In 1990 President George H. W. Bush approved a joint resolution designating November 1990 “National American Indian Heritage Month.” Similar proclamations, under slightly different names have been issued each year since 1994. You can read this year’s proclamation here.
 
Celebrate by listening to Indigenous and native voices from across North America. You can learn more about the diverse experiences of Native Americans and Alaska Natives with this collection of films and shows from PBS.
 
Celebrate Native American and Alaska Native Heritage Month | PBS
 
And check out this great resource from Boys & Girls Clubs of America with ideas to celebrate and learn with your children.
 
8 Ways to Celebrate Native American Heritage Month (bgca.org)

Dear Friend:
 
Thank you for supporting our work. I am reaching out today to ask for your help again because the need for affordable housing in the Lakes Region is so great.
 
The Lakes Region Housing Needs Assessment, which was just finalized by the Lakes Region Planning Commission a few weeks ago, estimates that we need more than 3,000 additional units of affordable housing in the Lakes Region by 2040 to achieve a balanced housing market.
 
We all seem to know someone, personally, who struggles to find suitable housing they can afford. There have been so many news stories this year about the crisis of housing and homelessness. Despite this increased awareness, we encounter more challenges than ever in creating affordable housing opportunities in the Lakes Region.
 
Your contribution will help us overcome barriers and create housing for many people.

There is so much work to be done to ensure that everyone in the Lakes Region lives in a healthy home and is empowered to succeed. Your support makes it possible for us to continue pursuing this ambitious vision.

Thank you!
(To read our appeal in its entirety, click HERE.)

​With vacancy rates at an all time low, homelessness on the rise, and more businesses with staffing shortages due to lack of housing, the need for more affordable housing is huge.
 
Why should you care? How can you help?
 
Let our Executive Director, Carmen Lorentz explain in this brief video. We hope you’ll consider a donation to support our work.

​“Caring has always been at the heart of everything we do at MVSB, and that is why we are proud to support the mission of Lakes Region Community Developers to ensure everyone has access to safe and affordable housing,” said Marcus Weeks, MVSB President. “By building and nurturing relationships with the people and organizations of our community, we can cultivate a community where we all thrive.”

Thank you MVSB! Pictured are LRCD Executive Director, Carmen Lorentz (L) with Lori Borrin, Vice President & Mortgage Loan Officer at MVSB

We need the financial support of our local business community in order to produce more units of affordable housing for essential workers. Most housing developments that we undertake cost us $150,000 to $300,000 before we can get a shovel in the ground.

Email CLorentz@LRcommunitydevelopers.org today if your business would like to be a Housing Champion.

Good news! On November 6, the Laconia Planning Board approved our 12-unit supportive housing project at 17 Bay Street, which is a partnership with Lakes Region Mental Health Center. The project will provide housing and supportive services for 12 individuals who are experiencing homelessness or at-risk of homelessness. You can read the news coverage here:

Bay Street apartments gets thumbs-up from city | Local News | laconiadailysun.com

We are proud to introduce our newest board member, Vicki Gilo. Vicki and her partner Joe moved in to Ames Brook Apartments in Ashland after we completed renovations at that property in the fall of 2020. They are retired and moved to Ashland from Rhode Island to be closer to their adult children and their grandkids. They love it so much at Ames Brook that even though their kids recently moved back to Rhode Island, Vicki and Joe declared they are never going to leave their home at Ames Brook.

We affectionately refer to Vicki as the Grammie of Ames Brook. She goes above and beyond to organize activities that benefit the children who live there. She has been a driving force behind Christmas parties, Halloween events, and an epic surprise Easter celebration that included the Easter Bunny greeting all the kids at their bus stop. She also created a new summer tradition at Ames Brook - family movie nights out on the green!

Vicki played a leadership role in establishing a 10-bed community garden in 2022, and she helps to keep it running smoothly in cooperation with her neighbors. She also volunteered to be the leader of a Girl Scout Troop just for Ames Brook.

​We are so grateful to Vicki for all the ways she serves her community. She will be a tremendous asset to our Board.

Photo caption: Here is Vicki (left, front) in action at an outdoor art event she helped organize at Ames Brook.

Thank you for supporting our work. I am reaching out today to ask for your help again because the need for affordable housing in the Lakes Region is so great.
 
The Lakes Region Housing Needs Assessment, which was just finalized by the Lakes Region Planning Commission a few weeks ago, estimates that we need more than 3,000 additional units of affordable housing in the Lakes Region by 2040 to achieve a balanced housing market.
 
We all seem to know someone, personally, who struggles to find suitable housing they can afford. There have been so many news stories this year about the crisis of housing and homelessness. Despite this increased awareness, we encounter more challenges than ever in creating affordable housing opportunities in the Lakes Region.
​
Your contribution will help us overcome barriers and create housing for many people.

For essential workers who are so critical to economic development in our region.

For seniors who deserve to age in place with dignity. 

For adults with developmental disabilities who deserve the opportunity to be independent.
 
​And for people who face complex challenges, such as mental illness or substance use disorder, who need a stable home in order to recover and move forward in their lives.

​In the face of the housing crisis, your support is critical. Your contribution ensures we have the financial resources necessary to grow our pipeline of housing developments. 

"It’s been…helpful to me, to live somewhere that I’m not just my rent check…LRCD cares about…me and my family," says Carrie in Wolfeboro (pictured above).

Right now, we have 131 rental units in our pipeline. Current projects in pre-development include 30 workforce apartments in Wolfeboro, 60 workforce units and 26 senior apartments in Ashland, and 15 units of supportive housing in Laconia. We are excited about all of these projects, but we need to increase our pipeline to meet the overwhelming need.
​
​To do this, we need more financial resources to pay for all the work necessary to get a project permitted, funded, and under construction. Surveying, engineering, architecture, environmental studies, legal services, and staff time to assemble financing all add up quickly. We may spend $300,000 on a project before we can close on our financing, get reimbursed for all those expenses, and put that money into the next project.
 
The permitting process in recent years has proven more challenging than ever. Ironically, the housing crisis seems to have generated more “not in my back yard” opposition. This makes our work riskier, from a financial perspective. Your contribution today helps us forge ahead, despite the challenges and risks.
 
Your support also enables us to offer programs that empower our tenants and improve their health and well-being.
 
This year, our dental program provided matching payments totaling over $10,000 on behalf of 26 tenants. This is critical because most of our tenants do not have dental insurance. While Medicaid does include an adult dental benefit now, there are very few local dentists who accept it. Our fund is needed to fill the gap
Over the past 12 months, our eviction prevention program distributed over $38,000 to help 64 of our tenants get caught up on rent. Our goal is to prevent eviction in all cases where the tenant engages with our resident services team. Illness, transportation costs, and lack of quality child care are common reasons why tenants experience job loss. Illness and inflation compound financial pressures faced by many families. Our fund is there to help keep people housed through difficult times.

​There is so much work to be done to ensure that everyone in the Lakes Region lives in a healthy home and is empowered to succeed. Your support makes it possible for us to continue pursuing this ambitious vision. To make a donation, visit our DONATE page. Thank you!
 
Warm regards,
 
Carmen R. Lorentz
Executive Director  

​“Housing availability is such a critical issue in our state right now. CATIC is glad to support the work that Lakes Region Community Developers is doing to help ensure that everyone lives in a safe and affordable home.”
~ Leigh Willey, New Hampshire Underwriting Counsel, CATIC New Hampshire

​We will be back in front of the Laconia Planning Board on November 6 with our site plan application for 12 units of supportive housing on Bay Street in Laconia. You can read about the public hearing and board discussion at the October 3 meeting here.

The problem with Bay Street project is parking – or is it? | Local News | laconiadailysun.com

We continue our efforts to educate the community about the fact that most of the people who will live in the building do not own vehicles - they simply do not have enough income for a car. The six on-site parking spaces in our site plan is more than sufficient based on the population that will be served. Funding for the project requires us to serve this population for 30 years, and we are willing to enter into a longer-term agreement with the City if desired.

The United States Department of Agriculture – Rural Development (USDA) recently obligated a $391,000 congressionally directed spending request made by Senator Jeanne Shaheen for the Gale School Redevelopment Project in Belmont. USDA also obligated a $200,000 Community Facilities Loan for the project at the same time.
​
This federal funding brings Lakes Region Community Developers (LRCD) one step closer to starting construction on this highly anticipated project, which has been delayed due to cost increases. Project cost estimates increased significantly since 2020, resulting in the need for LRCD to seek more funding than originally anticipated.

READ MORE...

​We are happy to report that our Dental Fund now has about $10,000 in it, which will enable us to help our tenants access the dental care they need over the next 12 months. This summer, we received a $5,000 grant from Northeast Delta Dental Foundation; a $3,000 grant from the Agnes Lindsay Trust; a $1,250 grant from Speare Memorial Hospital; and several individual contributions. Thank you so much!

Thank you to Eversource for the $1,000 grant for our Eviction Prevention Program! This program combines targeted outreach and supports with direct financial assistance to help our tenants maintain their housing through a time of crisis. So far in 2023, LRCD has made over $30,000 in payments to help 50 of our tenants maintain their housing.

​Pictured: Mary-Kate Daley of Eversource and Carmen Lorentz of LRCD

BELMONT – The United States Department of Agriculture – Rural Development (USDA) recently obligated a $391,000 congressionally directed spending request made by Senator Jeanne Shaheen for the Gale School Redevelopment Project in Belmont. USDA also obligated a $200,000 Community Facilities Loan for the project at the same time.
 
This federal funding brings Lakes Region Community Developers (LRCD) one step closer to starting construction on this highly anticipated project, which has been delayed due to cost increases. Project cost estimates increased significantly since 2020, resulting in the need for LRCD to seek more funding than originally anticipated.
 
“The Gale School is a historical treasure in New Hampshire, and I was proud to help secure funding that will enable the school to continue serving Belmont with a new childcare and community resource center,” said Senator Shaheen. “Once completed, this new facility will help alleviate the childcare accessibility challenges facing the surrounding community.” 
 
“We are grateful to Senator Shaheen for her advocacy to ensure funding for the Gale School was included in the FY23 federal budget,” said Carmen Lorentz, LRCD Executive Director. “This funding is a big boost at a critical time.”
 
The Gale School was built in 1894, and was used by the Belmont school district until the mid-1980s. The building has been mostly vacant since then, and years of neglect have taken their toll. The Gale School was named to the New Hampshire State Register of Historic Places in 2018, and was selected as one of New Hampshire’s Seven to Save in 2017.
 
In July 2020, the building was successfully moved by the local Save Our Gale School Committee (SOGS) to a new location at 60 Concord Street in Belmont Village. LRCD agreed to partner with SOGS to redevelop the building.
 
LRCD is partnering with the Boys & Girls Club of Central New Hampshire and Lakes Region Community Services to raise the necessary funds for renovations. The first floor of the building will house a child care center operated by the Boys & Girls Club. On the second floor, Lakes Region Community Services will provide a range of programming and support services to benefit the community.
 
To date, the partners have raised $2,574,300. Additional grant applications are in process this fall. Once all the funding for the renovations is assembled, SOGS will donate the land and building to LRCD and construction can begin. LRCD is hopeful construction will get underway in 2024.