2010. After a $7.5 million renovation – paid for with federal funding, grants from Head Start, State Street Corp. and the City of Quincy, and low-interest financing from Rockland Trust – the school opened in December.
Having the new facility enabled QCAP to stop leasing classroom space in Braintree and Germantown.
Children of low-income families in Quincy and other communities are fed at the center from a state-of-the-art kitchen and have the opportunity to learn in colorful room.
“We’ve been waiting for a moment to really be able to acknowledge Rosemary and Archie properly,” said Beth Ann Strollo, QCAP executive director.
Archie Wahlberg was a founding member of the QCAP board, and his wife went on to serve as executive director for 25 years.
“They did work that was hard. They were courageous in their work,” Strollo said.
The ceremony also included the naming of a large meeting space in the school. The space is now called the Delahunt Room, in recognition of former U.S. Rep. William D. Delahunt, who helped QCAP secure federal funding for the project.
“This building is a physical reflection of the character of this city,” Delahunt said.
Also among the attendees were Mayor Thomas Koch, city council President Michael MacFarland, state Reps. Bruce Ayers and Tackey Chan, and state Sen. John Keenan.
A plaque honoring the Wahlbergs will hang in the early learning center’s lobby.
The couple took the podium to a standing ovation, after which Rosemary Wahlberg spoke briefly about her life and service in Quincy since 1957.
“You can really make a difference here,” she said.
READ MORE about this issue.
Author: Dilia Ramirez
CEDAC NOT MENTIONED:
Sunday, April 8, 2012
MetroWest towns focusing on family-friendly affordable homes
By Chris Bergeron/Daily News staff
For third-grader Aidan Bolger, the best things about his new house at Mayhew Court in Hopkinton are having a front lawn where he can play tetherball and his own bedroom.
After losing her house during a divorce, his mother, Jacinta Bolger, considers the three-bedroom apartment “perfect for the three of us,’’ — Aidan, her 10-year-old daughter Jade and herself.
A longtime Hopkinton resident, she was among the first occupants of 12 new two- and three-bedroom units in six duplexes developed by the Hopkinton Housing Authority to provide affordable rental homes for families.
“We’ve been in town for nine years and I really wanted to raise my kids in a nice community with great schools,’’ Bolger said. “We needed a break and this was it.’’
Across the region, housing authorities have been working with developers and funding agencies to build more multi-bedroom units for families who find themselves squeezed out of a pricey and competitive housing market.
In Holliston, the Housing Authority developed on its own land 30 affordable rental units named Cutler Heights that comprise 23 two-bedroom and six three-bedroom units. In Sudbury, the Housing Authority has razed four old houses and is building five duplexes with 11 multi-bedroom units on five sites throughout town.
But building affordable housing suited for families that compliments a community’s character is generally a complex process involving town boards, federal housing authorities, and, often, the Massachusetts Housing Partnership, a nonprofit that works with the state’s Department of Housing and Community Development to help promote affordable housing.
Hopkinton Housing Authority Director Linda Donahue said, “There’s always a need for family housing.’’
After making the new units available in February, she filled all 12, including a single-story unit modified for a handicapped occupant, by the month’s end. Under the development agreement, half the new units went to people who live or work in Hopkinton.
Noting the “secluded nature’’ of the site beside the HHA’s senior housing complex, Donahue said there had been no significant opposition to building Mayhew Court.
“One of the obvious benefits is (occupants) are able to stay in town,’’ she said. “Sometimes people need a start.’’
David Harrison, who directs the South Middlesex Opportunity Council’s energy and financial assistance division, said building multi-bedroom units to accommodate families is “more than a trend.’’
He estimated as much as 20 percent of the 100,000 people across the state who have applied for housing assistance would require two-, three- or four-bedroom units.
“It’s more than just a trend. It’s a real policy and a new avenue for the commonwealth to create affordable housing,’’ said Harrison. “There’s a huge and legitimate need. Families have got to live somewhere.’’
Clarke L. Ziegler, executive director of the Massachusetts Housing Partnership, said, “There’s simply not enough building going on’’ to provide affordable housing for state residents at a time the market is being choked by a stagnant economy.
He said data shows 200,000 households across the state spend “more than half their income’’ on housing, which is considerably more than required in most federal housing programs.
Over the last 30 years for reasons that might be peculiar to Massachusetts, Zieglar said home prices in Massachusetts “have gone up more than in any other state.’’
He attributes the combination of housing shortages and cost increases to laws allowing every community “to make its own land use decisions.’’
“There’s a general perception at the local level that anything folks can do to stop development is a good thing,’’ said Zieglar.
Zieglar hopes to convince communities that working together to build more affordable housing can stimulate a more competitive economy that will benefit not just occupants but the towns and cities where they work.
A key element in that initiative would be to “produce housing where there’s job growth.’’ But Zieglar acknowledged many communities — prosperous or otherwise — still resist developing affordable housing from concerns that new occupants will drain town services, particularly the schools, and introduce crime or increased dependency.
At the Sudbury Housing Authority, Executive Director Jo-Ann Howe said the “public response (to the new units) has been mostly positive.’’ Yet she had recently taken a call from a man who was concerned that affordable housing for families was being built near his property.
A Sudbury resident who has been on the Housing Authority for 29 years, Howe said so many people have applied for housing in town the waiting list has been closed for three years.
She acknowledged that people in multi-bedroom units have more children who attend local schools. And she observed many people recently applying for larger units are divorced single mothers raising families.
“It’s good for a community to have a diverse population. The people applying for these units are no threats. It’s a misconception people living in affordable housing are ‘different.’ They’re people. They look the same. They just want to raise their families in a nice place.’’
The first person to move into a three-bedroom apartment at Mayhew Court, Hope Sheehan is happy to have found a place to raise her two children after her divorce in the town where she grew up.
She volunteers as manager of her son’s football team and belongs to the “Mom’s Club’’ at her daughter’s school. She can walk with her children downtown for a pizza and she’s only a short drive from her job as an administrative assistant.
Standing next to a framed picture in her living room that reads “Home, Sweet Home,’’ Sheehan said, “It’s huge to stay in town.’’
“We’re just like everyone else bringing up a family. I feel blessed to be in this house, this town,’’ she said. “The kids love it here. We’re good people. We just want to be part of the community.’’
Read more: http://www.metrowestdailynews.com/news/x140152533/MetroWest-towns-focusing-on-family-friendly-affordable-homes#ixzz1reYwvmza
Copyright © 2006-2012 GateHouse Media, Inc.
Community Care Services in Fall River
The February ribbon-cutting included, from left: Roland P. Valois, president and owner
of R.P. Valois and Company, Inc.; Stephen Peck, vice president at Bridgewater Savings
Bank; Janet Lebel, aide to Sen. John Kerry; Roger Herzog, executive director CEDAC;
Ken Willis, vice president/director of Housing and Community Development, Federal
Home Loan Bank; Fall River Mayor William Flanagan; Thomas Fisher, president/CEO,
Community Care Services; Andy Nelson, DHCD; Rob Smith, JMBA Architects; and
Robert Goldstein, executive director, Franklin Square House Foundation.
Community Care Services, Inc.
Celebrated its new subsidiary, Eagle
Community Care Estates, which was
developed in Fall River to provide affordable
housing for the region’s lowincome
and homeless residents. Eight
of the 17 units hold a preference for
military veterans. Nine other units
give preference to the city’s residents,
homeless families, households with at
least one member who will benefit
from supportive services, and households
that would benefit from handicapped-
accessible features.
Additionally, CCS, led by President/
CEO Thomas L. Fisher, was recently
awarded accreditation by the
Council on Accreditation (COA). For
Taunton-based CCS, the COA accreditation
highlights the organization’s
commitment to maintain the highest
level of standards and quality improvement
for delivering superior
quality services.
CEDAC Mod Loan Program Completes 1,500 Loans
Wednesday, March 28, 2012
CEDAC Mod Loan Program Completes 1,500 Loans
Community Economic Development Assistance Corporation (CEDAC) has approved its 1,500th no- or low-interest loans to help people remain in their homes. The program is aimed at homeowners or families with a disabled or elderly member.
CEDAC works in cooperation with the Massachusetts Rehabilitation Commission (MRC) to administer the Home Modification Loan Program to provide loans of up to $30,000 for eligible homeowners to finance such things as the addition of ramps and lifts, kitchen and bathroom modifications, and the widening of doorways and floor renovations.
“This is a tremendous milestone for this quietly successful program,” said Roger Herzog, CEDAC’s executive director, in a statement. “The Home Modification Loan Program keeps disabled or elderly family members in their own homes by helping them make the renovations necessary to meet the needs of a disabled or elderly family member. It saves the state money by not forcing these men and women to move to nursing facilities and ensures that quality housing is available.”
As of January 2012, more than 1,500 loans equaling more than $33 million have been made since 2000, with the average loan being a little more than $22,000. Almost 80 percent of those loans are no interest loans. The modifications that have been completed with these loan funds include 554 bathrooms, which have been altered to meet the needs of residents, and 575 ramps and/or lifts have been installed. Modifications have been made in 227 of the 351 communities across the commonwealth. The funding for the projects comes from the state capital bond fund allocated annually by the Massachusetts Executive Office of Administration and Finance.
CEDAC and MRC works with six regional provider agencies that provide geographic coverage across Massachusetts. The provider agencies, which include Community Teamwork, Inc., HAP, Inc., Metropolitan Boston Housing Partnership, Pioneer Valley Planning Commission, RCAP Solutions Financial Services, Inc., and South Middlesex Opportunity Council, Inc., collect applications and background information, draft loan documents and inspect the homes of potential borrowers before and after the project.
“The Home Modification Loan Program makes a tangible difference in people’s lives,” said Christopher Norris, executive director of the Metropolitan Boston Housing Partnership (MBHP). “It allows families to stay together in their own homes and preserves the dignity of people with physical and cognitive disabilities while also saving the state money that would otherwise have to be spent for long-term medical care and hospitalizations. I am very happy that MBHP has played and continues to play a part in the implementation of this very successful program.”
URL:http://www.bankerandtradesman.com/news149308.html?utm_source=EmailDirect.com&utm_medium=Email&utm_campaign=B%26T+Daily+3%2f28%2f12+Campaign
Banker & Tradesman ©2012 All Rights Reserved
57 low-income elderly housing units unveiled in Dudley Square
March 23, 2012
57 low-income elderly housing units unveiled in Dudley Square
By Matt Rocheleau, Town Correspondent
ROXBURY – A $15 million housing complex with 57 one-bedroom apartment units for low-income seniors officially opened in Roxbury’s Dudley Square this week, officials said.
Developed by local nonprofit Central Boston Elder Services and built by Suffolk Construction, project officials said the 50,500 square-foot Dudley Elderly Housing Development Dudley, drew applications from more than 450 seniors who wanted to live there.
“What a heartbreaking day it was when we held the lottery to pick our new tenants and hundreds and hundreds of seniors showed up,” the elderly services organization director Catherine Hardaway said in a statement. “It truly points to the dire situation our low-income seniors in Boston find themselves in.”
The seven-story complex built next to CBES’ headquarters at 2311 Washington St. is reserved for residents 62 and older. It was formally unveiled at a ribbon-cutting Monday afternoon attended by Mayor Thomas M. Menino and other local elected officials and community leaders, officials said.
Rents range from $254 to $1,156 a month. Each apartment at the elderly housing facility is about 540 square feet with some larger handicapped-accessible units. There are private baths, kitchen and walk-in closets, the developer said. Common areas include a library and TV room.
“It has been a long-time coming,” Hardaway’s statement said. “Finally, after years of work, the day has come to watch our new tenants move in. The best part is the look on their faces when they see their new homes. What a source of pride for all of us.”
The creation included help from architect Chia-Ming Sze and five funders: the National Equity Fund, Inc.; the state’s housing and community development department; MassHousing; Community Economic Development Assistance Corporation and the city’s neighborhood development department, officials said.
“We are thrilled to help finance such a remarkable seniors’ development supported by one of Boston’s leaders in elder services,” said a statement from Deborah Burkart, vice president of specialized housing for National Equity Fund. “It’s so rewarding to partner with an agency that shares our vision of promoting seniors’ independence and quality of life.”
E-mail Matt Rocheleau at mjrochele@gmail.com.
—
© 2012 NY Times Co.
URL: http://www.boston.com/yourtown/news/roxbury/2012/03/57_low-income_elderly_housing.html
NO-INTEREST LOANS HELPING PEOPLE STAY IN HOMES
State Capitol Briefs – March 21
By State House News Service
NO-INTEREST LOANS HELPING PEOPLE STAY IN HOMES
A community development group on Tuesday said it has surpassed 1,500 low and no-interest loans under an 11-year-old program aimed at helping seniors and disabled individuals to stay in their homes by installing lifts and ramps, widening doorways and making bathroom modifications. According to the Community Economic Development Assistance Corporation, loans worth $33 million have been made since 2000, with the average loan being a little more than $22,000. Almost 80 percent were no-interest loans, with funding to provide the Home Modification Loan Program loans coming from state government’s capital budget. Supporters of the loan program say it helps Massachusetts residents to stay out of nursing homes and remain close to family and friends. In a statement, CEDAC executive director Roger Herzog called it a “quietly successful program.”
Copyright 2012 The Hingham Journal. Some rights reserved
URL: http://www.wickedlocal.com/hingham/newsnow/x271612607/State-Capitol-Briefs-March-21?zc_p=1#axzz1pxlUixEA
Waltham Day Care Center gets a boost
March 21, 2012
Waltham Day Care Center gets a boost
By Ignacio Laguarda
WALTHAM — The Waltham Day Care Center once typified the problems plaguing most day care centers in the state, but now, it stands as an example of how to adapt.
The 39-year-old day care center recently received an $180,000 grant to renovate its space, located in the basement of the First Parish Church in Waltham on Church Street.
Most of the money came from the Children’s Investment Fund, a statewide organization that doles out money to early-childhood education and out-of-school-time centers to improve their facilities, and also provides technical assistance and training to nonprofit groups.
The fund released a study a few months ago detailing how many day care centers in the state fail to meet basic requirements, and randomly chose 182 sites to examine.
The fund found that many needed to improve in health and safety conditions for their students and teachers.
For example, the study found that fewer than 15 percent of programs serving preschool children are in spaces designed for early childhood education and less than 10 percent are adequate for school-aged children.
Further, between 12 percent and 26 percent of the sites do not meet building code requirements either for walls, floors, windows or the roof.
The most common violation was in the condition of the floors, and only one of the centers met accessibility requirements for the disabled.
The study also found that one out of every five classrooms had no exterior windows and the same percentage had insufficient ventilation.
Before the renovation, the Waltham Day Care Center suffered from many of these problems, including inadequate learning spaces, poor air quality and an inefficient floor plan.
On Friday, Feb. 24, representatives from the day care center, Children’s Investment Fund, and state Reps. Thomas Stanley and Alice Peisch, took a tour of the renovated facilities.
Peisch represents Wellesley and is the chair of the education committee in the Massachusetts House of Representatives.
Cameron Tucker, former director of the Waltham Day Care Center, led the tour.
The Waltham Day Care Center serves low and moderate-income families, and currently serves 38 children, from 1 to 5 years old, in three classrooms.
Tucker said that one of the most dramatic improvements to the center is right behind the main door. In the past, anyone who entered through the door would walk right into the preschool classroom.
“All of the children would jump up and run and greet you,” said Tucker. “That was a tough way to teach a classroom.”
To address the problem, the renovation created a hallway entrance, with an office where the preschool class used to be, and moved the preschool class to another location.
“It really did allow for a different kind of attention when you have an enclosed classroom like that,” said Tucker.
Another major improvement was installing new bathrooms, to replace the previous restroom that was completely separated from the center. The walk to the bathroom was so long, the center employed a person to escort students.
New windows were also brought in, as well as lights, and the floors were all torn up and replaced with new plumbing.
Tucker said the renovations had a major effect on the students and the teachers.
“When you allow a teacher to just teach instead of manage, they get a greater sense of professionalism and that leads to an increased sense of teamwork,” she said.
She said the majority of families who use the day care center are either from Waltham or work in the city.
“We are one of the great secrets of Waltham,” she said.
Mav Pardee, the director of the Children’s Investment Fund, said inadequate learning spaces causes a number of problems for students and teachers.
For instance, because many day care centers are in renovated spaces such as churches, acoustics can be an issue.
“If children can’t hear what the adults articulate, they’re not getting the kind of support they are at a critical period in language development,” she said.
Pardee said air quality is another major issue, and can hurt students with asthma.
Having sinks in classrooms can also prevent the spread of viruses. The center did not have sinks in the rooms before the renovation.
Pardee said there needs to be a public funding mechanism to help schools that do not have the money to make renovations through long-term, low cost loans.
“The problem is big enough, and widespread enough and important enough that I think we all in society have an investment in where these children go to school,” she said. “Part of quality improvement is making sure kids are spending their day in a space that really supports their teacher’s ability to do their job, makes them feel good about themselves and makes their parents feel very confident.”
Ignacio Laguarda can be reached at 781-398-8004 or ilaguarda@wickedlocal.com.
Copyright 2012 Wicked Local Waltham. Some rights reserved
URL: http://www.wickedlocal.com/waltham/news/x1231827238/Waltham-Day-Care-Center-gets-a-boost?zc_p=0#axzz1pxlUixEA
NO-INTEREST LOANS HELPING PEOPLE STAY IN HOMES
March 21, 2012
NO-INTEREST LOANS HELPING PEOPLE STAY IN HOMES: A community development group on Tuesday said it has surpassed 1,500 low and no-interest loans under an 11-year-old program aimed at helping seniors and disabled individuals to stay in their homes by installing lifts and ramps, widening doorways and making bathroom modifications. According to the Community Economic Development Assistance Corporation, loans worth $33 million have been made since 2000, with the average loan being a little more than $22,000. Almost 80 percent were no-interest loans, with funding to provide the Home Modification Loan Program loans coming from state government’s capital budget. Supporters of the loan program say it helps Massachusetts residents to stay out of nursing homes and remain close to family and friends. In a statement, CEDAC executive director Roger Herzog called it a “quietly successful program.” 9:15 A.M.
© Copyright 1997-2010 State House News Servic
Day care center gets a boost
Friday, March 16, 2012
Day care center gets a boost
By Ignacio Laguarda
WALTHAM – The Waltham Day Care Center once typified the problems plaguing most day care centers in the state, but now, it stands as an example of how to adapt.
The 39-year-old day care center recently received an $180,000 grant to renovate its space, located in the basement of the First Parish Church in Waltham on Church Street.
Most of the money came from the Children’s Investment Fund, a statewide organization that doles out money to early-childhood education and out-of-school-time centers to improve their facilities, and also provides technical assistance and training to nonprofit groups.
The Fund released a study a few months ago detailing how many day care centers in the state fail to meet basic requirements, and randomly chose 182 sites to examine.
The Fund found that many needed to improve in health and safety conditions for their students and teachers.
For example, the study found that fewer than 15 percent of programs serving pre-school children are in spaces designed for early childhood education and less than 10 percent are adequate for school-aged children.
Further, between 12 percent and 26 percent of the sites do not meet building code requirements either for walls, floors, windows or the roof.
The most common violation was in the condition of the floors, and only one of the centers met accessibility requirements for the disabled.
The study also found that one out of every five classrooms had no exterior windows and the same percentage had insufficient ventilation.
Before the renovation, the Waltham Day Care Center suffered from many of these problems, including inadequate learning spaces, poor air quality and an inefficient floor plan.
On Friday, Feb. 24, representatives from the day care center, Children’s Investment Fund, and state Reps. Thomas Stanley and Alice Peisch, took a tour of the renovated facilities.
Peisch represents Wellesley and is the chair of the education committee in the Massachusetts House of Representatives.
Cameron Tucker, former director of the Waltham Day Care Center, led the tour.
The Waltham Day Care Center serves low and moderate-income families, and currently serves 38 children, from 1 to 5 years old, in three classrooms.
Tucker said that one of the most dramatic improvements to the center is right behind the main door. In the past, anyone who entered through the door would walk right into the preschool classroom.
“All of the children would jump up and run and greet you,” said Tucker. “That was a tough way to teach a classroom.”
To address the problem, the renovation created a hallway entrance, with an office where the preschool class used to be, and moved the preschool class to another location.
“It really did allow for a different kind of attention when you have an enclosed class-room like that; said Tucker.
Another major improvement was installing new bathrooms, to replace the previous restroom that was completely separated from the center. The walk to the bathroom was so long, the center employed a person to escort students.
New windows were also brought in, as well as lights, and the floors were all torn up and replaced with new plumbing.
Tucker said the renovations had a major effect on the students and the teachers.
“When you allow a teacher to just teach instead of manage, they get a greater sense of professionalism and that leads to an increased sense of teamwork,” she said.
She said the majority of families who use the day care center are either from Waltham or work in the city.
“We are one of the great secrets of Waltham,” she said. Mav Pardee, the director of the Children’s Investment Fund, said inadequate learning spaces causes a number of problems for students and teachers.
For instance, because many day care centers are in renovated spaces such as churches, acoustics can be an issue.
“If children can’t hear what the adults articulate, they’re not getting the kind of support they are at a critical period in language development,” she said.
Pardee said air quality is another major issue, and can hurt students with asthma.
Having sinks in classrooms can also prevent the spread of viruses. The center did not have sinks in the rooms before the renovation.
Pardee said there needs to be a public funding mechanism to help schools that do not have the money to make renovations through long term, low cost loans.
“The problem is big enough, and widespread enough and important enough that I think we all in society have an investment in where these children go to school,” she said. “Part of quality improvement is making sure kids are spending their day in a space that really supports their teacher’s ability to do their job, makes them feel good about themselves and makes their parents feel very confident.”
Ignacio Laguarda can be reached at 781-398-8004 or ilaguarda@wickedlocal.com.
Wicked Local Waltham | 254 Second Ave., Needham, MA 02494
Copyright © 2006-2012 GateHouse Media, Inc. Some Rights Reserved
CEDAC NOT MENTIONED: Easthampton City Council fails to rescind funding for Parsons Village project
Wednesday, March 07, 2012
Easthampton City Council fails to rescind funding for Parsons Village project, despite negative vote
By Diane Lederman, The Republican
EASTHAMPTON – While a majority of the city councilors present Wednesday night voted to rescind Community Preservation Act funding for the proposed Parsons Village affordable housing project on Parsons Street, there were not enough votes for the motion to pass.
Four voted in favor of rescinding the $200,000 the City Council awarded to the Northampton Valley Community Development Corp. in October 2010 and three against with two members absent. Due to a change in charter, such a motion needed five votes.
Council President Justin P. Cobb brought the proposal forward first to the Finance Committee, because he said, “a significant change has occurred,” since the funding was initially approved by a 6 to 3 vote.
At the time, the developer sought a special permit before the Planning Board, but that permit was denied. The corporation is currently seeking a comprehensive permit for the 38-unit housing project.
A comprehensive permit allows the Zoning Boards of Appeals to approve affordable housing developments under more flexible rules when a community has less than 10 percent of its housing as affordable. The city has just 6.3 percent affordable housing.
For an hour, the council took comments from those for and against rescinding.
Both Edward Quinn, the former chairman of the Community Preservation Act Committee and current chairman Robert Harrison opposed the move to rescind.
“If you rescind, you put the city in a very bad place,” Quinn said. He felt “It could make Easthampton have a bad reputation.”
“It’s an eligible project,” Harrison said. “Don’t treat the CPA as a pawn to derail the Valley CDC. That’s why we have a ZBA.” The proposal is now before the Zoning Board of Appeals. The hearing continues Thursday night.
Harrison said whether they sought the special permit or a comprehensive permit did not matter to him. Money from the Community Preservation Act can be used for affordable housing and open space and historic preservation.”
Mary Westervelt, part of the New City Neighborhood Association, who supported pulling the funding, said the project in fact would be taking away open space.
Cobb said Valley CDC’s move to proceed with a comprehensive permit after stating they would apply for a special permit “as a bait and switch.”
Resident Erica Flood who lives next to the proposed project supported rescinding and said the whole project should just begin again.
© 2012 MassLive LLC.
http://www.masslive.com/news/index.ssf/2012/03/valley_community_developoment.html