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CITC: Program Impact 2022

December 6th, 2022 by Shannon Erb

The Community Investment Tax Credit:

A Report on Impact in 2022

Since its inception in 2014, the Massachusetts Community Investment Tax Credit (CITC) program has been an integral and reliable source of funding for Community Development Corporations (CDCs) across the state. In 2022, CDCs raised over $16 million to support their activities through this program.  The CITC program provides an avenue of fundraising for CDCs that allowed for the growth and adaptation of programs across the state in response to the most pressing needs of their communities. Below are a few of the most noteworthy ways in which CITC made a difference in 2022.

Every year CDCs commit themselves to gather data and report on the six main aspects of their work: community leader engagement; families supported; homes built or preserved, job opportunities created or preserved; small business entrepreneurs assisted; and funds invested by CDCs in local communities. This invaluable data provides a unique window on the multiple in which CDCs respond to the most pressing needs of their constituents.

In Calendar Year 2022 CDCs:

  • Engaged 1,640 community leaders
  • Created or preserved 1,476 homes
  • Created or protected 6,100 jobs
  • Provided technical or financial assistance to 1,846 entrepreneurs
  • Provided some form of support to 84,265 families
  • Invested more than $1.6 billion in the communities they serve

CDCs also measure their impact by tracking increases in their capacity in three main areas: staff growth; program expansion; and investment in infrastructure improvements.  CITC has contributed to increased CDC impact by making possible impressive growth in each of these areas.

Expanding Staff Capacity:

The ever-growing demand for CDC services stretches the capacity of CDC staff teams. New investments made possible by CITC have allowed many CDCs to expand staff capacity in response to expanded demand from community residents.  In 2022 89% of CDCs reported that they were able to expand their staffing. Because of the lack of restrictions on resources provided through CITC, CDCs are able to add staff in areas of highest need. The agility provided by CITC was particularly important during the difficult times of the pandemic, and it remains a key contribution of the program as agencies slowly resume traditional patterns of programming.

Expanding or Adding Programs:

CITC also allowed many CDCs to expand existing programs and, in some cases, add new programs in response to community needs. According to data collected for 2022, 70% of CDCs were able to either add additional programs to their repertoire or expand upon their existing programs in the face of growing needs in their communities. During the same period, more than two-thirds of CDC’s provided affordable housing in one manner or another, speaking to the ever-growing housing affordability crisis across the state.

Improving Technological, Physical, and Human Infrastructure:

In 2022 CDC's were able to make critical improvements in their technological, physical, and human infrastructure. It is this infrastructure that allows agencies to meet the needs of their community members. Although the pandemic has been declared over, the need for virtual counseling/coaching remains high, meaning that CDCs still need to be thinking about online security and related technical issues. In 2022, almost 40% of CDCs were able to invest in communications system upgrades to better serve their clients and community members. These upgrades have also supported the continuing professional development of their teams by allowing staff to take advantage of a wide range of training opportunities.

In addition, 31 CDCs expanded or added new community engagement activities in 2022, ranging from increased Board of Directors engagement and diversity to increased volunteerism and community outreach. When the legislation creating CITC was adopted in 2012, CDCs across the state knew that this program would open new opportunities to them and those they serve. The actual results of this unique initiative have, however, exceeded even their most optimistic expectations. As a program leveraging public and private support to address critical community needs, CITC strengthens a set of dynamic bedrock institutions whose collective mission is to ensure that all Massachusetts residents have an opportunity to thrive.

 


MACDC and three CDCs Receive awards from Massachusetts Community Health and Healthy Aging Funds

December 5th, 2022 by

The Massachusetts Department of Public Health (DPH) has announced the 2022 awards of the Massachusetts Community Health and Healthy Aging Funds (MA CHHA Funds or The Funds). As part of these awards, DPH, the Executive Office of Elder Affairs (EOEA) and the implementing partner Health Resources in Action, Inc. (HRiA), will join with the Massachusetts Association of Community Development Corporations, the Southeast Asian Coalition of Central Massachusetts (SEACMA), Community Teamwork, Community Development Partnership (CDP) and 20 other organizations across Massachusetts and more than 35 of their community partners, including non-profit community-based organizations, municipalities, and coalitions. All of these organizations have committed to leading efforts to address the root causes of health inequities by disrupting systemic barriers to health and tackling institutional and structural racism head-on. Due to the pandemic, the need to support such efforts is even more imperative.  

 

In total ~$15.6M in grants will support 24 lead organizations and 35 of their partner organizations implementing strategies, ultimately impacting 183 cities and towns across the state. CDP’s project will be focused on the Lower Cape community and Community Teamwork will be focused on Lowell residents. SEACMA’s project will impact health outcome throughout Central and Western Massachusetts and MACDC’s efforts will be geared towards Massachusetts’ Gateway Cities. 

 

“The trust that the MA CHHA Funds (or The Funds) has put in MACDC and our members is indicative of an understanding of the huge impact that people’s economic conditions have on their health outcomes. Community development has a key role in improving those economic conditions and thereby improving health equity,” says Elana Brochin, MACDC’s Program Director for Health Equity.  

 

The goal of The Funds is to work with community partners to disrupt barriers to health, increase awareness and address the impact of structural racism on population health, and to create long-term, meaningful changes in population health outcomes.  

 

The Funds invests in initiatives in three core areas of focus including those:  

  • Working on long-lasting, community-driven policy, systems, and environmental changes that will make it easier to lead healthy lives and which will reduce health inequities such as racial patterns of segregation in communities and a lack of affordable housing production; 

  • Organizing and coordinating Community Health Improvement Planning efforts which convene multi-sector partnerships to collectively set and address community health goals, and; 

  • Working to address policies and systems that increase opportunities for healthy aging. 

 

Recognizing the complex ways in which systems impact health, the investments will support a wide range of activities across the Commonwealth 

 

The following are descriptions of the projects on which MACDC and our members will be embarking with support from the Massachusetts Community Health and Healthy Aging Funds: 

 

CDP’s Lower Cape Community Housing Partnership addresses housing insecurity in the Lower Cape region equipping residents, business owners, community leaders and local officials with the knowledge and skills needed to support the creation of more homes in the eight towns of the Lower Cape. With this funding CDP will use the community organizing component of the program to support systems change around land use policies in order to increase housing production.   

 

Community Teamwork will establish Advancing Housing Equity for Seniors project, in partnership with Age Friendly Lowell, Coalition for a Better Acre, REACH Lowell, and Community Teamwork’s AmeriCorps Senior Programs to address the root cause of housing instability among low-income seniors.   

 

SEACMA’s Health Aging-In-Place project is planning to address interconnected barriers to aging- in-place in a way that is secure and healthy. SEACMA will assess, plan, and implement culturally relevant service expansion for Southeast Asian elders in Central and Western Massachusetts; advocate for the implementation of culturally relevant services and programs with partner organizations; and engage and train elders and their caregivers for self-advocacy.   

 

MACDC’s Housing Quality and Health (HQH) Equity Initiative will tackle poor housing quality and associated housing instability, and address the corresponding racial health inequities, by improving existing housing stock in Gateway Cities.  

 

“Through partnership with Massachusetts Community Health and Healthy Aging Funds, MACDC and our members will have significant positive impact on health outcomes in our communities throughout the state,” says Brochin. 

 

The Massachusetts Community Health and Healthy Aging Funds were created in January 2017 when DPH completed a landmark revision of its Determination of Need (DoN) regulation, which authorized the creation of these Funds.  DPH provides overall guidance to the Funds and Health Resources in Action, Inc. acts as a fiduciary and implementing partner. The Massachusetts Executive Office of Elder Affairs (EOEA) partners with DPH to support the Healthy Aging Fund. 

 

More information about the Funds can be found at https://mahealthfunds.org/


Joe Kriesberg Announces Departure from MACDC

November 10th, 2022 by Joe Kriesberg

Dear Friends,

After nearly 30 years at MACDC, including 20 as President & CEO, I have decided that it is time for me to take on a new challenge. I have informed the MACDC Board that I plan to leave MACDC at the end of this year. I am also delighted to share that I will be taking on the role of CEO at MassINC starting in January.

As you can imagine, I did not make this decision lightly. I have absolutely loved my time at MACDC and I remain a total believer in the power of community development to change lives, change communities, and change the world. I am proud of the many things we have accomplished together over the past 29+ years, many of which are highlighted in the MACDC Timeline that we produced for our 40th anniversary celebration. These include:

  • Winning legislative campaigns that have advanced economic opportunity and equity, and strengthened the CDC sector, not the least of which is the Community Investment Tax Credit
  • Securing significant budgetary wins that have steered dollars to worthy programs and investments
  • Creating institutions that will serve the community for years, such as the Life Initiative, the Property & Casualty Initiative, the Mass. Growth Capital Corporation, The National Alliance for Community Economic Development Associations, the Coalition for an Equitable Economy, and, of course, the Mel King Institute for Community Building
  • Sustaining a strong community development network through our peer-networking programs, member events, and other capacity building programs
  • Building a powerful movement that commands the attention of policy makers, including candidates for Governor who now routinely participate in our Candidate Forum at the MACDC Convention every four years.

I came to MACDC and stayed here because I wanted to have a positive impact and I'm confident that these results have indeed improved the lives of thousands of people across the Commonwealth. At the same time, what often sustained me in doing this work are the wonderful colleagues from across the state and the country with whom I have had the privilege to work. It has been these personal relationships that have provided me with the support, the counsel, the laughter, and the love that makes this work so meaningful and so much fun. I certainly felt this sense of community two weeks ago at the MACDC Convention in Worcester! I will always cherish my years at MACDC.

Of course, to everything there is a season, and I believe that now is the right time for me to try something new. MACDC is well positioned for the future and ready for new leadership. For me, I'm excited about the opportunity to lead MassINC, an organization that I have long admired with a mission in which I believe deeply. For those who may not know, MassINC seeks to "make Massachusetts a place of civic vitality and inclusive economic opportunity by providing residents the nonpartisan research, reporting, analysis, and civic engagement necessary to understand policy choices, inform decision making, and hold the government accountable."

Given the state of the world today, I cannot think of a more important task than fostering civic vitality and inclusive economic opportunity. I fully expect that I will continue to work with many of you in the years to come given the significant overlap between MassINC's work and community development. I invite you to reach out to me to share your ideas and thoughts about such opportunities or just to say hello. Please don't be a stranger!

I will remain at MACDC for the next two months working to ensure a successful transition. We have a strong board and staff that are ready to step up. MACDC's best days are in the future!

With gratitude,

Joe

--

A Message from MACDC's Board Chair, Angie Liou

Dear Colleagues,

As we prepare to bid farewell to our longtime President Joe Kriesberg, the MACDC board of directors would like to express our sincerest gratitude to Joe for providing over two decades of leadership in Massachusetts for the community development field. We can find Joe's fingerprints on legislative wins ranging from housing, zoning, small business, health, and climate issues. We have Joe to thank for increasing the capacity of CDCs via the establishment of the Mel King Institute and the creation of the Community Investment Tax Credit. These resources enable our CDCs to tackle the community and economic development issues that most affect our communities and residents, whose voices tend to be excluded. Equally important is Joe's leadership during the past two and a half years of the pandemic in advocating for small business relief and tenant assistance while also helping our members navigate unprecedented challenges and working with community organizers and others to launch the Racial Equity Pledge.

As MACDC moves through this transition period over the next two months, the board is working closely with Joe and the staff to put together an interim leadership plan to ensure that MACDC continues to offer high quality programs and services to our members while pursuing our policy agenda with the Legislature and the new Governor. During this time, I and other MACDC board members will make ourselves available to support the staff and the organization.

Simultaneously, the MACDC board will immediately begin a search for a permanent President to lead MACDC into the next chapter. The board will undertake a search process that ensures we field a wide net of diverse candidates, and we will work closely with the new President to ensure a smooth transition. MACDC's financial outlook remains stable, we have a talented and experienced staff, and we have a strong and committed board to guide the organization through this transition.

Please join me in congratulating Joe on his new role as the CEO of MassINC!

Sincerely,

Angie Liou, Board Chair


MACDC Housing Quality and Health Equity Initiative Awarded Funding

November 10th, 2022 by Don Bianchi

MACDC is pleased to announce that it has been awarded a five-year grant for its Housing Quality and Health (HQH) Equity Initiative. The grant from the Massachusetts Community Health and Aging Funds will support MACDC’s efforts to address racial health inequities caused by poor quality housing. 

MACDC is among 24 nonprofit organizations that were collectively awarded $15.6 million in grants in three core areas.  Three CDCs- Community Development Partnership, Community Teamwork, and Southeast Asian Coalition of Central MA- also received awards.  MACDC’s award, in the core area of creating long-lasting, community-driven policy, systems, and environmental changes, will focus on addressing the health hazards posed by lead paint and poor indoor air quality. 

In order to address racial health inequities resulting from poor housing quality, MACDC will concentrate its initial work in 5 Gateway Cities which we will select based on need and on the potential to address the problems identified. In these cities, ultimately, we aim to secure new resources to address housing quality problems that impact health, and substantially improve housing quality. Our immediate focus will be on intensive community engagement in these cities: with municipal leaders, CDCs, community residents, and other grassroots organizations. With these community representatives, we will identify the local housing quality problems and their health manifestations, particularly for households of color and low-income households.  

Concurrently, MACDC will: 

Commission a report, which will document the extent of housing quality problems linked to lead paint and poor indoor air quality statewide, document the resources and programs available to address these problems, and identify the gaps in addressing the housing quality problems, and their disproportionate impact on the populations described in the prior paragraph.  

Work to secure new resources to significantly improve the housing quality in these cities, and thereby improve resident health. Ultimately, the plan is to utilize the knowledge gained from the local work, and the additional resources secured, to scale up efforts to address housing quality problems in communities across the Commonwealth. 

The HQH Equity Initiative will build upon the work of the HQH Task Force, a group of experienced practitioners consisting of advocates in the health equity, housing, elder and disability fields; healthcare providers; and data professionals- who have guided MACDC’s housing quality and health work over the past year. 

The work will be co-staffed at MACDC by Elana Brochin, Program Director for Health Equity, and Don Bianchi, Director of Housing. If you have any questions, you can reach out to Don at donb@macdc.org.


MACDC Resident Leadership Academy trainers attend Kripalu

November 2nd, 2022 by John Fitterer

In August and September of 2022, the Resident Leadership Academy had the wonderful opportunity to send our staff Sarah Byrnes, Resident Leadership Academy Director and Tiana Lawrence, Mel King Institute Program Associate along with several RLA trainers to participate in the overnight Retreat and Renewal program at the Kripalu Center for Yoga and Health in Stockbridge, MA. Kripalu is a well-known nonprofit educational organization that is centered on centuries-old teachings of yoga, mindfulness, and both personal and communal transformation. CLICK HERE to read more.


Valley CDC: Adopted Racial Equity Pledge, Next Steps

October 31st, 2022 by Mila Roemer
At its Annual Meeting in November 2021, the Massachusetts Association of Community Development Corporations (MACDC) committed to a Racial Equity Pledge, upholding their dedication to making their organization a more diverse, equitable, and inclusive place. As of June 2022, 28 member organizations have signed on to the pledge as well. The pledge stemmed from a push for more racial equity from the CDC movement in the summer of 2020.
 
Organizations that have adopted the pledge are signing on to embrace four key values:
I. committing to learning and addressing the different levels of racism so they can take action to dismantle those inequities;
II. their staff should be diverse, equitable, inclusive, and representative of the communities they serve;
III. their board should be diverse, equitable, inclusive, and representative of the communities they serve; and
IV. authentic representation in programming/services.
 
Previously, I’ve spoken with staff from Harborlight Community Partners, Cape Community Development Partners, Somerville Community Corporation, and Codman Square NDC about their action plans to advance racial equity. In this interview, I spoke with Alexis Breiteneicher, Executive Director at Valley CDC. Valley CDC serves low- to moderate-income communities in Hampshire County in Western MA through affordable housing and small business development. Breiteneicher’s experience with the racial equity pledge is unique compared to other CDC staff with whom I’ve spoken as she joined Valley CDC about two weeks after the pledge was adopted in December of 2021.
 
Breiteneicher reflected on the unique dynamic of racial equity work in Hampshire County, whose population has a significant white majority. Despite this, the tenants in the housing developments managed by Valley CDC are much more diverse. One major issue she’s looking to address is the discrepancy between the racial diversity living in Valley properties and the lack thereof on Valley’s board. Breiteneicher says Valley is working to incorporate more people of color on their board. A major aspect of this is in incorporating tenant representation. “It’s important that we have tenants on our board, especially because they represent a more diverse population that the rest of the county,” said Breiteneicher. 
 
Beyond representation, Breiteneicher also says that Valley CDC is working on organizing DEI training for staff and board members. An important first step, Breiteneicher said, was to “make sure everyone is on the same page,” from board to staff members. “We have Racial Equity Lunch & Learns every other month,” she added, where staff and board members discuss “DEI concepts, past and present racial discrimination, and other systems of oppression, as well as how they relate to our organization.”
 
Working in the primarily white and rural communities of Hampshire County has provided several unique challenges for Valley CDC. One such challenge, says Breiteneicher, is that it's difficult to hire and contract work to BIPOC-owned businesses. “If I need printing work done, it’s not like I have a number of businesses to choose from– there’s one printer and that’s it,” she explains.
 
Challenges aside, Breiteneicher says “really appreciative to MACDC for developing the pledge,” saying that it “serv[es] as a tool to facilitate the work,” and that she’s been able to use the public nature of the pledge to “put our feet to the fire.”
 
MACDC hosts meetings for both members who have already adopted the pledge and for those who are considering it. To support members in their implementation, we also offer member-only workshop opportunities through the Mel King Institute. For more information and a full list of adoptees, visit the Racial Equity Webpage.

In Memory of Thomas Ruffen

September 3rd, 2022 by

The Mel King Institute mourns the passing of Thomas Ruffen, who worked as a trainer at our Resident Leadership Academy. Thomas was an incredibly gifted organizer and community leader. His death is a senseless tragedy for the Mildred C. Hailey community and beyond. He will be missed by our staff, trainers, and the public housing residents he trained throughout Massachusetts.

In March the Mel King Institute recorded Thomas telling the story of how he, other residents, and GBIO secured $50 million in badly needed funding for Mildred C. Hailey. The story is available here.


Why you should attend MACDC's Convention and 40th Anniversary Celebration

August 31st, 2022 by Joe Kriesberg

As summer begins to wind down, many of us are beginning to plan our calendars for the fall. As you begin to do this, you will want to make sure that you include the MACDC Convention and Annual Meeting on Saturday, October 29 at Polar Park in Worcester (and online via Zoom).

The MACDC Convention (which happens just once every four years!) is always a special event.  It is not only the biggest community development event on the calendar in Massachusetts, but it is also a special opportunity to advance our theme for the day: United Communities Building Together!

Given the challenges of the past two-plus years, the need for unity and collective action within the community development field has never been greater.  That is why this event will bring together everyone in our field - CDC board members, community leaders, tenants, community development professionals, public officials, private sector allies, and others for day of celebration and collective action.  It will offer a unique set of opportunities:  

 

An opportunity to pause and celebrate

 

Notwithstanding the challenges and heartaches of the past two-plus years, indeed because of them, the Convention offers an important opportunity to pause and celebrate. And thankfully we have many exciting things to celebrate, including MACDC’s 40th anniversary as the policy and capacity building arm of the community development field.  We will recognize the extraordinary resiliency of our field and our communities in the face of unprecedented challenges. We will celebrate outstanding individuals and organizations that have made a difference in people’s lives. And we will celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Community Investment Tax Credit – an example of what we can accomplished when we come together as a field to shape state policy.

 

An opportunity to build power and shape state policy

While we have much to celebrate, we also have much to left to do. So, this Convention, like our past events, will also focus on the future and taking collective action to shape it for the better.

One of the key elements of our Convention will be the Gubernatorial Candidate Forum.  The winner of the Governor’s race has attended our Convention for each of the past four election cycles and each time we have engaged those candidates with specific questions about their policy agenda and requested their support for specific policies. In response, the candidates have embraced key MACDC priorities such as the Small Business Technical Assistance program, the Community Investment Tax Credit, and closing racial homeownership disparities.  We will be inviting both of this year’s candidates to come and speak with us and to answer specific questions about their proposed policy agenda.   This will be our chance to demonstrate the power of United Communities, Building Together to the next Governor.

 

An opportunity to build your network

Regardless of your connection to the community development field, this event deserves a spot on your fall calendar because the Convention is always fun, inspiring, educational, and most importantly, impactful.  The MACDC Convention will offer something for everyone:

CDC Board members can connect with fellow board members across CDCs and learn about how they are addressing various challenges and opportunities in their organizations and communities. 

Tenants, community members, and other neighborhood activists can network with and learn from others doing similar work, while also joining with the broader movement to build power and push for major policy change.

Community development professionals can connect with longstanding colleagues and expand their professional networks

Private sector leaders from foundations, financial institutions, small businesses, real estate firms, and others can re-connect with colleagues, get to know more CDCs and community development professionals, and demonstrate support for the CDC field.

MACDC Alumni, including former board members, staff, and interns, can rejoin the movement and see the results of their hard work at MACDC.

 

An opportunity to pay it forward

Of course, none of this happens without you and others making the trip to Worcester or joining us on-line. The magic of the convention is the scale and diversity of who is there.  Your presence will make the networking and relationship building more impactful for everyone who attends.  Your presence will help us honor our award winners and give meaning to the 40th anniversary celebration.  Your presence will help us build momentum for our racial equity work. Your presence will help drive our policy agenda and make a powerful impression on the next Governor.  Your presence will demonstrate the collective power of United Communities, Building Together.

We look forward to seeing you!


Multi-Family Housing Requirement in MBTA Communities: Final Guidelines Issued

August 22nd, 2022 by Don Bianchi

On August 10th, the Executive Office of Housing and Economic Development (EOHED) published the final guidelines to determine compliance with section 3A of the Zoning Act—the new requirement for every MBTA community to have at least one zoning district in which multi-family housing is allowed as of right, and which is located near a transit station, if applicable. 

The final guidelines incorporated changes from the draft guidelines, in response to extensive stakeholder comments, outlined in a letter to local officials.

EOHED is holding a webinar on September 8th at 1 p.m. to go over the guidelines; if you go to the guidelines page, and scroll down toward the bottom, you can register for the webinar.  

 


DHCD Rental Housing Awards Announced in Falmouth

August 18th, 2022 by Don Bianchi

Despite the lingering COVID-19 pandemic, and significant increases in construction and other costs, project sponsors continue to develop much-needed affordable housing, with the ongoing support of the MA Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD). On July 26th, in Falmouth, Lt. Governor Karyn Polito, DHCD Undersecretary Jennifer Maddox, and local officials announced awards for 26 affordable housing developments, which collectively will create or preserve 1,474 rental homes, with 1,326 of these being affordable. 

Eight of the projects were sponsored, or co-sponsored, by MACDC’s Members.  Collectively they compose 368 units, with 316 of these being affordable. They include the following: 

  • Anchor Point II in Beverly, sponsored by Harborlight Community Partners, is the second phase of a new construction project for families. It will offer 39 apartments, all affordable. Construction is well underway on the adjacent Anchor Point I project. 
  • Carol Avenue Rehab is an existing family housing project located in Boston’s Allston neighborhood. Sponsored by Allston-Brighton CDC, the project will feature 33 fully rehabilitated units, including 25 affordable units. 
  • In Nubian Square in Boston’s Roxbury neighborhood, Nuestra Comunidad, in partnership with Windale Developers, will newly construct Bartlett Station V.  When completed, the project, which will be built to Passive House standards, will offer 44 total units, including 33 affordable units. 
  • Neighborhood of Affordable Housing (NOAH) will newly construct Aileron in East Boston, which will provide 36 units, all affordable. 
  • 2085 Washington Street is a new construction, mixed-income project located in Boston’s Roxbury neighborhood. Madison Park Development Corporation, in partnership with Trinity Financial, is sponsoring the project, which will be built to Passive House standards, and will provide 64 rental units, 44 of them affordable. 
  • Lincoln School, in Brockton, is an historic adaptive re-use project, sponsored by NeighborWorks Housing Solutions. When completed, the project will offer 37 total units for seniors, all affordable. 
  • Just A Start will newly construct 52 New Street in Cambridge. The project, which will be built to Passive House standards will provide 107 units, including 97 affordable units. 
  • Hillman Firehouse Restoration in New Bedford is a historic adaptive re-use project, sponsored by Waterfront Historic Area LeaguE (WHALE).  When construction is completed, the project will offer eight total units, including 5 affordable units. 

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