The mission of the Planning Office, a non-profit affordable housing developer, is to serve as a catalyst for social justice through its work in housing development and neighborhood revitalization. The Planning Office is responsible for developing nearly 3,000 units of housing to date, revitalizing neighborhoods and towns throughout metropolitan Boston. |
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POUA staff watches the 50th anniversary video (L-R Bill Grogan, Lois Alksninis, Dan Rabinovitz, Mike McCaffrey, Shaina Korman-Houston, Deborah Hackett)
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POUA has accomplished a great deal over the last 50 years, but there is much work left to be done, as so many people in our communities still do not have access to decent, safe affordable housing.
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Dear Friends,
As 2021 brings hope, with vaccine distribution underway, and the change and promise that come with a new beginning, we continue to recognize the toll that the COVID-19 pandemic has taken, and continues to take across the Commonwealth and around the world. We must also continue to acknowledge and fight for social justice initiatives, as the pandemic, and since its beginnings, housing law, have disproportionally impacted Black, Indigenous, and other communities of color. We have already witnessed a challenge to democracy, and the peak of violent terrorist attacks this has caused on our country, and must continue to fight for the underrepresented groups in our community.
A new year brings a time of reflection on the past year and preceding years, and this is especially true in 2021, with the completion of our 50-year office anniversary video. We have included a link here (click the image of the family at the bottom of this letter); the video provides a brief overview of the work of the Planning Office, our partnerships, properties, and residents over the past 50 years.
We are thrilled to begin this year with some important updates: first, by welcoming Shaina Korman-Houston as our new Real Estate Director. She brings more than 15 years of experience in the affordable and mixed-income housing world to our office. In her role, she will help develop our project pipeline and see projects through all stages of development. Our work with UMass Boston will continue, not just through their graduate assistantship program, but in a consulting capacity as we work towards implementing our health & housing program across a handful of pilot properties. Included in these pilot properties is our newest development, The Ledges, in partnership with EA Fish, which provides 64 residents aged 62 and older with homes in the Ashland/MetroWest area. Residents began moving in throughout January 2021, providing these seniors with secure and independent housing for the new year, and hopefully many years to come. Similarly, Cote Village, in partnership with Caribbean Integration Community Development, in Mattapan, will be completing construction this year, with the first units hoping to be ready for occupancy at the end of the summer.
As we look forward, we feel the importance of our work now more than ever, and will continue to develop properties that provide these underserved communities with places that they can call home.
Thank you, on behalf of POUA, and all those we have the honor to serve.
Sincerely,
William H. Grogan, President
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POUA's Health & Housing Initiative |
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POUA’s Health and Housing Initiative, which will gather voluntary, self-reported health information from residents of select POUA properties to improve resident services, is gearing up for implementation in Spring 2021. As part of our partnership with the Gerontology Institute at UMASS Boston, over the past several months graduate student Elisabeth Stam has worked with POUA for her assistantship to help lay the groundwork for the Health and Housing survey. “We are delighted to share that our partnership is progressing well and we hope to complete a resident health survey later this year,” says Elisabeth. “We look forward to gaining more knowledge from this survey project in order to better serve and advocate for our community’s healthcare needs.” POUA’s Development and Policy Project Manager, Amarillys Rodriguez, adds, “We are also grateful for the advice and support of the UMASS Boston professors and administrators, as well as researchers and staff from the Leading Age LTSS Center @UMASS Boston, which we have worked with through this partnership. Their insight has helped us strengthen our process at these early stages, and clarify goals and next steps as we think about the future of this project.”
Elisabeth’s work to date has involved learning from similar efforts by fellow housing organizations, getting buy-in and information from on-site property management and resident services staff, and refining our survey plan and the survey itself. When the survey is ready, she will begin collecting responses from residents, and distribute the survey remotely through various mediums. Once the survey period is complete, we will analyze the data to identify ways we can better serve residents. With this data, we plan to form relationships with service providers to create targeted programs to help our residents. This will be a long-term effort, but we will share updates as we make progress. Stay tuned!
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POUA recently received foundation grants that will help to fund the Health & Housing Initiative! |
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A sincere thank you to Webster Bank, Eastern Bank, and Bank of America for their generous grants. |
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Staff News: Amarillys Rodriguez |
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We are excited to announce that Amarillys Rodriguez, POUA’s Development and Policy Project Manager, has been elected to the Board of Directors for the Builders of Color Coalition (BCC). BCC’s mission is to create generational impact in expanding economic opportunity by increasing access and diversity in Boston’s commercial real estate sector. BCC convenes minority real estate professionals across Greater Boston for the purposes of mutual professional development and leveraged access to development projects through partnership, financing, and employment. The Board voted on and approved Ms. Rodriguez’s nomination at BCC’s annual meeting in December 2020. “I’m thrilled to support BCC on its important work in this capacity,” says Amarillys, “and hope to be a bridge between BCC members, POUA, and our partners throughout the affordable housing and real estate development community to build relationships, catalyze development opportunities, and highlight our impact.”
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Shaina Korman-Houston
Real Estate Director
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We are thrilled to welcome Shaina Korman-Houston to the Planning Office, who joined us January 4th as our new Real Estate Director. Shaina has more than 15 years of experience in the development, financing, and asset management of housing for low-income families and senior citizens. In her capacity as Real Estate Director, Shaina will be responsible for actively developing the project pipeline and coordinating projects through all stages of development, including feasibility analyses, financial modeling, assembling tax credit and other financing, managing project development teams, and assembling permitting and regulatory review applications. Prior to joining the Planning Office, Shaina served as Deputy Director at Metro West Collaborative Development, where she oversaw a period of growth in the organization’s real estate development. She has been involved in the development or preservation of nearly 325 units of affordable housing, representing nearly $130 million of investment throughout Eastern Massachusetts. Before moving to Boston, Shaina worked as an Asset Manager for Victory Housing, the nonprofit housing development arm of the Archdiocese of Washington, and as a grant writer for DC Habitat for Humanity. Shaina received her Bachelor of Arts in Government and Jewish Studies from American University and her master’s degree in City and Regional Planning from the University of Carolina at Chapel Hill. Shaina will bring insight and years of experience to the office, and we are excited to have her fill this new role. |
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Ribbon Cutting: The Ledges, Ashland |
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The Planning Office for Urban Affairs (POUA) and EA Fish Development recently completed a 64-unit affordable housing development in Ashland, MA called The Ledges. The Ledges provides seniors with much needed housing, just in time for the beginning of a new year and a cold winter. With a timeline starting in 2005, the team has been resilient and dedicated to increasing affordable housing options for residents in the Ashland area and nearby communities; this development is the culmination of a 15-year public-private partnership between the Town of Ashland, EA Fish Development, and POUA. At least 15 of the 64 units will provide homes for local Ashland community members.
The Ledges provides a fitness center; a lounge area with shuffleboard, a fireplace, and a crafting area; laundry facilities; on-site parking; on-site management; resident services and activities; and nearby parks and walking trails. The Ledges consists of 15 units at 30% Area Median Income (AMI), 25 units at 50% AMI, and 24 units at 60% AMI.
Photo credit: Andy Ryan
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Vaccine Clinics at Senior Properties |
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Maloney Properties has organized COVID-19 vaccine clinics at senior housing communities across Massachusetts and Vermont to vaccinate elderly residents, including at our Rose Hill Manor and Riley House developments. They have already vaccinated most residents across 24 properties in their portfolio so far. Read more on their swift efforts to vaccinate all residents here.
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“My staff and I were very grateful to be able to provide our residents the opportunity to be vaccinated in their own homes. Due to the mobility challenges that our seniors face, this was a very good opportunity for some who may otherwise not have gotten vaccinated.” –Grisel Laboy, Property Manager, Riley House
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Construction continues on Cote Village Apartments, with completion anticipated to occur at the end of 2021.
Construction on the Townhomes at Cote Village is progressing at a strong pace, with construction anticipated to be completed in late summer 2021. The construction activities completed to date include demolition of the industrial structural on the site, remediation, site work around stormwater and foundations, framing, roofing, and window installation. Currently the contractor has work underway on rough mechanical, electrical, plumbing and fire protection, as well as underground utilities and insulating the buildings. Read more about the project hitting its halfway point here!
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Property managers and resident coordinators at Barstow Village and Bethany Apartments, both in Hanover, delivered holiday meals and smiles to residents. Kristen and Nancy sought out resources, with resident services coordinator Nancy working with the South Shore YMCA to get the residents at Bethany Apartments holiday meals, regularly delivered food staples, and large bags of holiday gifts for residents in need.
"I moved into the Bethany Apartments in the summer of 2018. I came from living in a group home where I lived with 8 other people. I had never lived completely alone before. I was very nervous to live alone but I actually love it! I live here with my 11 year old cat that I adopted after moving in. Living at Bethany has completely changed my life. I am an independent 25 year old now and I am living my best life. I love living alone but I have also made friends in the building that I spend time with regularly. Bethany Apartments has given me the opportunity to live a happy, quiet life." - Hannah, resident at Bethany Apartments
The Planning Office also sponsored a holiday meal for 100 residents of West End Place in December. Residents received individually packaged turkey dinners delivered by staff, and the kids received goodie bags.
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Upcoming Events and Announcements |
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Awards, Honors, and Distinctions |
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Preservation Massachusetts
Charles Eliot Award
The Union at 48 Boylston
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We were grateful to receive a 2020 Charles W. Eliot Award for The Union at 48 Boylston in Boston from Preservation Massachusetts, whose award celebrations took place virtually this year. The Charles W. Eliot Award is given to organizations with exceptional vision and excellence in planning for preservation. Thanks to Mary Thompson at Bank of America for nominating POUA and St. Francis House for this award!
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American Bankers Association Virtual Property Tour |
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October 19th & 20th, 2020 |
Bill Grogan presented as part of The American Bankers Association Unconventional Convention virtual property tour, where he discussed The Union at 48 Boylston, the partnerships it took to finalize the project, and building inclusive communities. The panel also included Chris Scoville from Eastern Bank and Diane Clark from Nuestra Comunidad Development Corporation. |
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CCUSA Affordable Housing Institute |
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Bill also presented at the Catholic Charities USA Affordable Housing Institute on October 15th, 2020, held virtually. For the presentation, Bill covered the process of developing Uphams Crossing, an 80 unit affordable family housing development in Dorchester.
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POUA is looking for a Project Manager. For more information and how to apply follow this link:
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The Planning Office has enrolled in AmazonSmile! Click on the photo to link our office to your account and, on eligible purchases, 0.5% of the price will go to POUA. If you install this extension you'll automatically be redirected to AmazonSmile while shopping on Amazon, and you won't miss out on making any donations!
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We're on Facebook and Instagram! |
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The Planning Office for Urban Affairs
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