Virtual Event Tomorrow! LRCD is hosting it's second annual Housing & Economy Snapshot tomorrow, April 15th from 4:00pm to 5:30pm. The virtual event will include a screening of NH PBS' Communities and Consequences II: Rebalancing New Hampshire's Human Ecology and will be followed by a panel discussion. 4PM - 5PM SCREENING OF THE FILM Communities & Consequences II 5PM - 5:30PM PANEL DISCUSSION WITH Jay Childs, Film Director Bonnie Medico, Eastern Lakes Region Housing Coalition Edith DesMarais, Eastern Lakes Region Housing Coalition Moderated by Carmen Lorentz, Lakes Region Community Developers Generously Sponsored By 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 find a safe way to celebrate Earth Month & Day this year. LRCD's Recent Green Efforts GILFORD VILLAGE KNOLLS III We completed construction of Gilford Village Knolls III (GVKIII) in 2018. GVK III provides 24 affordable apartments for seniors in the heart of Gilford Village. This was a the third phase of the Gilford Village Knolls campus. GVK III was the first multi-family property in the State of New Hampshire to be Passive House Certified. GVK III was designed to be similar in size and footprint to GVK II. Comparing GVK II and III shows just how energy efficient GVK III truly is. It’s GVK III’s high performance building envelope and mechanical system that result in it using nearly half of the annual energy consumed by GVK II. When you include the electricity generated by GVK III’s solar array, it uses a quarter of the energy costs compared to GVK II. This is a strong piece of evidence highlighting the great work that made GVK III incredibly energy efficient. AVERY HILL SOLAR The installation of a 72.32 kW solar system at our Avery Hill development in Laconia was completed November 2018. Avery Hill is a cluster of duplexes on Grove Street and Lougee Court near the LRGHealthcare campus in Laconia. It was the first property that LRCD redeveloped back in the early 1990s. The Avery Hill solar system eliminates electric bills for 12 apartments at Avery Hill. Data shows that residents are saving an estimated average of 71% on their electrical expenses. Estimated monthly savings per resident range from $26 to $103 ($54 average) compared to historical billing. Estimated annual savings per resident range from $317 to $1,236 ($645 average) compared to historical billing PINE HILL SOLAR In 2020, LRCD completed the third solar project in three years at six of our nine Pine Hill duplexes. Pine Hill was one of the first properties that we redeveloped in Laconia back in the 1990s. After collecting almost a year of data after the installation of solar, residents are saving an estimated average of 50% on their electrical expenses. Estimated monthly savings per resident range from $2 to $132 ($35 average) compared to historical billing. Estimated annual savings per resident range from $23 to $1,584 ($423 average) compared to historical billing. Over the past seven years, LRCD has invested over $1.56 million in greening its older housing stock in Laconia. LRCD has brought dozens of units in Laconia up to healthy housing standards as part of its portfolio strengthening efforts. LRCD continues to seek opportunities to improve energy efficiency, improve indoor air quality, and add outdoor recreation opportunities to its older stock. Currently, 87% of our housing portfolio meets our Healthy Housing standards. By 2022, we plan to increase that to 94%, with renovations of Harvey Heights Apartments in Meredith. To learn more about our healthy housing efforts visit our website. FAQs About LRCD WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE A NEIGHBORWORKS AMERICA GREEN DESIGNATED ORGANIZATION?
LRCD became a NeighborWorks Green Organization in 2015. To qualify for this designation an organization must demonstrate a comprehensive commitment to sustainable operations -- both in their lines of business and the corporate operations. Today, LRCD continues its work to promote sustainable business practices by identifying and sharing innovative methods, establishing policy, ensuring adherence to green policies, and encouraging staff and residents to incorporate green practices into their offices, homes, and communities. We believe that when sustainable practices are comprehensively applied, people are healthier, housing is more affordable, employees have a better work environment, communities are more resilient, and organizations are more prepared for the future. RSVP Today - April 15 at 4pm LRCD is hosting it's second annual Housing & Economy Snapshot on Thursday, April 15th from 4:00pm to 5:30pm. The virtual event will include a screening of NH PBS' Communities and Consequences II: Rebalancing New Hampshire's Human Ecology and will be followed by a panel discussion. 4PM - 5PM SCREENING OF THE FILM Communities & Consequences II 5PM - 5:30PM PANEL DISCUSSION WITH Jay Childs, Film Director Bonnie Medico, Eastern Lakes Region Housing Coalition Kathy Barnard, Eastern Lakes Region Housing Coalition Moderated by Carmen Lorentz, Lakes Region Community Developers Generously Sponsored By State Legislative Update It has been a busy couple of months as the NH Legislature began to tackle its 2021 session in mostly virtual meetings. There have been many proposals regarding housing affordability this session. Here are the highlights from LRCD’s perspective. A big thanks to Housing Action NH for helping its members (like us) keep track of all that is going on! House Budget Hearing Tuesday. New Hampshire's House Finance Committee has scheduled the first public hearing on the state budget for this Tuesday, March 16th at 1 pm. Housing Action NH, of which LRCD is a member, encourages housing advocates to testify in support of funding for:
You can register to testify here by selecting House Finance and HB 1. We recommend that you select “neutral.” You can also email your testimony to HouseFinanceCommittee@leg.state.nh.us Housing Toolbox Bill/ HB 586. Following a favorable Ought to Pass recommendation (15-3) from the House Municipal and County Government Committee, HB 586, known as the housing toolbox bill, was tabled by the full House in a vote of 175-172. This is unfortunate because the bill includes important proposals to address housing affordability:
Homeless Services/ SB 140. Senator Cindy Rosenwald’s bill, SB 140, to provide $18 million for homeless services was passed by the Senate 23-1. The bill was amended to source the funding from federal resources. The bill now heads to the Senate Finance Committee. Businesses Support LRCD with Tax Credit Purchases Thank you to Sheehan Phinney, Stafford Oil, and Wescott Law for supporting LRCD with NH Business Tax Credit purchases! Our tax credit sales support the continued renovations of 193 Court Street. In Phase 1, we did all the work we could afford to do to convert the vacant building into our headquarters and the hub of our community building & engagement work in Laconia. These tax credit sales will support Phase 2 which includes: more insulation, new siding on the north and west walls, parking lot improvements, and landscaping. LRCD Must Sell $39,000 by March 31, 2021 If your business pays NH business enterprise or business profits taxes in NH, you can redirect a significant portion of your tax liability to a local project like this. Please contact Carmen at CLorentz@LRcommunitydevelopers.org if you are interested in supporting the 193 Court Street Project. Dental Program Update LRCD rolled out our Adult Dental Care program in the Fall of 2020. The rollout included a resource guide that was sent to all our households. The program also includes a limited amount of funding available to help LRCD residents pay for uncovered dental services. The cost-share program is determined on a case-by-case basis and typically grants are for half of the resident's uncovered dental costs. To date, the program has assisted three residents. Don, a dental subsidy recipient, had this to say about his experience - “LRCD staff was so helpful and gracious through the quick completion of my dental repair needs, which produced improved health and peace of mind. Thank you again for providing this program for our community.” Three more residents are currently working on a treatment plan with their dentists. The program has been funded by Northeast Delta Dental, NeighborWorks America and Speare Memorial Hospital. Race Equity, Diversity, & Inclusion (REDI) In 2020, LRCD began the process of reviewing our policies, practices, and programs to identify changes that we can make to combat systemic racism and promote race equity, diversity, and inclusion. This is an ongoing process of continuous learning and improvement. In this segment of our newsletter, we will provide regular updates on this work. LRCD has organized a book club for our residents. The LRCD Book Club celebrates diversity and inclusion. LRCD purchases the books for residents and guides a virtual discussion on the book's themes and takeaways. March's book is The Heart is a Burial Ground by Tamara Colchester. Compass House One Year Anniversary
MVSB Donates $5,000 on Behalf of Carol Bickford When Carol Bickford recently retired from New Hampshire Mutual Bancorp after 37 years of dedicated service, most recently as the Senior Vice President and Retail Lending Officer, the Board of Directors for Meredith Village Savings Bank (MVSB) opted to honor the valued employee with a donation of five thousand dollars to the nonprofit of her choice. We are honored that she selected LRCD. “We are so grateful to Carol and the Board of MVSB for this donation,” said Carmen Lorentz, Executive Director of LRCD. “Carol has been an amazing advocate and partner for many years, helping us to create affordable housing, provide transitional housing and supports for homeless families, develop new types of real estate to respond to local community needs, and empower families to succeed.” Congratulations on your retirement, Carol! LRCD Advocates for Affordable Housing Executive Director, Carmen Lorentz, continues to advocate for funding to address housing needs in the Lakes Region. She has participated in several roundtable discussions with our federal congressional delegation in recent months. This news article from January summarizes a housing roundtable convened by Senator Shaheen. Housing advocates tell Shaheen crisis worsening under COVID | Local News | laconiadailysun.com Jan 15, 2021 Save the Date - April 15 at 4pm LRCD is hosting it's second annual Housing & Economy Snapshot on Thursday, April 15th from 4:00pm to 5:30pm. The virtual event will include a screening of NH PBS' Communities and Consequences II: Rebalancing New Hampshire's Human Ecology and will be followed by a panel discussion. Green Tip - Don't Idle Did you know it only takes 30 seconds to warm up your engine when driving in the winter? In modern fuel injected engines, you need no more than 30 seconds of idling on cold winter days before driving away. This is much better for the environment than letting your car sit idling for long periods of time.
Message from Our Executive Director We are so grateful to you, our funders, donors, partners, and advocates. Thank you for the many forms of support you lent to our mission in 2020. Thanks to you, we were able to keep all of our 700+ tenants in healthy homes, regardless of their ability to pay rent during this pandemic. With your help, we created new programs to help tenants overcome barriers to securing reliable transportation and accessing restorative dental care. Your support enabled us to work on a range of innovative housing and community facility projects that are desperately needed in our community to ensure that everyone in the Lakes Region has a healthy home and is empowered to succeed. Last year tested our mettle for sure, but more than anything, it illuminated the strength of our community. I cannot begin to fully express the gratitude I feel in my heart today. Every expression of support and every message of encouragement that you collectively gave us last year kept us going through some difficult moments. On behalf of our board, our residents, and our staff, we thank you. Be safe and be well. Carmen Lorentz LRCD Welcomes New Board Members
Businesses Support LRCD with Tax Credit Purchases Thank you to Meredith Village Savings Bank, Main Street America Insurance, Resilient Buildings Group, Melcher & Prescott Insurance, and Leone, McDonnell & Roberts PA for supporting LRCD with NH Business Tax Credit purchases! Our tax credit sales support the continued renovations of 193 Court Street. In Phase 1, we did all the work we could afford to do to convert the vacant building into our headquarters and the hub of our community building & engagement work in Laconia. These tax credit sales will support Phase 2 which includes: more insulation, new siding on the north and west walls, parking lot improvements, and landscaping. LRCD MUST SELL $53,000 BY MARCH 31, 2021 If your business pays NH business enterprise or business profits taxes in NH, you can redirect a significant portion of your tax liability to a local project like this. Please contact Carmen at CLorentz@LRcommunitydevelopers.org if you are interested in supporting the 193 Court Street Project. Race Equity, Diversity, & Inclusion (REDI) In 2020, LRCD began the process of reviewing our policies, practices, and programs to identify changes that we can make to combat systemic racism and promote race equity, diversity, and inclusion. This is an ongoing process of continuous learning and improvement. In this segment of our newsletter, we will provide regular updates on this work. LRCD Receives NeighborWorks Grant for Translations LRCD received funds from NeighborWorks America to offer materials to residents in different languages. Our annual community survey and our most recent tenant newsletter were made available in English and Spanish.
HAPPY & HEALTHY HOLIDAYS TO YOU AND YOUR LOVED ONES FROM ALL OF US AT LRCD! LRCD residents helped downtown Laconia get into the Christmas spirit by adding their homemade ornaments to the LRCD tree. LRCD sponsored a tree as part of Celebrate Laconia Lights Festival. FUNDER SPOTLIGHT - NeighborWorks America In these uncertain times, we are extremely grateful for our longstanding partnership with NeighborWorks America. NeighborWorks is a congressionally chartered and funded, nonpartisan, non-profit organization whose mission is to create opportunities for people to live in affordable homes, improve their lives, and strengthen their communities. At the heart of NeighborWorks’ mission is a network of more than 240 of the best housing and community development organizations in the country. LRCD is fortunate to have been part of this network of excellence for nearly 20 years. As a NeighborWorks organization, LRCD receives critical operating and capital funding and has access to peer-exchange learning opportunities, technical assistance, evaluation tools, and training for staff and volunteers. Every year, we use all the tools that NeighborWorks offers to grow and strengthen LRCD so that we can continue to respond to the changing housing and community development needs of the Lakes Region. The Hodges Companies Supports LRCD The Hodges Companies purchases $37,000 in NH Business Tax Credits The Hodges Companies has made a generous pledge to purchase $37,000 of our CDFA tax credits to support the continued renovations to our 193 Court Street building. The proceeds of our tax credit sales will help us add more insulation, put new siding on the north and west walls, make parking lot improvements, and add landscaping. If your business pays NH business enterprise or business profits taxes in NH, you can redirect a significant portion of your tax liability to a local project like this. Please contact Carmen at CLorentz@LRcommunitydevelopers.org if you are interested in supporting the 193 Court Street Project. Funds Awarded for Gale School The Board of Directors of the Land and Community Heritage Investment Program (LCHIP) has announced $4.1 million dollars in matching grants awarded to thirty-two projects across the state, including the Gale School project in Belmont. LRCD has received a $21,000 grant award to support the pre-development work required for the renovations of the historic Gale School. We are very appreciative of LCHIP’s investment in redeveloping the Gale School” said Carmen Lorentz, LRCD's Executive Director. “The LCHIP award enables us to hire a Historic Consultant, complete civil engineering, and begin architectural work, all crucial items for the redevelopment of this historic building." LRCD's Gilford Village Knolls III Featured LRCD is honored to have our Gilford Village Knolls III development featured in the Community Loan Fund's Annual Report. The Fund provided the necessary loan funds for a large rooftop solar array.
To learn more about our work with the Community Loan Fund on GVK III and to see their Annual Report - click here. |