GOALs REPORT

Growing Opportunities,
Assets, and Leaders

2023

Introduction

Where do we want to go? How far have we come toward our destination? For MACDC, the answer to the first question always comes back to our mission, established by the Massachusetts CDCs who collectively govern MACDC: To advance racial and economic equity by creating healthy communities where everyone lives in housing they can afford, benefits from economic opportunities, and can fully participate in the civic life of their community.

To quote the proverbial small child who, on a long car ride, asks “Are we there yet?” the answer for CDCs, and for MACDC, is always “not yet.” Through their activities each year, CDCs collectively strive to respond to the pressing challenges in the communities they serve, and through these activities, collectively embody MACDC’s mission. The GOALs Survey is MACDC’s tool for measuring the collective impact of CDCs- to offer a quantitative measure of how far we have come, over the past year.

In calendar year 2022, Massachusetts CDCs achieved the following:

1,640 community leaders were engaged.
1,476 homes were created or preserved.
6,100 jobs were created or preserved.
1,846 entrepreneurs were provided technical or financial assistance.
84,265 families were assisted with housing, jobs, or other services.
More than $1.6 billion was invested in local communities.

For example, CDCs weathered the storm of COVID, but its ongoing health and economic impacts call for continued vigilance and persistence. In 2022, CDCs that engaged in affordable housing development dealt with rapidly increasing costs, especially in construction, and resultant project funding gaps. These gaps were met in part, but not in full, by the additional federal funds made available under the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA). Small business entrepreneurs dealt with higher costs as well, and with their ongoing needs for both capital and technical assistance.

In this year’s GOALs Report, you’ll read about several exciting CDC initiatives. In Hampden County, Revitalize CDC addresses health hazards in homes that are literally making their residents sick with asthma and other respiratory conditions. In Boston’s Chinatown neighborhood, Asian CDC mobilizes residents of all ages to reimagine and design public spaces, and in the process, build community power. Through its Youth Jobs & Leadership Program, ACT Lawrence offers paid year-round jobs and financial literacy workshops. Housing Assistance Corporation launched Housing to Protect Cape Cod, to encourage local action by residents in support of year-round affordable housing. Quaboag Valley CDC offers the Ride Connector, to link residents across this large rural region to employment, education, healthcare, and other essential services.

There is much more to read about in this Report, and many more impactful and inspiring stories that we don’t have space to include here. We’ve made great progress toward achieving our shared mission, with a long way to go!

1,476 HOMES Created or Preserved

Constructed, rehabilitated, or preserved

1,156

HOMES

Provided home improvement loans or lead abatement services for

311

HOMES

Provided development consulting or construction management services, or acted as a court-ordered receiver for

9

HOMES

6,100 JOB OPPORTUNITIES
Created or Preserved

Helped

744

PEOPLE

obtain jobs by strengthening their skills and connection to employers

Created

2,451

JOBS

for local workers in real estate construction projects and for people working for commercial tenants in these projects

Provided technical and financial assistance to businesses that created or preserved

2,905

JOBS

1,846 ENTREPRENEURS Provided Technical or Financial Assistance

Provided training, technical assistance, or lending to

3,327

ENTREPRENEURS

Helped entrepreneurs obtain more than

$20.5 M

IN LOANS AND GRANTS

84,265 FAMILIES Assisted with Housing, Jobs or Other Services

Assisted

57,509

FAMILIES

with housing or housing-related services

Provided jobs or other economic opportunities to

16,399

FAMILIES

Provided services to

10,357

ELDERS AND YOUTH

27 CDCs helped

29,044

RENTERS AND HOMEOWNERS

at risk of displacement access emergency cash assistance

1,640 COMMUNITY LEADERS Engaged

794

 BOARD MEMBERS

846

 NON-BOARD AND COMMUNITY LEADERS

7,421

OTHER VOLUNTEERS

$1.616 BILLION INVESTED
 in Local Communities

$1 Billion +

INVESTED

In completed real estate projects and in other housing assistance

$600 Million +

INVESTED

In programs, services, and economic opportunities

ACT Lawrence

Through its Youth Jobs & Leadership Program, ACT Lawrence provided 93 young people with services, including stipended job opportunities, improving their financial skills and self-esteem, and preparing them for future jobs and higher education.

Lawrence, MA

Asian CDC

Asian CDC’s Hudson Street Stoop mobilizes residents of all ages to reimagine and design public spaces in Chinatown, as a way of building community power. Hudson Street Stoop is one of ACDC's place-keeping programs that convenes local artists, residents, and community members to co-create public art that is interactive and playful.

Boston, MA

Codman Square NDC

“Ready, Set, Work”, Codman Square NDC’s employment and training support program, offers employment assistance for job seekers at all stages of their careers, including digital tools to assist in job search, training, and continuing education.

Boston, MA

Homeowners Rehab, Inc.

Homeowners Rehab, Inc. preserved 300 units of mixed-income rental housing at Rivermark Apartments in Cambridge. With a full re-cladding and deep energy retrofit, HRI has transformed a 1970’s concrete high-rise into a beautiful landmark on the edge of the Charles River.

Cambridge, MA

Housing Assistance Corporation

Housing Assistance Corporation launched Housing to Protect Cape Cod, to encourage local action by Cape Cod residents in support of year-round housing that is affordable for the people who make their communities work. Local leaders, with training and support from HAC, advocate with Town Boards, organize other residents, and seek election or appointment to a local office.

Cape Cod, MA

Housing Corporation of Arlington

Housing Corporation of Arlington helped 42 families remain housed by providing almost $86,000 in Homelessness Prevention Program grants to provide funds for past-due rent, security deposits, and moving expenses.

Arlington, MA

Inquilinos Boricuas en Acción (IBA)

IBA’s Financial Empowerment Program helps create a path to economic prosperity for residents and other program participants. In 2022, IBA provided nearly 900 financial coaching sessions to 170 individuals, which included workshops on credit building and creating personal budgets.

Boston, MA

Jamaica Plain NDC

Jamaica Plain NDC was instrumental in helping immigrant-owned businesses go digital during the COVID-19 pandemic. JPNDC is a member of the Community Business Network, convened by MACDC as a coalition of small business technical assistance providers, which played an important role in supporting small businesses through the pandemic.

Boston, MA

NewVue Communities

In the past year, NewVue Communities’ Small Business Technical Assistance team helped 100 businesses create or retain 234 jobs. Fifty-three percent of the clients assisted were people of color, 56% were women, and 36% were immigrants.

Fitchburg, MA

Quaboag Valley CDC

Quaboag Valley CDC and the Town of Ware launched the Route 9 Shuttle, an expansion of the Quaboag Connector, a transit service which has been in operation since 2017. With the public and private investment, and QVCDC’s stewardship, the Quaboag Connector has provided affordable, accessible transportation to residents in the Quaboag Valley to access jobs, education, healthcare and other essential services.

Ware, MA

Revitalize CDC

Revitalize CDC was awarded a $1.4 million HUD Healthy Homes grant. The funds will be used to make safe and healthy improvements to 70 homes in Hampden County over 42 months. The program focuses primarily on assessing, and improving, the living conditions of people with asthma and other respiratory conditions.

Springfield, MA

Across Massachusetts

Through the MA Clean Energy Center’s EmPower Massachusetts Program, six CDCs were among those awarded funds to develop and implement community-based initiatives to increase access to clean energy and meaningfully reduce energy burden for underserved population. Congrats to Codman Square NDC, Main South CDC, Mill Cities Community Investments, North Shore CDC, Chinatown CLT, and Housing Nantucket.

Across Massachusetts

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