Court Street Neighborhood Center Big news! Just this morning, we purchased 193 Court Street in Laconia. Many of you will recognize the old Walter's Market building. Over the next few months, we will renovate the building for use as LRCD's new offices and our new Court Street Neighborhood Center. The Court Street Neighborhood Center will enable us to provide community building & engagement programming for the low-income families that we serve throughout the City of Laconia. Our community building program aims to increase social connections, share knowledge, and develop leadership skills. Through these activities, we seek to reduce the impact of substance use disorder, enhance feelings of safety, improve overall health and wellness, and increase financial mobility of LRCD residents and their neighbors. We are grateful for a Community Development Block Grant from NH Community Development Finance Authority to support this project. We are proud to be partnering with Meredith Village Savings Bank which provided financing to support part of the acquisition and for the renovations. We look forward to sharing progress photos with you as construction gets underway! Legislative Update Thank you to everyone who reached out to their Senators last week, urging them to support affordable housing. It worked! See the update on relevant bills below. Affordable Housing Fund. SB 15, that proposes a $10 million surplus appropriation into the Affordable Housing Fund [the Fund], as well as an annual $5 million payment from the real estate transfer tax into the Fund, passed the Senate on March 14. A smaller appropriation for the Fund was proposed by Governor Sununu in HB 2, at the level of $5 million. The state budget for state fiscal years 20-21 is now before the House Finance committee where advocates are encouraging funding at the SB 15 levels. Housing Appeals Board. SB 306, that would create a statewide housing appeals board, passed the Senate on March 14. Similar to the Board of Tax and Land Appeals, the Housing Appeals Board would be an alternative for review of housing-related cases by the Superior Court. The Board is specifically designed to provide administrative efficiencies, subject-matter expertise, and adjudication after local reviews are exhausted. The bill, supported by the Business and Industry Association, the NH Association of Realtors and Housing Action NH, now heads to the House. Homeless Services Expansion. SB 84, that proposes an appropriation for Senate Bill 84 to expand homeless services passed the Senate on March 14. SB 84 identifies the most pressing priorities identified by the Department of Health and Human Services and New Hampshire’s homeless service providers in order to: 1) serve those who are experiencing homelessness through expansion of case management ($2 million); 2) transition the homeless into more permanent housing solutions through rapid re-housing ($1 million); and 3) prevent an increase in homelessness in New Hampshire through eviction prevention ($2 million). Secure Your Tee Sponsorship Today!
Building Community - Laconia Seniors who live at our River's Edge Apartments in Laconia are participating in a Cooking Matters course. The six-week course teaches low-income seniors how to prepare and shop sensibly for healthy meals on a limited budget. Participants get a free crockpot and a bag of groceries after each class so they can practice the recipes they were taught. Thank you to the Partnership for Public Health for bringing this great program to our residents! Green Tip - Spring Cleaning Recipes As a NeighborWorks America Green Designated Organization, we have incorporated green practices across all our lines of business, and we strive to inspire our community to choose green practices for their homes and businesses. We hope you enjoy our monthly Green Tip. Here are some simple recipes from Better Homes & Gardens for homemade cleaning solutions that will reduce your family’s exposure to harmful chemicals and save you money:
Soft Scrub: Add enough dish soap to 1/8 cup baking soda to make a creamy mixture. Use on bathroom and kitchen surfaces with a wet rag or sponge. Rinse surface well after scrubbing. Appliance Cleaner: Dry baking soda shines up small appliances and even removes bread wrappers burned onto the toaster. Try rubbing a teaspoon onto your grubby blender or food processor with a clean rag. Toilet Cleaner/Deodorizer: Sprinkle toilet bowl with 1/4 cup baking soda. Drizzle with 1/4 cup white vinegar, then scour with a toilet brush. Oven Cleaner: Sprinkle oven with 1/2 cup baking soda (more if needed) and spray with water. Let sit for several hours or overnight before scraping up stains and spills. Rinse thoroughly with water. Community Survey In 2018, we began working with the families that we house in new ways. We have always provided resident services to assist families who are struggling. Now we want to engage with all our tenants to develop leadership skills, help people obtain living wage jobs with benefits, and strengthen protective factors at the family and community level to increase every family’s chance at success. We realized that we needed to strengthen our relationships with our tenants before we could enter into meaningful dialogue with them about family, work, and community. So in October 2018, we sent out a 40-question community wellness survey to all our tenants. The survey asked about basic needs, health, neighborhood safety, work and career goals, and level of community involvement. Over 40% of our residents responded. The following issues jumped off the page for us. Neighborhood Safety
Legislative Update Last month, we reported on two legislative service requests that we were watching. We are happy to report that both have been formally introduced as legislation in the NH Senate. Senate Bill 15 is sponsored by Senator Jeb Bradley (R-Wolfeboro) with a strong, bi-partisan list of co-sponsors. SB15 would make a $10 million appropriation to New Hampshire’s Affordable Housing Fund for the biennium ending June 30, 2021 and would establish an annual transfer of $5 million from real estate transfer tax revenue into the Fund. The state has only sporadically put money into the Fund since its inception in 1988. If passed, SB15 would not only generate the single largest investment in affordable housing that the state has ever made, it would also create a dedicated annual funding source for affordable housing. Most states in New England have invested significantly more in their affordable housing infrastructure than New Hampshire has. SB 15 would be a major step forward in addressing New Hampshire’s housing crisis. Senate Bill 84 is sponsored by Senator Cindy Rosenwald (D-Nashua). It would more than double the funding for the Bureau of Housing Supports at the Department of Health and Human Services to contract with homeless services providers throughout the state to address homelessness. The bill would establish a $2 million eviction prevention fund that can be used to help families pay back rent or address transportation or health crises that could lead to eviction. It would also provide $2 million to increase case management staffing at homeless services providers to help people who are homeless get into stable housing. Lastly, the bill would provide $1 million for rapid re-housing of youth between 18 and 24 years old and families who are eligible for Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF). Homelessness increased 118% in Belknap County from 2016 to 2018, which is the biggest increase of any county in the state. LRCD has directly experienced some impacts of this increase, including seeing more tenants violating their lease to allow homeless friends and family with no other option to live in their apartment, as well as homeless individuals breaking into our properties and causing property damage. SB 84 would provide much-needed resources to alleviate homelessness in New Hampshire. Meet Carrie Duran, New Board Member Carrie recently joined our Board of Directors as a new tenant representative. She and her three daughters have lived at Harriman Hill in Wolfeboro for over four years. She was a Teaching Assistant at the Lakes Region Technology Center for four years before taking this year off to finish her bachelor’s degree. Carrie is an active community member. She serves as Secretary of the Region One Family Support Advisory Council, is on the Board of Northern Human Services, serves as Vice President of the State Family Support Council, and is a Policy Committee Member of the New Hampshire Council on Developmental Disabilities. It was as a member of the NH Council on Developmental Disabilities that Carrie played an important role in advocating for the expansion of Medicaid in NH. Carrie is currently working on her Bachelor of Arts in Special Education at Granite State College and is expected to finish this June. Secure Your Tee Sponsorship Today! Have your logo at one of the eighteen holes at this family-friendly event and seen by 150+ participants. To secure your tee sponsorship for the 4th Annual Putt Putt Tournament click HERE or contact Caitlin Meaney at 603.524.0747 ext. 108 or at cmeaney@lrcommunitydevelopers.org. The tournament is on June 21st from 4 pm to 7 pm at Pirates Cove, Winnisquam. Building Community - Laconia LRCD staff and residents of River's Edge Apartments participated in a Stop the Bleed training provided by Partnership for Public Health. All participants learned the basic techniques of bleeding control and practice using a tourniquet. All the Ways You Can Give You have the power to change the lives of hundreds of families in the Lakes Region by supporting the work we do. You may be able to increase your charitable gift to Lakes Region Community Developers by giving in a new way. Consult with your financial advisor, accountant, tax preparer, or estate planner to determine if you would benefit from increasing your support by making your gift in one or more of the following ways. Appreciated Securities If you are concerned about paying capital gains tax on stocks, bonds, or mutual funds that have appreciated in value, you could donate them to LRCD. We are a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, so we are not subject to capital gains tax. If you have owned the securities for at least one year, you can donate them directly to us without paying any capital gains tax. We can then liquidate the securities tax-free and use the proceeds to carry out our mission. Consult with your accountant or financial advisor to determine if donating securities is right for you. IRA Charitable Contribution Annual withdrawals from your IRA are required after age 70 ½, and the penalty for skipping a required minimum distribution can be significant. However, if you are in the fortunate position of not needing your distribution for living expenses, you may avoid paying income tax on your required withdrawal by donating it to a charitable organization like Lakes Region Community Developers. This may also help you avoid or reduce the taxes that you have to pay on your social security income. Consult with your financial advisor or accountant to determine if making an IRA charitable contribution could be beneficial to you. Charitable Bequest If you are interested in making a gift with lasting impact without giving up assets during your lifetime, consider including a charitable gift, also known as a bequest, in your will. A bequest can be of any size—you can specify a fixed dollar amount or a percentage of your estate. Your bequest can be unrestricted, meaning it will support our most vital needs or priorities at the time it is received, or you may direct your gift to a specific program at LRCD. Consult with your estate planner to decide if a charitable bequest is right for you. If you want to make a gift to Lakes Region Community Developers in any of these ways, please contact Carmen Lorentz at (603) 524-0747 ext. 110 or CLorentz@LRcommunitydevelopers.org. Thank you. Green Tip - De-Ice Your Windshield Naturally As a NeighborWorks America Green Designated Organization we have incorporated green practices across all lines of business. As an organization it is important to us that we remain steadfast stewards of our precious resources and inspire our neighbors to see the value and ease of incorporating green practices into their lives. We hope you enjoy our monthly Green Tip. Don't get stuck scraping your windshield, instead use this all natural trick to prevent ice build-up! To help prevent ice from forming on your car windows and windshield, mix three parts white vinegar with one part water, and spray onto your car windows and windshield before you go to bed. Even if snow has fallen, the vinegar mixture will help prevent ice build-up.
Letter from the Director Happy New Year! I love January. It is the perfect moment to reflect back on the past year, and at the same time look forward to everything the new year has in store. I am so proud of what we accomplished in 2018:
These initiatives are core to our mission of providing healthy housing. This year, we will undertake several exciting projects that are completely new to LRCD:
As we face these new opportunities, we are grateful for the partnership and support of so many wonderful organizations, businesses, and individuals throughout the Lakes Region. We could not do this work without you. Thank you! Best wishes in 2019, Carmen R. Lorentz Executive Director 2019 State Legislative Outlook As the 2019 legislative session kicks off, we are keeping an eye on two legislative service requests (LSRs) that have been filed in the New Hampshire Senate. The first is to make an appropriation to the state’s affordable housing fund. While this fund has existed for many years, the legislature has not always made an appropriation to it. Last year, the legislature appropriated $2.5 million to the fund, but restricted it for building transitional housing for people coming out of residential treatment facilities for substance use disorder or mental illness. As New Hampshire’s housing crisis intensifies, a more significant appropriation with no restrictions will be critical to ensure that we have the resources and the flexibility for communities to build what they need, whether that is affordable starter homes or apartments that are affordable to a region’s workforce. The second LSR that we are watching would make an appropriation to the NH Department of Health and Human Services for homeless services expansion. You may have seen the recent report from the NH Coalition to End Homelessness documenting changes in homelessness in NH from 2016 to 2018. The report shows that homelessness statewide increased 10% from 2016 to 2018. In Belknap County, however, homelessness increased a whopping 118% (46 more people were homeless in 2018 than in 2016). The data for Belknap County reflect increases in every category of homelessness: chronic, family, veteran, unsheltered, and temporarily doubled-up. Homelessness is a highly complex issue. As a landlord with 365 apartments in the Lakes Region, we see untreated substance use disorder and mental illness as major contributing factors. We will be watching this LSR with hopes that more resources will be available in the future to address this increase in homelessness in our region. 4th Annual Putt Putt - Save the Date! Our last Putt Putt Tournament was so much fun we couldn't wait an entire year to do it again. Mark your calendars as busy on June 21st from 4pm to 7pm for the 4th Annual Putt Putt Tournament! For sponsorship opportunities or to sign up your team contact Caitlin Meaney at cmeaney@lrcommunitydevelopers.org or 603.524.07474 ext. 108. Building Community - Laconia Before the holidays, the residents of River's Edge Apartments in Laconia were serenaded by the Holy Trinity Catholic School Choir. Ways to Give - Charitable Bequest If you are interested in making a gift with lasting impact without giving up assets during your lifetime, consider including a charitable gift, also known as a bequest, in your will. A bequest can be of any size—you can specify a fixed dollar amount or a percentage of your estate. Your bequest can be unrestricted, meaning it will support our most vital needs or priorities at the time it is received, or you may direct your gift to a specific program at LRCD. Consult with your estate planner to decide if a charitable bequest is right for you. If you want to make a gift to Lakes Region Community Developers in any of these ways, please contact Carmen Lorentz at (603) 524-0747 ext. 110 or CLorentz@LRcommunitydevelopers.org. Thank you. Green Tip - Today's Recycling As a NeighborWorks America Green Designated Organization we have incorporated green practices across all lines of business. As an organization it is important to us that we remain steadfast stewards of our precious resources and inspire our neighbors to see the value and ease of incorporating green practices into their lives. We hope you enjoy our monthly Green Tip. 2018 was a dramatic year for the recycling market. Communities whose recycling programs had been a consistent source of revenue are now costing them. It’s a cost that is forcing some recycling centers to discontinue the recycling of some items, such as glass and plastics #3-#7, to stay in the black.
This major shift is driven in large part by China’s increasingly strict criteria for the quality of imported recycled material. Beginning in early 2018, the Chinese government began what it called the “National Sword Policy,” an environmental initiative which, among other things, banned various plastics and set rigorous limits on acceptable levels of food and other waste contamination. China had been taking half of the world’s paper and plastic when it called a halt to the imports, tightening the contamination limit to 0.5 percent for most imports. That's an unattainable standard at U.S. single-stream recycling processing plants designed to churn out bales of paper or plastic that are, at best, 97 percent free of contaminants such as foam cups and food waste. Here are some tips can you do to help your communities recycling program:
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