Compass House Complete On February 5th, 70+ people helped us celebrate the completion of our first supportive housing project, Compass House. Compass House is a group home for women in recovery that is operated by Horizons Counseling Center in partnership with Navigating Recovery of the Lakes Region. This project was financed by New Hampshire Housing. Stewart Associates Architects was the project architect and Martini Northern was the general contractor. In addition to state funds, Compass House received rebates from NH Saves Home Energy Assistance through Liberty Gas. The New Hampshire Women’s Foundation, Annette P. Schmitt Trust, New Hampshire Charitable Foundation, and Eversource provided grants for furnishings, which were provided at a discount by DCI Furniture of Lisbon, NH. We'd like to thank all the partners and supporters that made Compass House possible and all who attended its opening. Union Bank Helps Build Starter Homes Union Bank has generously pledged to purchase $20,000 of our CDFA tax credits to support our Harriman HIll Homes development in Wolfeboro. Harriman Hill Homes will be a development of 20 affordable starter homes for families who make between 75% and 120% of median income (roughly $52,000 to $83,000 for a family of four). The Common Man Will Match All Tax Credit Purchases Dollar-for-Dollar $44,000 in NH State Business Tax Credits Available Help Us Build Affordable Starter Homes in Wolfeboro Please consider purchasing NH business tax credits from Lakes Region Community Developers to help build Harriman Hill Homes, a development of 20 affordable starter homes on Beck Drive off Route 109-A. You can redirect a significant portion of your business enterprise or business profits tax liability to this project by purchasing tax credits. Thanks to a generous pledge by The Common Man Family of Restaurants, your tax credit purchase of any amount will go twice as far. Contact Carmen Lorentz at (603) 524-0747 ext. 110 or CLorentz@LRcommunitydevelopers.org for more details. LRCD Welcomes Juli Marshall We are excited to introduce you to Juli Marshall, our new Program Assistant. Juli is a longtime resident of the Lakes Region and has been working in Marketing and Sales for the last seven years. She has worked with a wide variety of businesses and non-profits in the region and across the state. Juli describes her desire to join LRCD, "I want to use my skills to support the mission of LRCD because I know that the residents of our communities are what make our communities thrive." Juli will work to support Real Estate Development projects and Asset Management. Building Community - VITA Kristy Pearce, our Resident Services Coordinator, has completed a campaign promoting Granite United Way's Volunteer Tax Assistance Program (VITA).
Green Tip - Ditch the Dryer Sheets 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.
Seven reasons to stop using dryer sheets and fabric softener:
For more information click here. Our vision is a community where everyone has a healthy home and is empowered to succeed. I think we can all agree that there is much work to be done in order to achieve this lofty goal. As a new year begins, we are grateful for the many partners, businesses, and local residents who were part of our journey last year. Your support and engagement made our work possible. We are excited for the challenges that 2020 will bring. On the real estate development side, we continue diversifying the types of projects we build to respond to changing needs in the community. In February, we will turn the keys of Compass House, our first supportive housing project, over to Horizons Counseling Center. This spring, we will work with Lakes Region Community Services to plan another supportive housing project. Also in spring, we hope to break ground on our first development of affordable starter homes in Wolfeboro. We will wrap up our complete renovation of the 40-unit Ames Brook Apartments (aka, Ledgewood Estates) in Ashland by fall. And we will continue working throughout most of the year to assemble the financing needed to do a complete renovation at the 25-unit Harvey Heights (aka, Deer Run) in Meredith. In addition to developing healthy and affordable homes for people who live and work here year-round, we are creating new programs that empower residents to succeed. Over the next few months, we will work with our pilot cohort of participants in an affordable car loan program to help overcome barriers to reliable transportation. We are creating and formalizing partnerships for a wraparound eviction prevention program to keep families stably housed during times of crisis. And we are crafting a dental assistance program to help very low-income residents afford restorative dental care, which is something that holds people back from pursing a better job or being more active in their community. While we have laid out ambitious goals for 2020, we are bolstered by the knowledge that many of you in our community will respond to requests for advice, partnership, and funding. We cannot do this work without our community behind us. Thank you for your continued support. Best wishes in 2020, Carmen R. Lorentz Legislative Update As the 2020 legislative session gets underway in New Hampshire, we are paying close attention to two bills that could have a big impact on housing and community development in the Lakes Region: HB 1632: Among many things, this bill enables municipalities to use Tax Increment Financing (TIF) to encourage the development of workforce housing. TIF has only been used in NH for commercial development up to this point. The way TIF works is that towns and cities can establish TIF districts to capture future tax revenue from within the district and set it aside to pay the debt service on infrastructure for the district. If this bill becomes law, municipalities will be able to use TIF to finance construction of road, water, and sewer infrastructure for development of workforce housing, which could provide a powerful new tool to lower the cost of developing affordable housing. HB 1224: This bill appropriates $850,000 per year for two years to the Lakeshore Redevelopment Planning Commission, which is the entity tasked with planning for the future redevelopment of the Laconia State School property. Over the past few years, the Commission has steadily worked its way through a variety of planning and environmental studies needed for redevelopment to occur. Funding is now needed to leverage grants to remediate hazardous materials in the buildings on the site and begin construction of infrastructure that will facilitate future redevelopment. Compass House Ribbon Cutting Join us Wednesday, February 5th at 1 pm to cut the ribbon and officially open the doors of Compass House. We can not wait to show you how we have transformed 658 Union Avenue in Laconia into a group home for women in recovery that will be operated by Horizons Counseling Center in partnership with Navigating Recovery of the Lakes Region. The event will offer light refreshments, tours, and a brief program featuring remarks by NH Housing Finance Authority, Horizons Counseling Center, and Navigating Recovery of the Lakes Region. RSVPs are required so please click here to reserve your spot. Parking is limited, parking instructions will be provided to you after you RSVP. Belknap Landscape Helps Build Starter Homes Belknap Landscape has generously pledged to purchase $10,000 of our CDFA tax credits to support our Harriman HIll Homes development in Wolfeboro. Harriman Hill Homes will be a development of 20 affordable starter homes for families who make between 75% and 120% of median income (roughly $52,000 to $83,000 for a family of four). LRCD still needs to sell $94,000 in NH business tax credits by March 30, 2020 in order to build Harriman Hill Homes. If your business pays the NH Business Profits or Business Enterprise tax, you can direct a significant portion of your tax obligation to this project rather than sending it to Concord. Click here for more information. Building Community - Ashland The residents at Ames Brook in Ashland got together, spread some holiday cheer, and got a surprise visit from Santa! Green Tip - Forest Fire Prevention 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. We know it is an odd time of year to talk about forest fire prevention but with fires still burning in Australia we decided there is never a bad time.
Each year in the United State there are more than 100,000 wildfires that burn, on average, between four to five million acres of land. Wildfires can be caused by natural forces such as lighting, but more frequently they are caused by humans. Approximately four out of every five wildfires are started by humans. Below are some things we can do to help prevent wildfires:
Compass House - Thank You! We exceeded our goal in the recent crowdfunding campaign for Compass House! Thanks to the generosity of 20 individuals, New Hampshire Charitable Foundation - Colonel Armand G. Auger Fund, Eversource, and Nesseralla and Company, Compass House will be fully furnished and ready to open its doors in February. SAVE THE DATE Compass House Ribbon Cutting Wednesday, February 5th 1:00 pm 658 Union Ave., Laconia Light refreshments, tours, and a brief program featuring remarks by: NH Housing Finance Authority Horizons Counseling Center Navigating Recovery of the Lakes Region The Hodges Companies Helps Build Starter Homes The Hodges Companies has generously pledged to purchase $22,000 of our CDFA tax credits to support our Harriman HIll Homes development in Wolfeboro. Harriman Hill Homes will be a development of 20 affordable starter homes for families who make between 75% and 120% of median income (roughly $52,000 to $83,000 for a family of four). LRCD still needs to sell $128,000 in NH business tax credits by March 30, 2020 in order to build Harriman Hill Homes, a development of 20 affordable starter homes in Wolfeboro. If your business pays the NH Business Profits or Business Enterprise tax, you can direct a significant portion of your tax obligation to this project rather than sending it to Concord. Click here for more information. Ames Brook Update Our renovation project at Ames Brook Apartments in Ashland is now 50% complete. As of the first week in January, 14 households will be in newly renovated units. Building Community - Laconia The residents at River's Edge are getting into the holiday spirit with a door decorating contest. See the winners below. Green Tip - Recycling FAQs
Compass House Furniture Fund Lakes Region Community Developers is currently renovating 658 Union Avenue in Laconia to transform it into a group home for women in recovery called Compass House. We need to raise $3,000 by December 15th to close a gap in the project budget for furnishings. Your donation today will ensure that Compass House opens as scheduled in February 2020. Click here to support our crowdfunding campaign. Help Build Starter Homes LRCD needs to sell $150,000 in NH business tax credits by March 30, 2020 in order to build Harriman Hill Homes, a development of 20 affordable starter homes in Wolfeboro. If your business pays the NH Business Profits or Business Enterprise tax, you can direct 75% of your tax obligation to this project. Click here for more information. “The Lakes Region needs more affordable homes for first-time buyers so we can grow the workforce that will enable our businesses and communities to thrive.” – Rick Wyman, President of Meredith Village Savings Bank, which purchased $50,000 in tax credits. We're Hiring
Good Luck to Kara LaSalle This week, we wish Kara LaSalle, our Real Estate Development Project Manager, the best of luck as she moves on to her new job as Acquisitions Officer at Northern New England Housing Investment Fund. We wanted to share Kara’s farewell message with you: I am incredibly proud and grateful to have been part of such an amazing organization and to help provide healthy affordable housing to the Lakes Region. I take great pride in being part of the incredible project teams which developed Rivers Edge Apartments, NH’s first multifamily passive house Gilford Village Knolls III, Ames Brook Apartments, and Avery and Pine Hill Solar. Thank you to the LRCD team. I am grateful to each of you for your support and guidance over the past five years. Without your friendships, encouragement, and collaboration my time here would not have been the same. Truly, you became family and will be missed. Thank you, Sal, for your trust. I have grown professionally working by your side thanks to your patience, experience, and guidance. Most importantly, thank you for fostering my passion for community. I wish my LRCD family all the best and I look forward to a continued partnership in my next adventure at Northern New England Housing Investment Fund. - Kara LaSalle Building Community - Wolfeboro Wolfeboro residents at Harriman Hill enjoyed pumpkin carving and cider this October. Open House at 193 Court Street Thank you to everyone who came out to see our new space on Court Street! The support of the community means so much. Green Tip - Something Good From Snow 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. When it snows, it gives the ground a great opportunity to absorb fresh, healthy water from the atmosphere. Plants need nitrogen to grow and be healthy - and there's a lot of nitrogen up in the air! So when it rains and snows, it's bringing some of that nitrogen with it to naturally feed the soil beneath. Be sure to take advantage of this nutrient-rich water by collecting some to give to your indoor plants! Ames Brook Apartments BEFORE AFTER North Branch Construction has been hard at work since July on the $4 million rehabilitation project at our 40-unit complex in Ashland, now called Ames Brook Apartments. Renovations on five of the 40 units are now complete. Interior renovations include new flooring, new cabinets, new energy-efficient appliances, and completely renovated bathrooms. Exterior renovations are also underway. The parking lot has been repaved, new siding and windows are currently being installed, and new porches are being constructed. This rehab project will bring Ames Brook up to our healthy housing standards by improving life safety systems, indoor air quality, accessibility, and energy efficiency. Legislative Update On September 25th, the New Hampshire House and Senate passed a two-year, nearly $13 billion compromise state budget after Governor Sununu vetoed their first effort back in June. The Governor signed the compromise budget the same day. The final budget includes significant new investments to address New Hampshire’s housing crisis, including:
Thank you to everyone who contacted their representatives or senator to express support for these legislative priorities. You made a difference! Open House at 193 Court Street Come visit the new Court Street Neighborhood Center and LRCD Headquarters! Thursday, November 14 4:30 pm to 6:30 pm 193 Court Street, Laconia Hosted in conjunction with the Lakes Region Chamber of Commerce as part of their Business After Hours event series. Pine Hill Solar Energy-efficiency is important to us and to the people we serve. It’s not just about being “green.” Census and federal energy data show that energy expenditures by low-income households in the Lakes Region eat up 34% to 37% of household income. Unfortunately, this means that there are many families in our region who probably have to choose between paying their electric bill and buying groceries or medicine. Our Pine Hill Solar project in Laconia will eliminate that issue completely for 12 families. Thanks to a generous gift from the Thomas W. Haas Fund of the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation, we were able to complete a solar feasibility study for all of our scattered site properties in Laconia. The study showed that six of the nine Pine Hill duplexes are excellent candidates for solar PV systems. Pine Hill was one of the first properties that we redeveloped in Laconia back in the 1990s. At present, the families at Pine Hill pay for electricity separately from their rent. After we install the solar system, we will be able to include electricity in the monthly rent. Roof repairs are now complete and the solar panels will begin to be installed. We are extremely grateful to the Thomas W. Haas Fund of the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation, the New Hampshire Public Utility Commission, and Mainstay Technologies for providing the funds to make this project possible. Help Build Starter Homes $150,000 in NH Business Tax Credits Still Available!
Green Tip - Spooky & Green 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.
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