Allston Brighton Comm Dev Corp

THE ALLSTON BRIGHTON COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION BUILDS A STRONGER AND MORE STABLE COMMUNITY BY REPRESENTING AND SUPPORTING THE EXPRESSED INTERESTS, POSITIVE ENGAGEMENT AND LEADERSHIP OF ALLSTON BRIGHTON'S DIVERSE LOCAL COMMUNITIES, INSTITUTIONS, INDIVIDUALS AND FAMILIES OF ALL INCOMES.

RESIDENT SERVICES AND HOUSING DEVELOPMENT AND MANAGEMENT.AWARDED 4% LOW INCOME HOUSING TAX CREDITS TO HELP FUND THE REHAB OF A 33-UNIT PROPERTY, AS WELL AS NEARLY $4 MILLION IN FUNDING FROM THE CITY AND STATE. THROUGH THIS REHAB, THE BUILDING WILL CONVERT TO ALL-ELECTRIC, ELIMINATING FOSSIL FUELS COMPLETELY. THIS PROJECT WILL ACHIEVE ENTERPRISE GREEN COMMUNITIES CERTIFICATION. A FEASIBILITY STUDY WAS COMPLETED, CONFIRMING THE VIABILITY OF PURSUING A DEEP ENERGY RETROFIT AT A 20-UNIT PROPERTY. THIS PROJECT WAS AWARDED AN $800,000 GRANT FROM A NEW STATE-FUNDED PROGRAM, CLIMATE READY HOUSING, TO PUT TOWARDS THE COST OF THE RETROFIT. THIS PROJECT WILL RECEIVE PASSIVE HOUSE DESIGN CERTIFICATION FROM PHIUS. AWARDED $200,000 FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION TO FUND THE INSTALLATION OF PHOTOVOLTAIC ROOFTOP SOLAR PANELS AT TWO PROPERTIES. AWARDED 20 CITY FUNDED PROJECT BASED VOUCHERS FROM THE BOSTON HOUSING AUTHORITY TO UTILIZE AT TWO PROPERTIES. SUBMITTED AN APPLICATION REQUESTING $1,500,000 FROM THE CITY OF BOSTON'S NEW RETROFIT FUND TO SUPPORT THE DEEP ENERGY RETROFIT PLANNED AT A 50-UNIT PROPERTY. CONTINUED WORK WITH THE COMMUNITY, ABUTTERS AND PROPERTY OWNER TO ACQUIRE AND REDEVELOP TWO CONTIGUOUS PARCELS OF LAND. IN RESPONSE TO COMMUNITY FEEDBACK AND FINANCIAL VIABILITY, THE PLAN HAS PIVOTED FROM AFFORDABLE HOMEOWNERSHIP TO AFFORDABLE RENTAL HOUSING FOR SENIORS.PROVIDED SERVICES FOR RESIDENTS IN 506 UNITS OF RENTAL HOUSING, WITH A MIXTURE OF VIRTUAL AND IN-PERSON PROGRAMMING. ASSISTED 65 RESIDENTS WITH RENTAL AND UTILITY ASSISTANCE APPLICATIONS, GETTING 80% APPROVED FOR $127,998. FACILITATED AN INFORMATIONAL SESSION ON HOW TO UNDERSTAND THE APPLICATION PROCESS, ATTENDED BY 28 RESIDENTS. PRODUCED AND DISTRIBUTED A MONTHLY NEWSLETTER TO 502 HOUSEHOLDS TO KEEP THEM INFORMED ABOUT RESOURCES AND SUPPORT AVAILABLE THROUGH THE PROGRAM AND IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD. HELD BI-MONTHLY MOBILE FOOD PANTRIES AT 2 PROPERTY SITES IN PARTNERSHIP WITH ABCD, PROVIDING 228 BAGS OF FOOD. 92 HOUSEHOLDS COMPLETED A RESIDENT NEEDS SURVEY WHICH WAS PROVIDED IN SEVERAL LANGUAGES. CONTINUED AN AFTER-SCHOOL PROGRAM FOR 17 YOUTH WITH 15 TUTORS FROM BOSTON COLLEGE. DISTRIBUTED BACKPACKS AND SCHOOL SUPPLIES TO 95 YOUTH TO SUPPORT THEM AS THEY RETURNED TO SCHOOL IN THE FALL. HELD A COMMUNITY VACCINATION CLINIC ATTENDED BY 11 RESIDENTS AND PROVIDED 18 COVID TEST KITS. COLLABORATED WITH THE ELIOT SCHOOL OF FINE AND APPLIED ARTS TO RUN 2 IN-PERSON ADULT ART CLASSES FOR 20 STUDENTS, IN PAINTING AND CERAMICS, WITH THE FOCUS ON ART CREATION AS A WAY TO EXPRESS EMOTIONS. FACILITATED TWO 8-WEEK COMPUTER LITERACY CLASSES, ONE IN ENGLISH AND ONE IN SPANISH, WHERE THE 14 GRADUATES, ALL SENIORS, RECEIVED CHROMEBOOKS FUNDED BY A CITY GRANT. OFFERED 4 MOBILITY CLASSES TAUGHT BY A CERTIFIED YOGA INSTRUCTOR. DURING THE HOLIDAYS, IN PARTNERSHIP WITH TOYS FOR TOTS, DISTRIBUTED TOYS TO 62 FAMILIES. IN TOTAL, 382 RESIDENTS ATTENDED OUR RESIDENT PROGRAMS.

COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT. ENCOURAGED A HEALTHY, AFFORDABLE, EQUITABLE AND ENGAGED ALLSTON BRIGHTON BY STRENGTHENING OUR WORK WITH LOW- AND MODERATE-INCOME RESIDENTS SO THAT THEY CAN CONTINUE TO HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO RESIDE IN AND BECOME LEADERS IN THE ALLSTON BRIGHTON COMMUNITY. RECRUITED COMMUNITY AND AGE-FRIENDLY AMBASSADORS TO BOLSTER OUR ENGAGEMENT OF ALLSTON BRIGHTON RESIDENTS. COLLABORATED WITH ARTISANS' ASYLUM AND THE COMMONWEALTH TASK FORCE TO ESTABLISH A LEARNING LAB WITH 3D PRINTING MACHINES FOR YOUTH AND ADULT EXPLORATION PROGRAMMING AT COMMONWEALTH APARTMENTS. DESIGNED A BRIEF COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT INTEREST SURVEY, COMPLETED BY 33 RESIDENTS, TO ASCERTAIN HOW THEY RECEIVE NEWS AND COMMUNITY UPDATES AND THEIR TOP COMMUNITY CONCERNS. DISTRIBUTED GIFT CARDS FUNDED BY THE COMMONWEALTH TENANT COUNCIL DURING THE HOLIDAYS TO 235 HOUSEHOLDS. DEVELOPED AN AFTER-SCHOOL AND SUMMER PROGRAM FOR YOUTH AT COMMONWEALTH APARTMENTS AND FANEUIL GARDENS THAT FOCUSED ON INCREASING THEIR SOCIAL, PHYSICAL AND EMOTIONAL WELL-BEING. YOUTH PROGRAM COORDINATORS AND VOLUNTEERS OFFERED HOMEWORK HELP AND ADDITIONAL ACADEMIC ENRICHMENT, INCLUDING VISITS TO THE LOCAL LIBRARY AND WORKSHOPS WITH COMMUNITY PARTNERS. THE SUMMER PROGRAM INCLUDED FIELD TRIPS TO THE LOCAL FARMERS MARKET, THE ZOO AND THE AQUARIUM AS WELL AS ARTS AND CRAFTS PROJECTS, STEM EXPERIMENTS AND HEALTH/MOVEMENT ACTIVITIES. MORE THAN 50 YOUTH AGES 7-14 PARTICIPATED IN THIS PROGRAMMING FUNDED BY A STATE GRANT. THROUGH THE ALL BRIGHT HOMES PROGRAM, WHICH SEEKS TO INCREASE OWNER OCCUPANCY IN NORTH ALLSTON/NORTH BRIGHTON, SOLD A TWO-FAMILY HOME WITH DEED RESTRICTIONS TO AN OWNER-OCCUPANT AND PURCHASED ANOTHER HOME TO BE MARKETED THROUGH THE PROGRAM. CONTINUED TO PARTICIPATE IN AND SERVE AS FISCAL SPONSOR FOR THE ALLSTON BRIGHTON HEALTH COLLABORATIVE, FORMED TO WORK ACROSS SECTORS TO IMPROVE OVERALL COMMUNITY HEALTH, AND TO SERVE AS FISCAL SPONSOR FOR ALLSTON BRIGHTON PAUSES (PREVENTION, AWARENESS AND UNDERSTANDING SUBSTANCES THROUGH EDUCATION AND SUPPORT).

HOMEBUYING EDUCATION AND COUNSELING.PREPARED FIRST-TIME HOMEBUYERS FOR AFFORDABLE AND SUSTAINABLE HOMEOWNERSHIP: BY TEACHING TWENTY-ONE 9-HOUR HOMEBUYING 101 CLASSES, FOUR OF THEM IN SPANISH, GRADUATING 993 HOUSEHOLDS; BY PROVIDING ONE-ON-ONE PRE-PURCHASE COUNSELING TO 111 GRADUATES OF THE HOMEBUYING 101 CLASSES; BY GRADUATING 86 INDIVIDUALS FROM FRAMEWORK, AN ONLINE HOMEBUYER EDUCATION COURSE; AND BY PUBLISHING THE HOMEOWNERSHIP RESOURCE GUIDE, A 52-PAGE BOOKLET PROVIDING REFERRALS AND TOPICAL INFORMATION FOR FIRST-TIME HOMEBUYERS IN MASSACHUSETTS. HOMEBUYING 101 CLASSES AND PRE-PURCHASE COUNSELING WERE PROVIDED ONLINE. TWO OF THE TEAM'S THREE HUD-CERTIFIED HOUSING COUNSELORS ARE FLUENT IN BOTH SPANISH AND ENGLISH.