Latest News at LRCD, July 2022

Latest News @ LRCD - July 2022

7/18/2022

Update: Harvey Heights Meredith

Construction has now been underway for six months at Harvey Heights in Meredith. Thanks to our outstanding team at North Branch Construction, the project is now 50% complete! Of the 25 apartments, 12 have been renovated and tenants have moved in.

Tenants have been incredibly patient and understanding during the relocation process – remember, this property was fully occupied before we started construction. We are grateful to our partners at Housing Opportunities Unlimited for their expertise in tenant relocation during projects like this!

SAL STEVEN-HUBBARD-10 YEARS WITH LRCD

June 18th marked the 10th work anniversary for our intrepid Real Estate Development Director, Sal Steven-Hubbard. Sal joined us when Harriman Hill Phase 1 in Wolfeboro was celebrating its ribbon-cutting.
Sal subsequently developed Lochmere Meadows Phase 2 in Tilton, Harriman Hill Phase 2, River's Edge Apartments in Laconia, and Gilford Village

Knolls III. She also facilitated the preservation and renovation of Ames Brook Apartments in Ashland and Harvey Heights in Meredith, and oversaw the transformation of 658 Union Avenue into Compass House, an eight-bed group home for women in recovery. That is 172 units of housing that Sal has added to LRCD’s portfolio during her tenure!

Sal has been committed to the cause of creating healthy and affordable homes for people of low-income for 31 years. We are so grateful that she has chosen to deploy her skills for the last 10 years here at LRCD.

Happy work anniversary, Sal! We appreciate all you do.

GALE SCHOOL REDEVELOPMENT PROJECT kicks off year two of tax credit sales!

Help save a piece of history, and provide child care and family supports. $250,000 in tax credits available now!

Make a Pledge now or contact Carmen Lorentz.LE AT LRCD

CAITLIN MEANEY - NEW ROLE AT LRCD

As LRCD’s Resource Development Director since 2014, Caitlin has raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for LRCD’s mission. June 19th marked Caitlin’s eighth work anniversary with LRCD. To celebrate this milestone, Caitlin is transitioning into a new role on our asset management team. This move expands our capacity to sustain and care for our growing real estate portfolio.

Caitlin’s commitment to the cause of affordable housing, her inquisitive nature, and her excellent attention to detail make her ideal for this new role.

Over the next year, Caitlin aims to secure her Asset Management Specialist Certification from the Consortium for Housing and Asset Management and she will be hitting the books at Lakes Region Community College to develop her knowledge of accounting so she has all the skills and tools to be successful in her new role.

We are excited to support Caitlin’s growth and development here at LRCD! She’s a valued team member and so much fun to work with.

In case you missed it, last month NH Housing put out their semi-annual “Housing Market Report” showing trends in the homeowner and rental markets. The introduction by new Director Rob Dapice sure caught our eye when he wrote, “The cost of building materials alone has jumped 19.2% year-over-year, and 35.6% since the start of the pandemic.”
LRCD has definitely been impacted by this issue. Thanks to NH Housing for producing this great analysis to keep the focus on NH’s tremendous need for housing! You can access the report HERE.

The Importance of Energy Efficiency in Affordable Housing
An Op-Ed by: Carmen Lorentz, LRCD Executive Director & Dana Nute, Resilient Buildings Group President

Imagine if you will, a happy little family. There’s a single mother with two children and although she works full time, her income coupled with the ever-rising cost of living continues to make it difficult for her to make ends meet. So, to ease the burden, she and her family move into a less expensive apartment. It’s not as nice, but she can more easily afford the rent. Great! Problem solved, right? Turns out, it’s not quite that simple.

That single mother may be saving on her rent, but statistics show that her energy burden (the percentage of gross household income spent on energy costs), is likely to be higher. According to the Department of Energy's Low-Income Energy Affordability Data (LEAD) Tool, the national average energy burden for low-income households is 8.6%. That’s three times higher than for non-low-income households which is estimated at 3%. READ MORE

SUMMER GREEN TIP

GO ELECTRIC! Gas engines like the ones your lawnmower and weed wacker use are small, but they pack a punch on air quality. Did you know that using your gas-powered lawnmower for one hour produces the same amount of emissions as driving your car 64 miles?! Switching to electric will reduce your emissions to zero.