Union Square Apartments
Accepting Rental Applications
Applications Due May 5
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SCC and Winn Residential are pleased to announce that rental applications for the upcoming Union Square Apartments development at 181 Washington Street in Somerville are now available!
Construction is expected to be completed August 2016 on 35 new affordable one-, two-, and three-bedroom apartments that will be made available for income eligible families and individuals.
and submit by 4:00 PM on May 5th to Winn Residential Office, 7 Memorial Road #109, Somerville, MA 02145
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Interested in a Garden Plot?
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The Concord Ave Community Space is looking for new members!
Located at the corner of Concord Ave and Webster Ave, the space has raised beds available for growing veggies and flowers.
Are you an SCC member interested in a garden plot sponsored by SCC? If so, contact Karen ASAP at
[email protected]
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First Time Homebuyer Class
Next Class Begins May 18
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May 18, 19, 25 & 26 | 6:00-9:00 PM
at SCC, 337 Somerville Ave, Somerville
This 12-hour program will feature presentations by a real estate agent, a lender, a home inspector, a real estate attorney, and an insurance agent, in addition to SCC staff, providing everything you need to know before you start the process of buying your first home.
Upon completion, participants receive a certificate enabling them to access products geared towards first-time homebuyers, such as the
ONE Mortgage.
Participants must:
- Pre-register
- Attend all 4 sessions
Our next First-Time Homebuyer Class:
June 21, 22, 28 & 29 |
6:00 - 9:00 PM
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Register for Online Course
SCC is now offering THE ROAD HOME, an online homebuyer training!
The majority of the course is done on one's own time, but participants must attend one in-person session at the Somerville Community Corporation. This session is 2 hours long and is held from 6:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.
The course is $100 per individual.
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Financial Literacy Class
Next Class Begins June 22
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Reserve your spot for our next series which begins on March 22nd.
Class will be held on Wednesday and Thursday mornings from June 22 - July 13.
Over the course of four weeks, participants will gain important information and skills to help them navigate their financial lives more successfully . Graduates will receive a $200 stipend to get them started on a successful financial path!
Childcare will be available upon request.
Participants must:
- Pre-register
- Attend all 7 sessions AND 2 counseling sessions with SCC staff to successfully graduate
- Live and/or work in Somerville;
- Qualify under these income guidelines
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Upcoming Events & Meetings
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Our numerous groups and committees meet regularly and are open to newcomers!
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Click on the calendar below to learn more about meetings and events coming up:
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Nothing says spring like that warmer weather to get us back outdoors. If you like gardening, then consider reaching out to us to stake your claim in an open garden plot at the Concord Ave. Community Space. Maybe you'd prefer joining SCC staff and members for the 13th Annual Save Our Homes Walk on May 22? Or, in honor of earth day, you might want to visit St. Polycarp to check out the newly installed solar panels that are going to offset 85% of the development's energy. Whether these, or the other committees activities, events, and classes you'll read about below, we'd love for you to get involved.
Continue reading to learn about our latest news and opportunities to get involved and make a difference in your community.
From all of us at SCC, thank you for your support.
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Union United Goes National to Fight for Local Issues
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In early April, Union United had the privilege to be invited to a Community Benefits Agreement (CBA) Conference in Chicago. Hosted by Alliance of the Southeast and featuring speakers from successful community benefits coalitions around the country, including New York City, Pittsburgh, Los Angeles, and Detroit. The conference was an energizing opportunity for us to learn from our partners who are fighting for good jobs, environmental health, and other important benefits as their communities transform. Union United is truly part of a national movement.
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Karen Narefsky, SCC Community Organizer, Van Hardy, SCC Board President, and Niran Khanal at the CBA Conference in Chicago in early April.
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We channeled the momentum into a press conference and packed coalition meeting the following week. We heard words of support from State Representative Tim Toomey, Alderman Matt McLaughlin, candidate Mike Connolly, and Union United members Marie Douge and Magela Silveira. Our coalition is growing every day, and we are proud to have support from elected officials at the state and local level.
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Representative, Tim Toomey, speaks at a strategic Union United coalition meeting and press conference with words of support for a community-led CBA.
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On Wednesday, April 13, we achieved a milestone after two years: a delegation of Union United members met with Mayor Curtatone and members of his staff. Our goal was to approach the mayor in partnership and get his commitment to work with us to ensure that an independent, representative community group will be a party to a CBA with the City and US2, the developer for the Union Square redevelopment. While our meeting was very cordial, no agreement was made. That will not keep us from continuing to fight for a voice in the planning process.
We appreciate the mayor's acknowledgement that our activism has shifted the narrative in city processes more than once, but It's disappointing that the City doesn't yet realize the benefits a true CBA has to ensure development without displacement.
Join us for our monthly coalition meeting on Thursday, May 5.
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2016 Social Equity Campaign Springs into Action with April 27 Kick-Off Party
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On April 27, SCC will be hosting a kick-off party
at Union Square's Brass Union for the 2016 Social Equity Campaign. This is
to celebrate our 2015 success, lay the groundwork for the coming year, and express our appreciation for our generous supporters like you.
We're grateful to welcome Mayor Joseph Curtatone and Marybeth Campbell, Executive Director of SkillWorks, as featured speakers. Guests will enjoy drinks, snacks, and even a little shuffleboard!
For more information about the this event or the Social Equity Campaign, contact Meridith Levy at 617-776-5931 x242 or [email protected].
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SCC Boosts Solar Power Production at St. Polycarp
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Today,
the solar installations at St. Polycarp 2 and 3 are complete and waiting final approval from Eversource.
The panels should be fully operational and generating solar electricity by the end of this month. The 93 kilowatt installations (359 panels) will complement the existing solar electricity and hot water panels currently at St. Polycarp and will offset 85% of the common area electricity for St. Polycarp 2 and 3, as well as all the electricity for SCC's Cross Street Apartments. At current energy use rates, the solar will cut the properties' electricity bills by 17%, with even greater savings as electricity prices rise. The installed panels will eliminate 1,350 tons of carbon emissions over their 25 year life, which is the equivalent of removing 168,000 miles driven each year.
Boston Community Capital (BCC), a community development financial institution and a long-time lender to SCC, created an affiliate, BCC Solar, to provide solar to affordable housing and non-profit organizations. SCC selected BCC Solar to develop the solar installation for St Polycarp Phases 2 and 3. BCC solar, which is currently the state's largest developer of solar installations serving private affordable housing and non-profit organizations. BCC overall has developed 34 solar installations, generating over 8 million kilowatt hours of solar electricity annually and serving more than 4,100 units of affordable housing.
For more information about these solar installations or our housing properties, please contact Scott Hayman at [email protected] 617-776-5931 x 227.
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Support Team SCC at May 22 Save Our Homes Walk
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1:30 PM - Registration
2:00 PM - Walk begins
(
walk begins and ends at Somerville High School)
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The Second Line Brass Band joins the 12th Annual Save Our Homes Walk in 2015
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Last year, the Walk raised $40,000, which provided families and individuals with cashgrants to help with security deposits, back rent, utility bills, and moving costs related to homelessness prevention. Every year, friends and members of SCC band together with the Somerville Homeless Coalition, Cambridge and Somerville Legal Services, and the Community Action Agency of Somerville, to continue this valuable tradition of raising much-needed funds for housing stabilization.
On May 22nd,
join us as we strive to reach this year's fundraising goal of $50,000 to help even more of our neighbors in need. It's a fun, festive afternoon with a nice walk through Somerville neighborhoods. The route passes several landmarks that relate to affordable housing in Somerville.
Join Team SCC! Help us reach our fundraising goal to prevent and end homelessness.
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SCC Celebrates Accomplishments of Newest
Financial Literacy Education Program Cohort
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Van Hardy, SCC Board President, presenting Michelle Sousa with her certificate at the Financial Literacy Education Program graduation on April 12th
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Tuesday, April 12, 2016, marked an important day for participants in SCC's March/April Financial Literacy Education program. Instead of getting ready for more classroom lessons, they came with family members and loved ones ready to celebrate their accomplishments, program completion, and graduation from the six-session program. They were joined by Van Hardy, Board President, who shared with them how he, too, graduated from the program years ago. Hardy smiled and posed with happy participants as he presented their graduation certificate.
The Financial Literacy Education program provides education and support for individuals like Michelle Sousa, a mother of four who came to SCC thanks to a Massachusetts Learning, Employment, and Asset Program (LEAP) referral. "I was having a hard time managing money and paying bills on time," explains Sousa. "I was using bill money to pay for food."
Thanks to the tips and techniques gathered during the six class sessions, Sousa is more confident about her money management. "This program absolutely helped me," she says. "I started writing things down. Now I have a monthly planner so that way I can plan ahead. I'm starting to get better about paying everything on time."
Throughout the course, participants set realistic financial goals for themselves. The celebration gave graduates a chance to celebrate meeting those goals.
For more information on Financial Literacy or other Economic Opportunity programs, please contact Thais at 617-776-5931 x239 or
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First Source Member Spotlight: David Lee
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For more information about First Source Jobs, please contact Laura at [email protected]
or 617-776-5931 x237.
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