Massachusetts Preserved Over 2,600 Affordable Housing Units Last Year

CEDAC announced today that Massachusetts preserved more than 2,600 units of affordable rental housing during 2019. Our data show that 3,032 total units in 25 project developments across the state were preserved using various types of state financing in 2019. From the total, 2,689 units are affordable and the remaining units are market rate.  The projects span the state and consist of large- and small-scale developments in communities across the Commonwealth, including Boston, Cambridge, Duxbury, Holyoke, Lawrence, Leominster, Stoughton, and Worcester, to name a few.  You can read more at our press release.

Preserving housing affordability – especially for the developments that were built in the 1960s and 70s and have reached maturity on their long-term governmental mortgages – is an important part of maintaining affordable housing stock, given the incredible demand in Massachusetts. For years, CEDAC has maintained a database of the privately-owned stock of publicly assisted affordable housing on behalf of the Massachusetts Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) and other Massachusetts public lenders. This database tracks over 1,600 projects with 135,000 housing units and ensures that we have an “early warning” system in place to help guard against losing affordable units to market rate conversion.

A good example of a project preserved in 2019 is The Tannery, located in Peabody.  The project’s affordability restrictions ended in March 2018, but affordability was maintained through the Commonwealth’s innovative Chapter 40T law. WinnDevelopment purchased the 284-unit project, and last year, the development received additional financing to ensure rehabilitation of the property. Enacted in 2009, Chapter 40T establishes public notification provisions for tenants and state and local officials, a right of offer and right of first refusal for DHCD or its designee to purchase publicly-assisted housing, and modest tenant protections for projects with affordability restrictions that terminate. You can read more about The Tannery here.

Along with The Tannery, the following is a list of affordable housing developments preserved in 2019:

Project Name City/Town # of Affordable Units Preserved
270 Huntington Ave Boston 72
Florence Apts Boston 126
Forestvale Boston 108
Fort Hill-Esperanza Boston 82
Haynes House Boston 131
Viviendas La Victoria Boston 190
Wardman Apts Boston 88
Warren Ave Boston 30
Woodbourne Boston 75
808 Memorial Drive Cambridge 212
Squirrelwood Cambridge 78
Island Creek I Duxbury 58
Fitchburg Green Fitchburg 159
Carlos Vega Holyoke 18
Holyoke Farms Holyoke 191
S.C. Hamilton Holyoke 127
Sycamore Village Lawrence 161
Whitney Carriage Park Leominster 45
Mayflower Apts Lowell 99
Rogers Hall Lowell 60
The Tannery Peabody 235
Peter Sanborn Place Reading 73
West Stoughton Village Stoughton 112
Colonial Village Weymouth 89
Matheson Apts Worcester 70

Total # of Affordable Units Preserved: 2,689

For more information on CEDAC’s Housing Preservation programs, please visit the Housing Preservation section at our website.

CEDAC Approves $8.4 Million in Acquisition Financing to Preserve Affordability of 100 Housing Units in Attleboro

Along with our partners Retirement Housing Foundation (RHF) and The Schochet Companies, we recently announced that CEDAC had committed more than $8.4 million in acquisition financing for the preservation of affordable housing in Attleboro.  This funding commitment was made to RHF and The Schochet Companies to acquire Hillcrest Acres in Attleboro. The transaction was recently finalized, ensuring that this property will remain affordable going forward.

Preserving affordable housing is an important part of CEDAC’s mission.  Hillcrest Acres was far along the path of conversion from affordable housing to market rate, but thanks to this acquisition, all 100 apartments will have long-term affordability restrictions. We’re pleased to congratulate Retirement Housing Foundation and The Schochet Companies on this important milestone that will preserve affordable units while protecting existing tenants from displacement.

The 100-unit property was constructed in 1974 and faced expiring affordability restrictions in 2019. CEDAC participated with Eastern Bank to provide the acquisition financing. Funding sources included program-related investments (PRIs) from both Bank of America and the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation.

You can read more about this important affordable housing preservation victory here.

Relocating Tenants During a Pandemic: What Are the Keys to a Safe, Successful Move?

Rehabilitating multifamily affordable housing projects is an important yet complicated part of preserving affordable housing in many locales. Though this process becomes all the more challenging during a pandemic, there are many reasons that the affordable real estate development process has moved forward in Massachusetts and beyond despite these circumstances. Whether existing projects are in mid-construction, have funding commitments that will expire if the rehabilitation doesn’t occur, or have urgent building repairs necessary for tenant safety, developers are tasked with the challenge of determining how to complete their projects while ensuring that residents, construction workers and movers are all protected from infection.

Housing Opportunities Unlimited (HOU) provides national relocation services and resident services to clients focused on affordable, public housing, and mixed-income housing communities.  While located here in Boston, Massachusetts, HOU works within large-scale developments across the country from the East Coast to the West Coast.  Over their almost 40-year history, HOU has assisted in the relocation of more than 16,000 units in 21 states and Washington, DC.  Over the last several months, they have developed a comprehensive safety plan to address the real health and safety concerns connected to relocations that take place during the pandemic.

INSITES recently interviewed Katie Provencher, HOU’s Chief Executive Officer and Principal, and Hannagh Jacobsen, HOU’s Strategic Project Director, about the challenges that affordable housing owners and property managers face while conducting a relocation during this crisis and the ways that their organization has worked to keep residents, HOU staff, and contractors safe during the process.  Please watch the interview here.

DHCD Awards $16 Million to Produce or Preserve Critical Supportive Housing for Vulnerable Populations

Over the past eight years, the Massachusetts Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) has crafted an innovative approach to financing the production of permanent supportive housing. Each year, DHCD holds a dedicated funding competition, the Supportive Housing for Vulnerable Populations round, to distribute capital funds as well as special project-based operating subsidy accompanied by stipends to pay for supportive services.

Resources available include the National Housing Trust Fund, dedicated to households at 30% area median income or less; state subordinate debt including the Housing Innovations Fund (HIF) and the Housing Stabilization Fund (HSF); and project-based subsidy from the Massachusetts Rental Voucher Program (MRVP). As the manager of the HIF program, CEDAC works closely with DHCD to manage these rounds and review applications for funding.

Since 2012, the Commonwealth has produced or preserved nearly 3000 units of permanent supportive housing in the Supportive Housing round as well as the regular annual Rental Housing Round and other funding opportunities. These residential units serve veterans; older adults; persons with disabilities; individuals and families who have experienced homelessness; as well as unaccompanied youth. Some state capital subsidies have also funded much-needed emergency shelter beds.

Earlier this spring, CEDAC and DHCD concluded our seventh annual Supportive Housing round. Projects with awards in this round will serve both families and individuals who have experienced homelessness; older adults; and individuals living with disabilities; and are located in metro Boston as well as the central, western and northeast portions of the state. DHCD expects to invest more than $16 million of state and federal funds as well as 73 MRVPs in these nine projects.

“The immense need for more affordable housing in Massachusetts has not disappeared during this pandemic, and we are pleased to continue making awards and moving projects forward to address the shortage,” said Housing and Economic Development Secretary Mike Kennealy. “The link between housing and health has never been clearer, and these investments in our families and in our communities continue the Baker-Polito Administration’s commitment to increasing the production of housing across the state.”

“The Covid-19 health crisis has made the need for stable, quality housing even more urgent,” said Housing and Community Development Undersecretary Jennifer Maddox. “Today’s awards will preserve existing resources, create new units for our most vulnerable communities, and connect households to important supportive services. For our households, supportive housing is more than an affordable place to live. Our non-profit partners provide residents with important community-based resources, like mental health services, job training, and case management, to stay healthy and housed over the long-term. We have seen supportive housing transform the lives of residents, and we are eager to see these new units become a reality.”

Of particular note during the COVID-19 crisis, we expect that this funding will produce or preserve nearly 70 single room occupancy (SRO) housing or studio units, including many units set aside for formerly homeless individuals. As an example, the Worcester Housing Authority’s highly innovative A Place to Live will provide 25 new service-enriched studio units in a single modular construction. With Worcester’s shelters and their vulnerable guests under intense strain during the pandemic, these new units will provide a timely opportunity to help individuals leave shelter for permanent supportive housing.

CEDAC also committed predevelopment and acquisition financing to the Worcester Housing Authority and Greater Lawrence Community Action Council, Inc., both of which received project funding awards in the Supportive Housing round.

Now more than ever, projects that offer quality affordable housing and support services are a key component to keeping communities and individuals safe and healthy. CEDAC is pleased to work with the affordable housing and human services sectors across Massachusetts to help produce more permanent supportive housing and shelter in the Commonwealth.

The nine funded projects are as follows:

  • A Place to Live, Worcester – Worcester Housing Authority will produce 25 studio units for formerly homeless households. CEDAC has provided $100,000 in predevelopment financing to the project.
  • 555 South Union, Lawrence – Greater Lawrence Community Action Council, Inc. will produce 26 units for extremely low-income (ELI) older adults. Four of the units will be reserved for households with disabilities who would otherwise be at risk of homelessness or institutionalization. CEDAC has committed $200,000 in predevelopment financing and $1.9 million in acquisition financing to support this development.
  • Ashford Street Project, Boston – Allston Brighton Community Development Corporation will preserve a total of 12 SRO, studio and one- bedroom units in Allston for individuals who have experienced homelessness and/or chronic mental illness. Of these, 11 units will be affordable, including five units designated for ELI households.
  • 54 Eastern Avenue Malden Studio Housing 2019, Malden – Metro North Housing Corp will produce 14 studio units for formerly homeless individuals. The facility will also contain a food pantry and dining facilities for the Bread of Life, a volunteer organization that collaborates with local agencies to help low-income residents obtain counseling, furniture, housing, and financial assistance.
  • New South Street Apartments, Northampton – Home City Development, Inc. will preserve 18 units of affordable family housing. Seven of these units will be reserved for ELI households.
  • Lower Winter Street Apartments, Quincy – NeighborWorks Housing Solutions will produce 18 studio units for formerly homeless households.
  • Lynn Emergency Shelter, Lynn – Lynn Shelter Association will develop 40 new shelter beds in a new facility, to replace 40 existing shelter beds in an unsuitable building.
  • 12 Humphreys Street, Boston – Sojourner House, Inc. will receive seven MRVPs for its existing 11-unit supportive housing development for families in Boston’s Dorchester neighborhood. Eight of the units are designated for ELI households.
  • Meadowbrook Estates, Northampton – Preservation of Affordable Housing will receive three MRVPs for units serving households with chronic mental illness at this existing 252-unit multifamily development.

The Paycheck Protection Program and Accessing Support: An Update for Child Care Providers

Children’s Investment Fund is launching a technical assistance effort with the Department of Early Education and Care (EEC) to help the ECE/OST field with the U.S. Small Business Administration’s Paycheck Protection Program (PPP). On Monday, April 27, the second round of funding for the PPP ($310 billion) became available to small businesses, but the funding is in high demand and is expected to go quickly.

On Friday, April 24, EEC hosted two webinars featuring Children’s Investment Fund, CliftonLarsonAllen, Goodwin Procter, and Clarendon Early Education Services. Each webinar provided the child care field with information about this program and included an interactive Q&A portion. To access the webinar recordings, scroll down to EEC’s section on Small Business Loan and Recovery Programs by clicking here. Children’s Investment Fund also participated in a webinar hosted by Goodwin Procter’s Neighborhood Business Initiative pro-bono team on April 22 on several challenges facing the ECE/OST field, which can be accessed here.

Children’s Investment Fund is following up with one-to-one technical assistance to match providers with accounting, legal, or general technical assistance support to ensure that they are well-equipped to evaluate whether the PPP is right for them. To sign up for technical assistance, providers can submit this survey in in English or Spanish or send an email to support@childrensinvestmentfundma.org.

EOEA, DHCD, CEDAC, and MassHousing Develop State Resources for Affordable Senior Housing Providers During COVID-19

Dear Owners and Managers of Affordable Senior Housing:

We hope that you, your organizations and families are staying safe and healthy as we face the COVID-19 crisis together.  We want to assure you that, despite these unprecedented circumstances, CEDAC continues to support the community by providing funding and technical assistance to non-profit affordable housing developers across the Commonwealth.

At the core of CEDAC’s work is our commitment to addressing the needs of our most vulnerable populations, and we understand the profound impact this crisis has had on older adults. Therefore, CEDAC, the Executive Office of Elder Affairs (EOEA), the Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD), and MassHousing and are working together to develop ways to support the well-being of our seniors, particularly those living in age-restricted housing, during this public health crisis.

We recognize your important role in helping our state’s older adults stay healthy and hope you will benefit from the following resources.

COVID-19 AFFORDABLE SENIOR HOUSING LISTSERV

We have created a listserv that will enable us to distribute guidance, share best practices, and disseminate other useful information to you all in a timely manner. If you would like to join this listserv, please complete the form at this website or by clicking on the link below:

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScl-rTpNYXjqm9tL9AUT9Y3MlFFGXOLChINiE4Jt5Df79QXkA/viewform?usp=pp_url

DEDICATED EMAIL FOR COVID19 AFFORDABLE SENIOR HOUSING QUESTIONS

In addition to sending information to the field, we would also like to hear from you regarding your experiences related to COVID-19. To accomplish this, we have developed a new email address that you can use to send us COVID-19 related concerns, issues, questions, and situations: SeniorHousingCOVID19@mass.gov.

While we may not be able to answer all your questions, it is important that we are aware of your issues and needs, so that we can appropriately respond at the state level to support your efforts.

WEEKLY AFFORDABLE SENIOR HOUSING CALL

In collaboration with LeadingAge Massachusetts, we will be sponsoring a weekly call to discuss COVID-19 areas of interest and to share information. The calls will take place on Thursdays at noon beginning on April 9, 2020. Information related to registering and joining the calls will be disseminated through the COVID19 Affordable Senior Housing Listserv.

WORKING WITH LOCAL SERVICE PROVIDER PARTNERS

EOEA (with MassHealth) supports an extensive network of elder service and home health agencies. We encourage you to reach out to your local Aging Service Access Point (ASAP) agency to address the needs of your residents. Together, engage the local Board of Health to proactively develop contingency plans if residents or staff begin exhibiting symptoms and to determine reporting protocols. Consider identifying a single point of contact within each agency that can have regular check-in calls to discuss issues such as changes in visitor policies, access to the building, access to food, and other policies that jointly impact each agency’s ability to conduct business. Our ability to fight the spread of this disease is predicated on communities coming together and working as a team.

Click here for a list of each ASAP with contact information.

GUIDANCE FROM DHCD REGARDING LIMITING VISITORS IN MULTI-FAMILY HOUSING

Below find a link to Guidance issued by DHCD dated April 2, 2020:

https://www.mass.gov/doc/dhcd-guidance-limiting-visitors-in-private-affordable/download

OTHER RESOURCES

We encourage you to check the Mass.gov COVID-19 page for regular updates:

https://www.mass.gov/resource/information-on-the-outbreak-of-coronavirus-disease-2019-covid-19

Below is a link to CHAPA’s COVID-19 Affordable Housing Updates:

https://www.chapa.org/housing-news/covid-19-affordable-housing-updates

We also encourage you to visit the National Low Income Housing Coalition (NLIHC) website for national information on housing and homelessness, including federal legislation:

https://nlihc.org/coronavirus-and-housing-homelessness

New England’s First LGBTQ-Friendly Senior Housing Initiated by Kuehn Planning Grant

Last November, the City of Boston chose a developer to turn the William Barton Rogers School, a former middle school in the City’s Hyde Park neighborhood, into 74 new units of affordable housing for seniors.  And last month, the city announced that it would commit $2 million towards the completion of this project.  While an adaptive reuse of a middle school into senior housing may seem commonplace in a region that needs as many new affordable units as possible, this project is anything but common – it’s on track to become New England’s first LGBTQ-friendly senior housing complex.

The city’s Public Facilities Commission designated Pennrose Development as the developer last fall for the William Barton Rogers school project, but the endeavor as a whole is, in fact, a partnership with a non-profit LGBTQ Senior Housing Inc. The mission of that organization is to facilitate access to welcoming, safe, affordable housing for low-income LGBTQ seniors, the need for which has been documented by the Massachusetts Commission on LGBT Aging and the most recent AARP Survey.  Additionally, the organization plans to support community space to serve LGBTQ seniors in the Greater Boston area, addressing issues of social isolation and depression documented in the Boston Indicators Equality and Equity Report.

“There is a pent-up demand for senior housing that’s affordable but also safe and welcoming for LGBT seniors,” said Aileen Montour, president of LGBTQ Senior Housing Inc, in a Boston Globe article. “This is a first for Boston, for Massachusetts, and for New England,” she said of the Hyde Park project. In addition to developing housing, the non-profit will identify programs and services to support the residents who live there.

How did this groundbreaking new project begin?  Through the support of a Kuehn Planning Grant, a program that CEDAC manages to help the non-profit community development sector across the Commonwealth.  The program was established in 2016 with funding from the Kuehn Charitable Foundation (KCF), with the goal of helping non-profits explore a project’s feasibility at the earliest stages of development.

Since inception, the Kuehn Planning Grants have supported 32 projects under development in Massachusetts. The grants assist a wide range of non-profits across the state, many of which serve specific populations and missions, such as ending veteran homelessness or assisting people with substance use disorders.

In a 2018 INSITES blog post, we highlighted Hope House, the first project completed with the support of a Kuehn Planning Grant, an expansion of housing for people in recovery.  In that post, Jennifer Gilbert, KCF’s Executive Director, mentioned one “particularly innovative project” that was being funded by a Kuehn Planning Grant: LGBTQ-friendly senior housing that a Fenway Community Health Center task force was exploring.  It was that grant that helped to support the formation of LGBTQ Senior Housing Inc, the partnership with Pennrose Development, and the creation of the Hyde Park project.  This is precisely the kind of early stage community development initiative that the Kuehn Planning Grant was designed to support – helping vulnerable low-income populations that may not otherwise have the opportunity to access high-quality supportive housing.

The Hyde Park project is now in the application process for state funding resources that are necessary to complete the financing package – an important step for turning the vision of this project into a reality. We’re proud to support this development and are excited to watch it move forward.

For more information on the William Barton Rogers School project, please visit LGBTQ Senior Housing Inc.’s website.  You can learn more about the CEDAC-administered Kuehn Planning Grants here and download the application here.

Pictured above: renderings of the LGBTQ-friendly senior housing complex in Hyde Park. Photo Credit: DiMella Shaffer and Mikyoung Kim Design.

CEDAC Research Shows Far Fewer LIHTC Units Are at Risk of Losing Affordability than Predicted

Today, CEDAC released a new research study that shows far fewer units in the Commonwealth financed through the Low Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) program are at risk of losing their affordability status than predicted.  That’s good news for thousands of families across the Commonwealth.

The study looked at 228 LIHTC-financed projects – 15,679 units – that went into service in Massachusetts from 1990 through 2000. Beginning in 1990, the LIHTC program required a minimum of 30 years of affordability, so policymakers and researchers have expressed concern that a significant number of those will be converted to market-rate housing beginning this year.  Our analysis found that roughly 86 percent of the 15,679 LIHTC units in this cohort are subject to some form of longer term affordability restrictions and will not be at risk for market conversion before December 31, 2030.

State and local housing officials will still face challenges to preserve the affordability of the 2,213 units that are at risk of market conversion at the end of the 30-year LIHTC period, as well as the need to periodically invest in the capital improvement of projects that are not at risk. However, the scope of these challenges is significantly lower than predicted in recent housing research.

You can read the press release about the study here or the full paper here.  Additionally, we highlighted this research in an op ed in Banker and Tradesman last December, which you can read here.

State Awards New Funding for 11 Affordable Housing Projects Across Massachusetts

Massachusetts truly is fortunate that elected leaders consistently demonstrate their support for building affordable housing.  We received yet more evidence of this bicameral and bipartisan support on February 4th, when Governor Charlie Baker and Lt. Governor Karyn Polito announced $44 million in new funding awards for affordable housing projects across the Commonwealth.

The Governor and Lt. Governor were joined by Housing and Economic Development Secretary Michael Kennealy, Boston Mayor Martin J. Walsh, State Senator Joe Boncore, State Representative Adrian Madaro, Acting DHCD Undersecretary Jennifer Maddox, and other state and municipal officials to highlight the 11 new projects – which will result in 587 new units of housing – that will receive support from the state.  The Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) awarded $44.7 million in direct capital funding and allocated $16 million in State and Federal Low Income Housing Tax Credits (LIHTC).

“Our administration continues to make substantial commitments to increase the development of new affordable housing in an effort to meet the need we see in every region,” said Governor Charlie Baker in a press release. “We have invested more than $1 billion in the affordable housing ecosystem, created new programs to encourage development, and filed legislation to update zoning laws to promote equity and opportunity for all residents. Today’s awards will advance the production of hundreds of new rental units for families, seniors, and households transitioning out of homelessness.”

Among the 11 projects that secured funding awards, CEDAC provided a total of $4.5 million in early stage financing to four of these.  These include:

  • Bartlett Station Building A in Boston. CEDAC has committed $600,000 in predevelopment financing to Nuestra Comunidad Development Corporation for this 60-unit new construction project, which is the second phase of an equitable transit-oriented development in Roxbury.
  • 191-195 Bowdoin Street in Boston. CEDAC offered more than $918,000 in predevelopment and acquisition financing to VietAID for this development, which will bring 41 new units to Boston’s Dorchester neighborhood.
  • Essex Street in Lawrence. Greater Lawrence Community Action Council, Inc. obtained more than $1,030,000 in predevelopment and acquisition funds for this rehabilitation and new construction project, which will offer 39 affordable units downtown.
  • North Commons at Village Hill. The Community Builders received just under $2 million in predevelopment and acquisition resources for this project, which will bring an additional 53 units to this site on the campus of the former Northampton State Hospital.

All four of these projects include units designated for households with incomes below 30% of area median income (AMI), including formerly homeless households.

The commitment by the Commonwealth’s leaders to address the shortage of affordable housing for low- and extremely low-income households is truly commendable. Both the Baker-Polito administration and the legislature have shown that they are willing to put real resources behind these projects, which are located in many communities in need. CEDAC is proud to offer both financing and technical assistance to our committed and effective non-profit partners across the state, and look forward to working with these partners to move these projects to the construction phase.

EEC Commissioner Aigner-Treworgy Announces $6 Million in FY19 EEOST Awards

On December 19th at Village Market Place in Hyannis, Commissioner Aigner-Treworgy of the Massachusetts Department of Early Education and Care (EEC) announced $6 million in FY19 Early Education and Out of School Time (EEOST) Capital Fund awards.

“Well-designed buildings, classrooms and play spaces help provide high-quality learning environments in which children grow and thrive,” said EEC Commissioner Samantha Aigner-Treworgy.  “The $6 million in grant awards this year — the highest amount since the EEOST Capital Fund inception — will support better program settings for over 700 children across the state.”

Since 2014, the Capital Fund has made awards totaling $4 million annually, but this year an additional $2 million was made available. We are grateful to the Baker-Polito Administration for this significant increase. The following six organizations each received a $1 million EEOST award:

  • Cape Ann YMCA/ YMCA of the North Shore (Gloucester) – The YMCA of the North Shore is constructing a new multi-service  building with licensed early childhood education, a fitness facility, and community space as part of a major redevelopment of a 10.6 acre parcel in Cape Ann. The Early Learning Center will serve 76 infants, toddlers, and preschoolers and will have approximately 3,200 SF of outdoor play space.
  • Greater Lawrence Community Action Council (Lawrence) – GLCAC will construct a 30,300 SF Early Childhood Center in the parking lot adjacent to its existing site in Lawrence. The new building will house the 238 children currently served and an additional 59 toddlers and preschoolers.
  • Greater Lowell Family YMCA (Lowell) – Greater Lowell Family YMCA offers 125 licensed slots at its central facility, which was built in 1975. The Y will improve the space in various significant ways – building a small addition at the building’s rear that will allow for a dedicated entry, reconfiguring and upgrading the classrooms, making safety and accessibility upgrades, and refurbishing the outdoor play area.
  • Horizons for Homeless Children (Roxbury) – Horizons operates three centers in Boston serving infants, toddlers and preschoolers. These will be consolidated under one roof, which will increase capacity for the total number of children served from 178 to 225.
  • YMCA of Cape Cod (Hyannis) – The YMCA will extensively renovate 5,300 square feet of former office space within the Hyannis Village Marketplace, creating a new 65-slot program for infants, toddlers, and preschoolers. The Y will transform the vacant office space into a new high-quality, five-classroom early learning center, and will create a new outdoor play area.
  • YWCA of Central MA (Worcester) – The YWCA will reconfigure its licensed early childhood education classrooms renovate the building’s envelope and all systems, and improve access to outdoor play spaces. The YWCA will also reconfigure 41 affordable housing rental units into 45 units utilizing predevelopment and supportive housing funds from CEDAC and the Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) for this project which co-locates affordable housing and early childhood education.

Collectively, this year’s 6 awardees will:

  • Improve the quality of existing environments for over 700 children;
  • Increase their capacity to serve an additional 296 children;
  • And support the creation of over 500 construction jobs and 38 educator jobs.

Through these awards of $6 million, this investment is also leveraging $79 million in additional funding for these projects, coming from a variety of private and public sources. Without the Administration’s support for early childhood education, this investment would not have been possible. Thank you to the Massachusetts Legislature for its support of the EEOST Capital Fund, including members of the Cape delegation who joined us for the announcement – Senator Cyr, Representative Crocker, Representative Whelan, and Representative Vieira.

“Our administration is pleased to support facility improvements at early education and care programs throughout the Commonwealth to provide families with the resources necessary for success in and out of the classroom,” said Governor Charlie Baker in EEC’s press release.  “Renovating and repairing child care facilities helps achieve the administration’s goal of providing quality early education and care in all Massachusetts communities.”

The announcement was made at the site of the future YMCA of Cape Cod- one of the six awarded projects. The setup included posters in the room, which displayed renderings and other project information so that guests could get a sense of each awarded project.

We are thrilled to celebrate the Commonwealth’s investment in quality learning environments for children. This truly represents community development at its best. Congratulations to the FY19 EEOST awardees. We look forward to working with each non-profit provider as they bring their developments to reality.

The Children’s Investment Fund and CEDAC administer the EEOST Capital Fund in conjunction with the Massachusetts Department of Early Education and Care. For more information on EEOST, please contact Theresa Jordan at tjordan@childrensinvestmentfundma.org or 617-727-5944.