11 Jameson Street
​Construction got underway on March 3 on this project in Laconia to convert a single-family house into three one-bedroom apartments. These apartments will be supportive housing for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Lakes Region Community Services will provide ongoing supportive services to the tenants. Construction is planned to be completed this fall.
We are grateful to NH Housing, the NH Community Development Finance Authority, and the City of Laconia for providing the funding for this project.
 
Hollis Construction Management is the general contractor.

Retirement funds are a great asset to leave to charity, because – unlike your heirs – charitable beneficiaries do not have to pay any income taxes for receiving those funds.

Leaving IRAs or other retirement assets to LRCD is quick and easy – you can simply notify the custodian of your retirement funds that you want all or part of a particular fund to pass to “Laconia Area Community Land Trust, Inc dba Lakes Region Community Developers.” Our Federal Tax ID number is 02-0426348.

Bay Street Update
Construction on Bay Street Apartments in Laconia is wrapping up in just a couple weeks! What a transformation from the burned-out house and pile of rubble that was on the site.
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​This property will offer 12 efficiency apartments for people experiencing homelessness or at-risk of homelessness. Supportive services will be provided by Lakes Region Mental Health Center.

State Housing Policy Update
The NH Legislature has moved several pro-housing proposals forward this session, including mandatory zoning changes and increased state funding. While the session is far from over and the state is facing significant budget constraints, there is clear bipartisan support for common-sense proposals that will help our state address the very serious housing crisis that we face. We encourage you to sign up for Housing Action NH’s weekly newsletter to get the latest.

​Construction of Bay Street Apartments continues moving ahead on schedule with completion planned for late March. The electric wiring is done, the air-source heat pump system is up and running, and half of the exterior siding has been installed. Drywall goes up soon!
 
This building will offer 12 efficiency units of supportive housing for people experiencing or at-risk of homelessness. Lakes Region Mental Health Center is the supportive services provider for this project.

​Thank you to Northpoint Engineering for their generous contribution to the Bay Street furniture fundraising campaign! Northpoint is a longstanding partner of LRCD; they provided the civil engineering services for Bay Street and have worked on many other LRCD projects.
 
LRCD also received a $2,500 gift from Melcher & Prescott Insurance and Co-operative Insurance Companies in January for the Bay Street furniture campaign. The gift was awarded as part of Co-op’s Community Grants program. Thank you to Melcher & Prescott for applying on our behalf!

​If you would like to make housing a part of your legacy, consider making a charitable provision for LRCD in your will or trust.
 
This kind of charitable bequest can take several forms. It can be a designated dollar amount, a percentage of the estate, or “the residual” – that is, the amount remaining in the estate after all other obligations and payments have been made.
 
If you are interested in leaving a gift to Lakes Region Community Developers in your will or trust, please speak with your attorney. We encourage you to provide your attorney with this sample language:
 
“I hereby give and bequeath __________________ (dollar amount, percentage of my estate, or residual of my estate after other bequests) to Laconia Area Community Land Trust, Inc dba Lakes Region Community Developers, 193 Court Street, Laconia, New Hampshire, 03246, for its general purposes.”
 
Please contact Carmen Lorentz at (603) 524-0747 x110 for more information.

Just before Christmas, the Save Our Gale School Committee (SOGS) signed the deed for the Gale School property in Belmont over to LRCD. We continue working to try to close on all the financing and begin construction this year.
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LRCD plans to restore the 1894 Gale School according to state and federal historic preservation standards. When renovations are complete, the Boys & Girls Club of Central and Northern New Hampshire will operate a childcare center on the first floor and Lakes Region Community Services will have a new program center on the second floor where they will offer classes and programming for all ages.

​LRCD is grateful for a recent grant from the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation’s John F. Jr. and Patricia Weeks Fund for general support. This type of flexible funding is critical to our ability to create more affordable housing in the Lakes Region.

​Things are changing daily in the policy and funding landscape. Like many other non-profit organizations, LRCD is concerned about fast-moving developments at the federal level that may impact our ability to carry out our mission. Due to how quickly things are happening, we encourage interested readers to sign up for email updates from the National Low Income Housing Coalition and the National Council of Nonprofits, both of which do a great job staying on top of everything going on.
 
At the state level, Housing Action NH is a fantastic resource. They now offer a weekly email newsletter on Fridays pre-viewing the housing-related bills scheduled to be heard or voted on in the NH Legislature. We definitely recommend you sign up for their updates if you’d like to weigh in on state housing policy proposals.

​Thank you to Lakes FM 101.5 for their in-depth show on February 7 about housing and homelessness in the Lakes Region. Click here to listen if you missed it.

​We are pleased to welcome Judi Donnelly, Jeanie Forrester, and Kyril Mitchell to our Board of Directors! Click here to learn more about these amazing community volunteers who have chosen to dedicate their time and expertise to LRCD’s mission.

In September, we set a goal to raise $45,000 to fully furnish the 12 supportive housing efficiency apartments at 17 Bay Street, Laconia. Thanks to the generosity of this community, we have exceeded that goal and raised $50,000! With the extra funds, we will create comfortable outdoor spaces on the porch and in the back yard to really make Bay Street feel like home.

​Thank you to Melcher & Prescott Insurance for their generous contribution to the Bay Street furnishings campaign! Pictured above are Randy Eifert, President – Property & Casualty of Melcher & Prescott; Carmen Lorentz of LRCD, and Bill Bald, President of Melcher & Prescott.
 
We would also like to express our gratitude to the NH Electric Co-op Foundation, the Annette P. Schmitt Charitable Trust, and to Taylor Community and their generous residents Susan & John Davies.

In December, LRCD’s Board of Directors approved our new strategic plan after a six-month planning process incorporating input from the Board and from our residents and staff.

Our overarching goals remain the same: to create a healthier housing ecosystem in the Lakes Region, and to empower our residents to achieve economic security. But we have laid out new and ambitious objectives to help us achieve these goals over the next three years. For details, click the button below.

The New Hampshire Charitable Foundation recently made a two-year, $40,000 grant to LRCD for general operating support. This grant was made possible by gifts from the Foundation’s Chandler Family Fund and Lakes Region Community Fund.
 
Over the next two years, this critical support will help us grow our pipeline of affordable housing projects, elevate the performance of our existing rental portfolio, and work to increase public support for affordable housing in the Lakes Region.

​Lakes Region Community Developers (LRCD) is pleased to announce the addition of three new members to its Board of Directors: Judith Donnelly, LRCD Tenant; Jeanie Forrester of NH Dept. of Business & Economic Affairs; and Kyril Mitchell of Northway Bank. The Board provides leadership for carrying out the organization’s mission of creating affordable housing and empowering LRCD’s tenants to achieve economic security.
 
Judith (Judi) Donnelly has been a resident at LRCD’s Harriman Hill Apartments in Wolfeboro since August 2014. She is a retired realtor who worked for 30+ years with Maxfield Real Estate. Her husband, who has since passed away, owned his own general contracting business. Judi gained a lot of experience in the housing industry through both means – selling homes and helping her husband prepare bids for building homes.  Judi is an active resident leader at Harriman Hill who is well-respected by her neighbors and property management. 

​Kyril Mitchell is the Assistant Vice President - Small Business Relationship Manager for Northway Bank and an active member of the community. After completing his service as Staff Sergeant for the U.S Army in 2005, he proceeded to build a career in the banking industry that spans almost 20 years. In addition to his Board member role with LRCD, Kyril serves on the board for Lakes Region Mental Health Center and is an unaffiliated member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars. Previously, he also served on the Laconia Planning Board and as a board member for Hands Across the Table.

​“We are so happy to start the new year by welcoming such a strong group of community members to our Board,” said Lori Borrin, Vice President / Loan Officer at MVSB and LRCD Board Chair. “Each of our incoming Board members brings a unique perspective and skill set that will enhance LRCD’s efforts to create more affordable housing in the Lakes Region.”
 
In pursuing their mission, LRCD has several projects currently underway that will help alleviate some of the challenges around affordable housing availability. Construction is two-thirds of the way done at Bay Street Apartments in Laconia, which will contain 12 efficiency units of supportive housing for individuals experiencing or at-risk of homelessness. Renovations will soon begin at 11 Jameson Street, Laconia where LRCD will renovate a single-family house into three small one-bedroom units of supportive housing for individuals with developmental or intellectual disabilities. In addition, construction is planned to begin this spring on Harriman Hill III in Wolfeboro, which will contain 30 units of affordable housing in a mix of unit sizes.

As the year draws to a close, we’ve been reflecting on everything we were able to do this year thanks to supporters like you.
 
This year, we:

• Started construction on Bay Street Apartments in Laconia, which will offer 12 units of supportive housing for people experiencing homelessness.
• Assembled over $11 million in funding for Harriman Hill III in Wolfeboro, which will provide 30 units of affordable rental housing. We completed construction drawings and put the project out to bid. When bids came back 20% over budget, we didn’t give up. We applied for additional grant funds to close the gap. We plan to begin construction in spring 2025.
• Provided resident services to 384 residents in 320 households. Resident services helps people maintain stable housing and empowers them to pursue their goals.
• Provided eviction prevention services to 218 households. We processed 96 payments totaling $17,744 on behalf of 43 of those tenants to keep them housed. This critical work prevents homelessness in our community.

We can’t do any of this without your support. Please consider making your tax-deductible donation to LRCD by December 31st to help us make an even bigger impact on the housing crisis in the Lakes Region in 2025.

​Thank you to Sheehan Phinney (SP) for being one of our Housing Champions this year! We rely on the expertise of the Affordable Housing Group at Sheehan Phinney to structure our deals. We greatly appreciate their financial support of our mission.
 
“We are proud to support LRCD’s unwavering dedication to creating healthy homes and vibrant communities for people in the Lakes Region. Their great work is an example of what can be accomplished through hard work and commitment. Sheehan Phinney’s Affordable Housing Group is honored to be a Housing Champion.”
 
~ Ken Viscarello, Chair, Affordable Housing Group at Sheehan Phinney 

​We are so grateful to Heart & Hands Thrift Shop, a non-profit thrift shop established by three local churches in Meredith, for their $3,400 grant to furnish an entire apartment! Heart & Hands invests all profits from the thrift shop back into the community.

Construction at Bay Street continues to move ahead on schedule with completion anticipated in late March.

Pictured above: Carmen Lorentz of LRCD with Anne McDonough and Tom Witham from Heart & Hands’ Board of Directors.

​We are pleased to announce that we have been engaged as a consultant by The Home Possible Project to help them assemble the financing needed to make their vision a reality.

The Home Possible Project’s mission is to create supportive housing opportunities for adults with developmental disabilities in the Lakes Region. A site for their project was recently donated by the First United Methodist Church of Gilford.

​After Thanksgiving, Black Friday and Cyber Monday, generous donors across the world come together to give back on Giving Tuesday. Lakes Region Community Developers is part of this global movement of generosity.
 
We need your support on Giving Tuesday to replenish our Good Neighbor Fund, which helps our residents get through tough times like when their car breaks down or they miss work because they get sick. Most folks who live in our properties do not have savings to get them through a crisis like this. But you can help!
 
Save the Date for December 3rd. Or click here make your donation early today.
 
Thank you for being a good neighbor to those in need!

We are happy to share good news on the effort to renovate this beautiful 1894 school building in Belmont to serve as an early learning center operated by the Boys & Girls Club of Central & Northern NH and a program center for Lakes Region Community Services. Unfortunately, when we put the project out to bid this summer, the bids came back significantly over budget. Over the past few months, we have worked with some of our funders on a plan to overcome this challenge.

​Part of the plan was to ask the Northern Border Regional Commission (NBRC) to allow us to use their grant from 2020 to stabilize the building. This request was approved a few weeks ago. The stabilization work will begin in early spring.
 
The big news is that the State of New Hampshire has approved $750,000 in American Rescue Plan (ARPA) funds for the project, which gets us very close to the finish line.
 
Stay tuned for more updates in the spring!

​Construction is buzzing right along on Bay Street Apartments in Laconia, which will provide 12 efficiency units of supportive housing for individuals experiencing homelessness or at-risk of homelessness. Supportive services for the tenants will be provided by Lakes Region Mental Health Center.

The framing is done and the building will be enclosed very soon, just in time for winter. We remain on track for completion in late March.
 
Thanks to the generosity of our community, we have raised enough money to fully furnish 11 of the 12 apartments!  Click here to help us furnish the last one.

​Residents at Pinecrest Apartments in Meredith organized a pumpkin carving party last month. Families gathered to celebrate fall and show off their creativity. A good time was had by all!

​November is Native American and Alaska Native Heritage Month. This celebration of Indigenous cultures began as a week-long event in 1986 under President Reagan. Every President since 1995 has issued annual proclamations designating the month of November as the time to celebrate the cultures, accomplishments, and contributions of Native American and Alaska Native communities.
 
We hope the resources below help you learn more about Indigenous culture and history, including right here in N’dakinna, the traditional ancestral homeland of the Abenaki, Pennacook and Wabanaki Peoples, past and present.

​INHCC is a grassroots movement of community members of diverse cultural backgrounds, working to re-frame New Hampshire’s heritage through a decolonial lens. Their website features some great blog posts and resources, and their YouTube channel offers locally produced documentaries about Indigenous heritage in New Hampshire and the Lakes Region.

Now Who Shall Judge the Indians?
How 500 Years of Colonization Has Impacted the Abenaki Peoples of NH and the Northeast

A livestream virtual presentation by Anne Jennison
Saturday, November 9 at 11:00 am
To register, contact the Sandown Public Library 603-887-3428

Anne Jennison is a traditional Native American storyteller and historian of European and Abenaki heritage.
​
In this presentation, Anne examines how European colonization of North America impacted generations of Abenaki/Wabanaki people. She also highlights the ways that the Abenaki/Wabanaki peoples have acted as agents of their own change through education, self-advocacy, efforts to revitalize their languages and traditional arts. Finally, she discusses how—working with archeologists, anthropologists, and scientists—they have recovered and revealed more about their history and traditional knowledge.
 
This program is offered by NH Humanities.

​Celebrate by listening to Indigenous and Native voices from across North America on PBS.
 
PBS features a wide range of programming, including documentaries on American Indian boarding schools, a series featuring Native chefs and Indigenous cuisine, and an entire library of documentaries and short films telling a variety of Native stories.

Last week’s match was quickly unlocked by three individual donors and a $3,000 contribution by Melcher & Prescott Insurance!

The Hodges Companies continues to wow us with their support of the Bay Street project. They pledged a third and final match of $3,400 to furnish yet another apartment, if we can raise $3,400 from other donors by Tuesday, October 22!
 
Your donation today will help us get to the point where we have 10 of 12 apartments furnished.
 
Our goal is to raise $45,000 by the end of the year to furnish all 12 apartments. With your support, we will be able to offer fully furnished efficiency apartments to people of very low income who are experiencing homelessness, in partnership with Lakes Region Mental Health Center.
 
This project is a critical step in addressing the homelessness crisis. Please help us in this effort by making a donation today. Thank you!

Rev. John Eaton “For years I saw the need and said to myself that if I had the resources I would construct a building with 8-12 supported efficiency apartments for those in need. When I learned LRCD was doing just that, I jumped at the opportunity to contribute to the project.” Rev. John Eaton

In addition to his generous pledge to furnish an entire apartment, John has also purchased 12 small lamps for the bedside tables, a set of sheets for each apartment, and some artwork and greenery for common areas in the building.

John is very keen to make Bay Street Apartments a welcoming and comfortable home for people who have experienced homelessness.

In fact, this entire fundraising campaign was John’s idea! He read about the project in the paper and reached out to us to offer support.
 
Thank you, John, for your kindness and generosity!

Pictured above are Carmen Lorentz of LRCD and Rev. John Eaton of Meredith

​Meredith Village Savings Bank

Pictured above are Carmen Lorentz and Lori Borrin, Vice President & Mortgage Loan Officer at MVSB
 
MVSB was the first local business to answer the call for support, and they generously pledged to sponsor an entire apartment. MVSB has enthusiastically supported many of LRCD’s projects over the years, and has provided strong leadership on our Board of Directors throughout our 30-year history. MVSB is an outstanding community bank that cares deeply about the communities they serve. Thank you, MVSB!

​Resilient Buildings Group

​Pictured above, Chase Pennoyer, President of Resilient Buildings Group (RBG); Tori Gerlt, Director of the Energy Solutions Implementation Team at RBG; and Carmen Lorentz of LRCD.
 
Resilient Buildings Group (RBG) generously sponsored furniture for one of the living spaces in an apartment, which includes a table & two chairs, loveseat, coffee table, and TV with wall mount.
 
RBG also provided consulting services during the design phase for this project, enabling us to make the building 100% electric and to access energy incentives to help pay for construction. After construction, our goal is to apply for additional funding to add roof-mounted solar to the project. We love using renewables wherever possible to reduce LRCD’s carbon footprint. We rely on RBG to help us pursue this goal. Thank you to the entire RBG team for all you do!

​Things are moving right along at Bay Street Apartments. The concrete slab is cured, a new six-inch sewer line has been constructed, and the driveway and parking area are paved. After a lot of site work, the building will finally start to go vertical in the coming days!

​Have you ever been in a conversation about the housing crisis and wished you had some data? If so, here are two great resources for you:
 
Lakes Region Housing Needs Assessment
Published October 2023 by the Lakes Region Planning Commission
 
This study estimates that the Lakes Region needs 7,440 additional units of housing by 2040, and that 3,160 of those units need to be affordable for essential workers and seniors with low fixed incomes.
 
2023 Statewide Housing Needs Assessment
Published March 2023 by New Hampshire Housing
 
This study estimates that New Hampshire needs 90,000 additional units of housing by 2040 to achieve a more balanced housing market where people can find housing they can afford within a reasonable amount of time.

​Bullying can occur in multiple ways. It can be verbal, physical, through social exclusion, or via digital sources like email, texts, or social media. Unlike mutual teasing or fighting, bullying occurs when one person or a group of people is perceived as being more powerful than another and takes advantage of that power through repeated physical assaults, threats of harm, intimidation, or by purposefully excluding a person from a valued social group.
 
Being bullied can severely affect a person’s self-image, social interactions, and school performance. Bullying can lead to mental health problems such as depression, anxiety, substance use, and even suicidal thoughts and behaviors.

To participate in Unity Day, check out the resources below and share them with the children in your life.
 
Kids Against Bullying
 
Kids Against Bullying is a creative, innovative and educational website designed by PACER’s National Bullying Prevention Center (PACER’s NBPC) for elementary school students to learn about bullying prevention, engage in activities and be inspired to take action.
 
Teens Against Bullying
 
Teens Against Bullying was created by and for teens working with PACER’s NBPC. This website is a place for middle and high school students to find ways to address bullying, to take action, to be heard, and to own an important social cause.

Since 2006, PACER’s NBPC has actively led social change to prevent childhood bullying, so that all youth are safe and supported in their schools, communities, and online.
 
Founded in 1977, PACER Center was created by parents of children and youth with disabilities to help other parents and families facing similar challenges. Today, PACER Center expands opportunities and enhances the quality of life of children and young adults with disabilities and their families. PACER is staffed primarily by parents of children with disabilities

​Are you concerned about the crisis of homelessness?

You can make a difference by contributing to our fundraising campaign to furnish Bay Street Apartments in Laconia. This property will provide 12 efficiency apartments for people of very low income who are experiencing homelessness. The project is currently under construction with completion scheduled for March 2025. To set the future tenants up for success, we want to provide durable furnishings for all 12 apartments.

We seek business sponsors and individual donors. Click below to see the sponsorship levels or to make your donation today. Thank you!

​Congressman Chris Pappas recently stopped by our office to learn about our Bay Street Apartments project and discuss the importance of supportive housing in addressing the crisis of unsheltered homelessness in the Lakes Region.
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Thank you to the team at Lakes Region Mental Health Center (LRMHC) our supportive services partner in the Bay Street project, for your advocacy on housing needs for the people you serve.

Pictured left in front of the Bay Street site: Beth Vachon, LRMHC; Carmen Lorentz, LRCD; Congressman Pappas; Christine Alvarez, LRMHC; and Senia LaForte, LRMHC.

Site work is wrapping up on Bay Street, and the crew is readying to pour the concrete slab this week. Construction is on schedule so far, with completion planned for late March 2025.

Thanks to our design and construction team, including Northpoint Engineering, Stewart Associates Architects, and Bauen Corporation. We encountered a couple unforeseen challenges during the site work phase, but the team handled them expertly.
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We are happy to be up out of the ground now!

​We are gearing up to make approximately $700,000 in improvements at Millview Apartments in Laconia. This project was built in 2003 and contains 18 apartments in five buildings on Union Avenue and up above on Locust and Jameson Streets.

​After over 20 years, the property is in need of upgrades, including new siding, new roofs, new boilers, and landscaping. We will also install rooftop solar arrays on the three south-facing buildings.

Funding for these improvements is provided by a Community Development Block Grant from NH Community Development Finance Authority and a grant from the Renewable Energy Fund at the NH Department of Energy.