Gale School: March 31st Deadline to Sell $101,500 in Tax CreditsLate last year, NH Community Development Finance Authority awarded us $250,000 in supplemental tax credits for the Gale School redevelopment project in Belmont. We have $101,500 left to sell by March 31st. LRCD seeks to renovate the 1894 school building into a child care center operated by Boys & Girls Club and a community center operated by Lakes Region Community Services. We have been fundraising for this project for three and a half years, and we are near the finish line! If your business would like to support this project, please email Carmen Lorentz at CLorentz@LRcommunitydevelopers.org. Thank you to these local businesses who have made recent tax credit pledges! Meredith Village Savings Bank Miracle Farms Northpoint Engineering Resilient Buildings Group The Hodges Companies LRCD Awarded $25,000 from TD Charitable FoundationLakes Region Community Developers (LRCD) is proud to announce they were recently awarded a $25,000 grant from the TD Charitable Foundation for LRCD’s Affordable Rental Housing Program. The philosophy behind LRCD's Affordable Rental Housing Program is that housing is a platform that all people need to thrive. People who live in healthy, safe, stable housing are better parents, neighbors, and employees. The objectives of LRCD’s Affordable Rental Housing Program are to create housing opportunities for people of low income and to empower them to achieve economic security. To achieve these objectives, LRCD operates, and maintains affordable rental apartments and provides support services to the tenants who live in them. READ MORE... NH Charitable Foundation GrantThank you to the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation for awarding us a $20,000 grant for unrestricted operating support. This grant is made possible by gifts from the Annalee Davis Thorndike Fund, John F. Jr. and Patricia Weeks Fund, and Rogers Family Trust Fund. These grant funds help us continue our work to create new affordable housing opportunities in the Lakes Region. 2023 Eviction Prevention EffortsOur goal is to keep people stably housed through challenging times such as illness, loss of transportation, unemployment, loss of child care, divorce, or any situation that results in a sudden change in income. In 2023, we provided eviction prevention services to: 277 households & and issued 138 payments Totaling $36,007 on behalf of 62 of those tenants. Thank you to our funding partners for making this program possible: NHEC Foundation Linden Foundation Eversource Energy Foundation Inc. Speare Memorial Hospital Legislative UpdateThe New Hampshire Legislature has been busy since the 2024 session began in January. Legislators typically consider over 1,000 bills each session!
This year, there are many legislative proposals to address the housing crisis. We are grateful to our good friends at Housing Action NH for all the work they do to sort through and weigh in on the many bills related to housing and homelessness. LRCD testified in support of Senate Bill 454 which increases the Real Estate Transfer Tax contribution to the state’s Affordable Housing Fund from $5 million to $10 million per year. This bill passed the Senate on February 8. We look forward to supporting this critical proposal as it works its way through the House. LACONIA – Lakes Region Community Developers (LRCD) is proud to announce they were recently awarded a $25,000 grant from the TD Charitable Foundation for LRCD’s Affordable Rental Housing Program. The philosophy behind LRCD's Affordable Rental Housing Program is that housing is a platform that all people need to thrive. People who live in healthy, safe, stable housing are better parents, neighbors, and employees. The objectives of LRCD’s Affordable Rental Housing Program are to create housing opportunities for people of low income and to empower them to achieve economic security. To achieve these objectives, LRCD operates, and maintains affordable rental apartments and provides support services to the tenants who live in them. Over its 30-year history, LRCD has developed 367 rental homes for people of low income in Ashland, Gilford, Laconia, Meredith, Tilton, and Wolfeboro, including the recent preservation and rehabilitation of 65 units in Ashland and Meredith that would have converted to market-rate housing had LRCD not acquired them. LRCD has 131 new rental units in its development pipeline, with hopes to get construction of 45 of those units underway this spring. “This grant is so impactful. It helps us fulfill our mission during a challenging time,” says LRCD Executive Director, Carmen Lorentz. “The housing crisis is dire. We all know someone struggling to find housing they can actually afford. This grant helps us create more affordable housing opportunities for local people who need it.” “TD is thrilled to support the critical work being done through Lakes Region Community Developers to address the affordable housing needs area,” said Sheryl McQuade, Regional President, Metro New England, TD Bank. “Their work to sustain and maintain affordable rental apartments is an important step toward a more economically inclusive future for all individuals and families who call New Hampshire home.” About Lakes Region Community Developers: Lakes Region Community Developers’ mission is to create opportunities for the Lakes Region to thrive by developing healthy homes, creating vibrant community assets, and engaging residents. About the TD Charitable Foundation The TD Charitable Foundation is the charitable giving arm of TD Bank, America's Most Convenient Bank®, one of the 10 largest banks in the U.S., providing over 9.8 million customers with a full range of retail, small business and commercial banking products and services at more than 1,100 convenient locations throughout the Northeast, Mid-Atlantic, Metro D.C., the Carolinas and Florida. Since its inception in 2002, the Foundation has distributed over $323 million through donations to local nonprofits from Maine to Florida. More information on the TD Charitable Foundation is available at https://www.tdbank.com/corporate-responsibility/the-ready-commitment/funding-opportunities/. About the TD Ready Commitment TD has a long-standing commitment to enriching the lives of its customers, colleagues and communities. Under the TD Ready Commitment and its four key, interconnected drivers of: Financial Security, Vibrant Planet, Connected Communities, and Better Health; we are targeting a total of $1 billion by 2030 in community giving to help support initiatives that focus on these drivers. Through the TD Ready Commitment, TD aspires to link its business, philanthropy and human capital to help people feel more confident – not just about their finances, but also in their ability to achieve their personal goals in a changing world. For further information, visit www.td.com/tdreadycommitment. By respecting and appreciating the diversity within our LRCD communities, we can empower everyone to live their best life and promote equity and justice for all of our residents. We hope you enjoy these resources and events that help you learn about and celebrate the beauty in our differences, while acknowledging our shared humanity. Black History Month is an annual celebration of achievements by African Americans and a time for recognizing their central role in U.S. history. The event grew out of a weeklong celebration that began in 1926, the brainchild of noted historian Carter G. Woodson and other prominent African American leaders. They chose the second week of February to coincide with the birthdays of Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass. Since 1976, every U.S. president has officially designated the month of February as Black History Month. Other countries around the world, including Canada and the United Kingdom, also devote a month to celebrating Black history. Here are some resources to help you celebrate Black History Month Welcome to the Block Party! | PBS
PBS offers a curated selection of programs celebrating Black excellence, including history, music, and documentaries. Stories to Celebrate Black History Month - StoryCorps StoryCorps offers a collection of stories to reflect on our shared history and to celebrate the impact of Black historical figures and pioneers. Home - Black Heritage Trail NH The Black Heritage Trail of New Hampshire promotes awareness and appreciation of African American history and life in order to build more inclusive communities today. The Trail offers a variety of programs, including guided tours of historic sites in Portsmouth, NH and lectures and educational events. Healthy Housing Grant from Rural LISCLRCD is pleased to announce that we were awarded an $18,000 Healthy Housing grant by Rural LISC through a competitive grant process. Rural LISC partners with more than 140 rural community-based organizations across the nation, helping them identify challenges and opportunities and delivering the most appropriate support to meet local needs. LRCD has been a Rural LISC partner for well over a decade. Since 2015, Rural LISC has invested more than $3.8 million in healthy housing by providing 240 grants to 63 community-based partners across rural America. LRCD has benefited from these healthy grants since the program began. This most recent grant will support the continued efforts of our asset management team to ensure that our older rental properties in the City of Laconia, NH meet healthy housing standards. Our Laconia portfolio includes 29 multi-family buildings that are between 50 to 120 years old, as well as 12 multi-family structures built since 1994. We are engaged in a multi-year effort to obtain Lead Safe certificates for all the pre-1978 buildings, improve energy efficiency in all these older buildings, and replace carpet with low-VOC vinyl flooring in all buildings to improve indoor air quality. Thank you to Rural LISC for their continued investment in our work. Welcome New Board Member: |