$30,000 Grant for Eviction PreventionLakes Region Community Developers (LRCD) is proud to announce they were recently awarded a $30,000 grant from the Linden Foundation to support LRCD’s transitional housing and eviction prevention programs, both of which seek to address the crisis of homelessness in the Lakes Region. According to its website, the Linden Foundation “funds non-profit organizations that strengthen families facing multiple barriers in accessing community resources by helping provide them with the skills and support systems they need to become cohesive, internally supportive, and self-sufficient.” READ MORE... Solar for Millview ApartmentsExciting news! We have been awarded funding to put solar on some of our buildings at Millview Apartments in Laconia. This will be a big help in our energy sustainability goals AND will save our tenants money. LEARN MORE Healthy Homes Project at 334 South Main - LaconiaLRCD is pleased to announce the completion of a healthy homes project at its three-unit building at 334 South Main Street, Laconia. This project was funded by NH Housing's Lead Hazard Control and Healthy Homes Program. The $72,000 scope of work abated lead paint hazards in baseboards and trim throughout the building, as well as in some built-in cabinets, doors, a storage area, and the front porch. Contaminated exterior soils were removed. Insulation and a new bulkhead were installed, the foundation was re-pointed, and several old windows were replaced with energy star rated windows to improve the building's efficiency. LRCD's goal is to obtain Lead Safe Certificates for all of its pre-1978 multi-family buildings in Laconia. It is an arduous and expensive process to conduct lead paint testing and abatement in occupied apartments. LRCD's overarching commitment to healthy housing drives us to pursue this goal despite the challenges. Photo caption: before and after shots on the front porch entryway. Faces of Affordable Housing: Meet PattyPatty Nichols is lovingly called “the matriarch” by her friends at Pinecrest Apartments in Meredith, an affordable housing apartment complex developed by Lakes Region Community Developers. According to Patty though, “we all just look out for each other.” For Patty's full story, click HERE. 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 monthly emails with resources and events that help you learn about and celebrate the beauty in our differences, while acknowledging our shared humanity. The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) was signed into law on July 26, 1990. Every July we celebrate Disability Pride Month to commemorate the passage of this landmark civil rights law. Check out this awesome selection of PBS documentaries that explore the history of the disability rights movement and feature activists within the movement. You'll also learn about artists and storytellers whose works explore the diversity of disability experiences. Disability Pride Month and the Disability Rights Movement | PBS And check out these great organizations right here in New Hampshire as part of your Disability Pride Month celebration! Boldly challenging broken systems, ABLE NH delivers justice and protects human rights for people impacted by disability who face barriers to education, employment, healthcare and civic engagement. Learn more HERE. The New Hampshire Council on Developmental Disabilities is a federally funded agency that supports public policies and initiatives that remove barriers and promote opportunities in all areas of life. The Council is independent of the agencies that provide services to people with disabilities. The Council develops a State Plan every five years to establish specific goals, objectives and strategies to address the most important issues affecting people with developmental disabilities in New Hampshire. The Council carries out its mission through education, advocacy and the funding of innovative projects that make a difference in people's lives. For more, visit the NHCDD website. The Institute on Disability was established in 1987 to provide a university-based focus for the improvement of knowledge, policies, and practices related to the lives of people with disabilities and their families and is New Hampshire’s University Center for Excellence in Disability (UCED). Located within the University of New Hampshire, the IOD is a federally designated center authorized by the Developmental Disabilities Act. Through innovative and interdisciplinary research, academic, service, and dissemination initiatives, the IOD builds local, state, and national capacities to respond to the needs of individuals with disabilities and their families. Visit the IOD website today.
Lakes Region Community Developers (LRCD) is proud to announce they were recently awarded a $30,000 grant from the Linden Foundation to support LRCD’s transitional housing and eviction prevention programs, both of which seek to address the crisis of homelessness in the Lakes Region.
Eviction prevention efforts at LRCD include supporting tenants in any of LRCD’s affordable housing properties with applications for financial assistance, help facilitating a payment arrangement with property management, help remedying a lease violation, help completing income verification paperwork to obtain/maintain a rental subsidy, financial counseling, and crisis intervention. Eviction prevention efforts also include providing direct financial assistance to tenants who are not eligible for any other program that can address the issue that is causing their housing to be at-risk or who have maxed out other forms of financial assistance. In addition, LRCD provides transitional housing to families and individuals who are experiencing or at risk of homelessness. The LRCD transitional housing program provides safe shelter and intensive case management for families and individuals while they work on stabilizing their health and finances. For over 20 years, the LRCD transitional housing program has helped many people chart their own path to stable housing and economic security. This grant from the Linden Foundation will help further LRCD’s efforts. According to its website, the Linden Foundation “funds non-profit organizations that strengthen families facing multiple barriers in accessing community resources by helping provide them with the skills and support systems they need to become cohesive, internally supportive, and self-sufficient.” The Foundation has three funding strategies to include: family relationships, economic opportunities, and housing opportunities. LRCD Executive Director, Carmen Lorentz comments, “We are so grateful for the Linden Foundation’s support. With homelessness on the rise here in the Lakes Region, our work has become more important than ever. We look forward to using these funds to continue to place and keep families and individuals in safe, affordable homes.” Thank You NH GivesTHANK YOU for your support during NH Gives! We raised $5,265 to help us create more affordable housing in the Lakes Region! Whether you made a donation, or simply supported us by listening and learning more about us, we thank you. If NH Gives slipped your mind before you had a chance to donate, no problem! We also gladly accept donations all year long right HERE. Thank you to all who took part in #NHGives! Housing Champion of the Month: Franklin Savings Bank“We hear all the time from our business customers that they can’t find enough workers. We experience the same issue here at the bank. Affordable housing is critical to solving this problem. Supporting LRCD is one concrete way we can promote development of more housing for our local workforce.” ~ Ron Magoon, CEO of Franklin Savings Bank THANK YOU Franklin Savings Bank! Pictured are Ron Magoon, CEO of Franklin Savings Bank; Carmen Lorentz of LRCD; and Brian Bozak, President & COO of Franklin Savings Bank. 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. Protect the Environment & Support LRCDWe are proud to be Hannaford in Gilford's June Community Bag recipient. Thank you Hannaford Supermarkets! All this month, when you purchase this community bag at the Gilford Hannaford, LRCD will receive $1.00. Every dollar helps us create more affordable housing in our communities. Thank you for your support! A Look at LRCD Asset Management366 affordable apartments across the Lakes Region is a lot to maintain, but LRCD and our partners are up to the task. Our goal is to provide safe, affordable housing that our residents are proud to call home. Managing these community assets is a big job. How do we do it? Check out the next video in our five-part series. This one features our Finance Director & Asset Manager, Stuart La Salle. Introducing LRCD Asset Management! MVSB Donation to LRCD for Healthy Homes MonthIn honor of National Healthy Homes Month, MVSB donated $1,000 to Lakes Region Community Developers to support our focus on healthy housing. MVSB also has a loan program for owners of multi-family buildings to help them address lead paint hazards and to further promote healthy housing in our communities. The special loan program features a fixed rate option, and allows for higher loan to value ratios and longer terms when at least a portion of the loan funding is used for lead paint abatement or remediation projects. During the month of June, the US Department of Housing & Urban Development (HUD) celebrates National Healthy Homes Month to raise awareness of the need to reduce costs for families by preventing injuries and illnesses, improving affordable housing options, and enhancing the quality of life for vulnerable populations. According to HUD, housing-related health issues, such as asthma and childhood lead poisoning, pose significant challenges to our healthcare system and society, costing an estimated $53 billion annually. Housing disparities exacerbate health disparities in many communities. For example, home environmental conditions contribute to about 20-30% of asthma cases, radon in homes leads to 21,000 lung cancer deaths annually, over 24 million homes with lead-based paint hazards put children at risk of irreversible lead poisoning, and preventable home injuries are the leading cause of death for young children. Thank you to MVSB for their leadership in promoting healthy housing in our communities! LRCD Celebrates NeighborWorks WeekDuring a week-long celebration of neighborhood improvement activities nationally recognized as NeighborWorks Week, LRCD tenants came together at eight different Lakes Region Community Developers (LRCD) properties to build or re-plant community gardens. During NeighborWorks Week (June 3-10), LRCD and hundreds of other NeighborWorks America network organizations across the country, celebrate the successes of communities and how NeighborWorks organizations empower people to achieve their goals. READ MORE Pictured right: Residents at Harvey Heights in Meredith construct a raised garden bed for the new community garden. During a week-long celebration of neighborhood improvement activities nationally recognized as NeighborWorks Week, LRCD tenants came together at eight different Lakes Region Community Developers (LRCD) properties to build or re-plant community gardens. During NeighborWorks Week (June 3-10), LRCD and hundreds of other NeighborWorks America network organizations across the country, celebrate the successes of communities and how NeighborWorks organizations empower people to achieve their goals. LRCD Executive Director, Carmen Lorentz said, “Community gardens have definitely become a spring tradition at LRCD. After a long winter, residents enjoy getting together to work on their gardens. We love empowering our tenants to grow their own food and build community through gardening.” The LRCD properties who re-planted or built new community gardens this year include: Harvey Heights and Pinecrest Apartments (both in Meredith), Ames Brook Apartments in Ashland, Lochmere Meadows in Tilton, Harriman Hill in Wolfeboro, and River’s Edge, Batchelder Street School, and Elm Street in Laconia. LRCD is part of the national NeighborWorks network, an affiliation of nearly 250 nonprofit organizations located in every state, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. Throughout the year, NeighborWorks network organizations empower people to take steps to achieve their goals, such as make their community safer, find and maintain secure housing, and ensure financial stability, which leads to thriving, healthier communities. In 2022, the NeighborWorks network managed 204,916 rental homes across the country, and constructed, acquired and preserved 13,159 rental homes. Photo Caption: Residents at Harvey Heights in Meredith construct a raised gardenbed for the new community garden. |