NOAH NEWS

NOAH'S ANNUAL MEETING 2024

You Are Invited to NOAH's 37th Annual Dinner

On Wednesday, December 18th

 At Spinelli's in East Boston!

Award-winning meteorologist and journalist, Cecy del Carmen, pictured top center above, will be a featured guest speaker. Del Carmen is a trusted voice in many communities across New England, and, in addition to her work in television and radio, is committed to neighborhood community development and climate resiliency. She is an experienced community organizer and liaison and has formed her own Boston non-profit focused on Central American civic and cultural issues. Del Carmen is well connected in the Latino community and continues to foster relationships across many sectors.

The evening will include Spinelli's fabulous dinner buffet, along with the ever-popular 'Death by Chocolate' dessert, and a chance to win some fun prizes in our raffle.

Basic Event tickets start at $50, with discounted pricing available for East Boston residents, NOAH tenants. and NOAH students. This is a family friendly event, and there is no charge for children attending with a paying adult. If you are interested in sponsoring this event, we would be very grateful! There are several sponsorship levels available. Please reach out to us directly at 617-418-8246, or email linda@noahcdc.org for more information.

Click to watch a brief video of guest speaker Cecy del Carmen on NOAH's Annual Dinner event!

COMMUNITY INVESTMENT TAX CREDITS DONATIONS

This giving season, we would like to take a moment to remind you about the impactful 50% Massachusetts Community Investment Tax Credit (CITC) program, which enables donors of $1,000 or more to double the power of their donation!

Your donation will directly support us in enabling some of the area’s most vulnerable families and residents to obtain and retain safe and secure housing. Homelessness continues to be an exponentially growing problem which needs to be addressed desperately. The pandemic-era safety nets that kept many at-risk households afloat have ended, leaving an extreme need for affordable and emergency housing-related assistance, along with a tremendous gap in service delivery. Please help NOAH fill that gap.

If you choose to invest in our work, you can double your impact and get half of your entire donation back. Through CITC, even donors who do not have any tax liability are eligible to receive a 50% rebate; and donors who have a state tax liability can receive half of their donation to NOAH back in state tax credits. NOAH will reserve 50% tax credits for all donors of $1,000 or more, and will assist CITC donors in utilizing the fairly simple credit-claiming process.

CITC donations or contributions of any amount can be made by mailing a check to NOAH, 143 Border Street, East Boston, MA 02128 or online at NOAH's website www.noahcdc.org on the Donations page!

COMMUNITY BUILDING & ENVIRONMENT

NOAH Youth Organizers (N-YO)

The bilingual NOAH youth program offers East Boston teens the opportunity to develop their leadership skills and gain experiential knowledge as they manage and spearhead numerous community activities that address negative socioeconomic and environmental issues within their own neighborhood. The Youth have continued their air filter project, in which they aim to address the poor air quality in East Boston by building and distributing free HEPA filters. The initiative has also included community focused education events and air quality data tracking using sensors. NOAH recently installed an outdoor air quality sensor on Gladstone Street, as part of the Healthy Air Network that is able to provide real-time insights on air quality across the city. In November, the youth presented their findings to the NeighborWorks Community Leadership Institute in Baltimore, alongside eight of NOAH's CLI community volunteers, where they showcased their incredible work to a national audience.

Summer Programming

Over the summer, NOAH’s youth organizers helped coordinate and host free bilingual activities and events for the community throughout East Boston, while continuing to maintain the neighborhood's new tree canopy plantings. The children's soccer program becomes more popular each year and continues to bring young neighborhood residents together for important community-building and physical activity while helping to preserve one of East Boston’s limited green spaces, American Legion Field. 'Learn to Kayak and Boating Safety' returned this summer to Constitution Beach, free and open to all, as usual. Sixty East Boston children participated in NOAH's free soccer program this year, and over 1,000 people enjoyed the East Boston waterfront though our 'Learn to Kayak and Boating Safety' program.

ESOL & U.S. Citizenship

NOAH’s ESOL program helps new Bostonians learn, improve, and practice their use of the written and oral English language in a comfortable, communal environment, and encourages engagement in building a stronger community. The new semester of full classes started in September, with four groups at Level Low, Level 1, Level 2 and Level 3.

NOAH educates between 100-150 individuals annually though ESOL-related programing, including its Intro to Citizenship courses to help community members navigate the citizenship application process; and Tech Goes Home IT classes. NOAH is very proud of its dedicated instructors, current attendees and all our past graduates!

We would like to congratulate NOAH ESOL student, Estefany Jimenez, who was recently recognized by English for New Bostonians at their Annual Breakfast Event in November! Estefany, originally from El Salvador, is enrolled in the Level 2 ESOL class and has seen great improvement in her written and spoken English during her time with NOAH. Also, the East Boston Adult Education Coalition additionally recognized NOAH ESOL student José de La Cruz and teacher Sonia Sanchez at the annual Student Recognition Day, earlier in the year. Also, kudos to three of NOAH's students who have successfully obtained US Citizenship in 2024. Congratulations to all!

If you are interested in NOAH's English for Other Languages classes or want to find out more about any of NOAH’s related programing, please contact Manlio Mendez at mmendez@noahcdc.org or 617- 418-8242.

NOAH’s Rental Homelessness Prevention and Emergency Housing Assistance programming, largely funded by the City of Boston, helps residents maintain or obtain apartment homes and avoid or mitigate homelessness. The focus is on serving current tenants who suffer from being displaced, or who are vulnerable to dislocation shortly. This programming also assists those who are newly homeless to obtain shelter or a new apartment, including fire, flood and other emergency related victims. These services are part of our commitment to low- and moderate-income Boston residents in need of support related to accessing affordable housing opportunities in the region. Through current tracking for 2024, NOAH had provided 200+ family members with emergency shelter, provided 161 families with critical funding awards to obtain/maintain stable housing, and provided 365 households with case management and housing search assistance, through 2024.

We would like to express our deep gratitude to Boston Mayor Michelle Wu, and to Chief of Housing and Director of the Mayor's Office of Housing, Sheila Dillon, for the much-needed funding which is the backbone of this programming!

Financial Capability

NOAH offers free bilingual financial capability seminars and individual coaching for those who need assistance with managing their finances. NOAH's Financial Capability programming runs a series of courses on an ongoing basis, each designed to give the attendee the knowledge, skills, and tools to feel confident in their financial decision-making skills.

Free, personalized, financial coaching session:

Make a plan to reach your financial goals, manage your spending and improve your credit. To learn more, and sign up, please contact Thais Gandica, NOAH's Financial Services Counselor, at (617) 418-8263 or email thaisg@noahcdc.org

First-Time Homebuyers

NOAH's First-Time Homebuyers (FTHB) classes cover everything one might need to know about buying a first home including addressing unique challenges presented by rising home costs and the current economy. NOAH annually offers 15 or more CHAPA-certified FTHB Zoom workshops as well as an on-demand online course – in both Spanish and in English. If you would like to learn more, or register for an upcoming class, please contact Carolina Suarez at 617-418-8261 or csuarez@noahcdc.org. 

Foreclosure Prevention

NOAH's Foreclosure Prevention Program has a focus on assisting consumers who are in imminent default and so in danger of losing their homes, and offers homeowners help in understanding their options and determining the best and most affordable solutions based on their own personal financial situations. ​Our HUD-approved counselors meet with clients one-on-one to develop an action plan based on individual needs, create budgets, work to obtain loan modifications whenever possible, contact lenders to advocate for homeowners, and more. All programming is offered in English and Spanish - with other languages also available with translation services - and is free of charge. If you or someone you know has received a petition for foreclosure, please contact Carlos Grajales-Thrall, NOAH's Foreclosure Prevention Counselor, at 617-418-8268 or cgrajalest@noahcdc.org

NOAH has been offering bilingual first-time homebuyer and financial education and counseling programming on an ongoing basis since 1992. In that time, NOAH has helped well over 2,600 families purchase their first home, at a total dollar production exceeding $153 million; and continues to serve 100 or more individuals though our Financial Literacy programming each year. Since 2008, NOAH has helped over 3,400 families retain their homes in the face of a potential foreclosure. As of November, NOAH has had 267 first-time homebuyer course graduates, with 51 families purchasing their first home, and has served 85 individuals via Financial Literacy programming.

NOAH’s bilingual Homebuyer Services and Financial Capability workshops, classes, and client counseling remain accessible over Zoom, and the staffers continue to have various bilingual virtual speakers from financial institutions and other companies to provide expert advice to workshop and course attendees. If you have any questions about the Homebuyer Services Department programming, please contact Director Diana Franco at 617-418-8266 or dianaf@noahcdc.org.

SENIOR & DISABLED HOME REPAIR

NOAH’s Senior Repair Services has been helping vulnerable senior homeowners and residents remain safe and independent within their own homes for the past 37 years. We provide in-home counseling and directly perform free minor repairs, as well as facilitate no-cost rehabilitation projects and larger-scale emergency repair services, for some 65 income-eligible elderly and disabled homeowners each year. Long-term program manager, Anthony D'Andrea (pictured right) and experienced Assistant Carpenter, Thomas Granara, together complete 350 repairs annually.

These are typically health- and safety-related services that make it possible for seniors living on fixed incomes to remain in their homes. Every job, regardless of size, is important to the elderly residents, who oftentimes have no other alternative. Free safety repairs include: installing bathroom grab-bars; replacing unsafe doors/locks; replacing broken windows; fixing leaks & faulty electrical switches/lights; patching roofs or replacing gutters/down spouts.

For over 37 years, NOAH has utilized this successful program to help over 4,000 elders remain safe by performing over 11,900 safety-related, emergency, and handicapped accessibility repairs. Please reach out to Anthony D'Andrea at 617-418-8265 for more information.

PROPERTY MANAGMENT

NOAH's Property Management staff have been working hard to maintain and upgrade NOAH's properties and offices. NOAH owns 389 rental units & five commercial units in East Boston, Holliston, North Andover, Carlisle, Webster and Middleborough. Altogether, over 800 individuals reside in NOAH rental homes. If you have any questions, please contact propertymanagement@noahcdc.org.

REAL ESTATE DEVELOPMENT UPDATE

Aileron: Aileron is a two-phase project located at 13 and 141-151 Condor Street in East Boston. Phase I consists of seven affordable, homeownership condos, with new owner move-in targeted for January 2025. Phase II, Aileron Artists rental development, will create 36 new affordable rental apartments, artist makerspaces /studios, a shared community gallery, and sculpture garden. Partially funded in 2022, this project is still in development, and NOAH aims to secure additional City and State funding in the coming year.

EB Refi/PACO Properties: NOAH’s East Boston PACO Properties (55 units in 18 buildings) have been combined with our other East Boston affordable and workforce housing portfolio units (56 units in 17 buildings) to create a large single-entity rehab project. PACO was formed to tap into the City’s AOP, anti-displacement program designed to protect Boston’s rental housing stock from high income, market and condo forces. AOP became a key NOAH priority, but at significant risk financially to NOAH itself. NOAH invested several million of our own capital to preserve these units. The City and the State have each offered $3.7M to prevent a foreclosure by acquisition lenders, including Community Housing Capital, Blue Hub/LISC and Rockland Trust, which have been patiently waiting for the return of their $12M in capital. The buildings are located at various scattered sites throughout the neighborhood. Lenders are currently working out the complex details to refinance the mortgages with a closing expected in the spring of 2025.

Union Block: This is the redevelopment of the 1860’s landmark Union Block building in downtown Taunton at 17 Main Street overlooking the town green. Full occupancy is expected in January. This $26M development created 38-units of mixed-income rental housing above the existing small businesses. This pre-Civil War, historic preservation project, which was very important to the history of the City, is now leasing its affordable, workforce and market rate housing to residents of Taunton and surrounding communities! This historic rehabilitation project also retained and preserved nine ground-floor small businesses and about 50 jobs! The Commonwealth has been very generous in providing additional capital to support the rehab of this structurally deficient property. We are very grateful for their support.

Ayer Commons: This is a 2-phase project that will create a total of 106 rental units located at 65 Fitchburg Rd in Ayer, MA. Phase I will be comprised of 64 housing units along Fitchburg Rd, and Phase II will consist of 42 affordable apartments in a mid-rise structure. The project received a 40B zoning permit and a commitment of $400K in funds from Ayer’s Community Preservation Committee. Ayer Commons is to be a passive house development, with planned geo-thermal sources for clean energy heating and cooling. This project is still in development and will apply for funding in the coming year. And, though none of us can predict how a new administration will handle affordable housing and decarbonization funding going forward, we remain hopeful they will continue to listen to the investor community, which values the use of tax credits to do business and create good for US neighborhoods.

Digital Rendering of NOAH Development Project, Ayer Commons

The future: NOAH has to work to clear its pipeline in 2025. We are also aiming to create new affordable homeownership opportunities in the Greater Boston region by acquiring 2-acre sites and utilizing the State’s Commonwealth Builders Program and other supportive financing (which we are told can be long process).

NOAH would like to say THANK YOU to all our wonderful 2024 funders so far for their support:

Amelia Peabody Charitable Fund, Applied Materials Foundation & Employees via Blackbaud Giving Fund, Better Beaches, Boston Harbor Islands National & State Park - Innovation Islands (Boston Harbor Now), Bushrod H. Campbell and Adah F. Hall Charity Fund, BlueHub Capital, Brian Gregory, Cambridge Trust, Citizens, City of Boston, The East Boston Foundation, East Boston Kiwanis Club, East Cambridge Savings Bank, English for New Bostonians, Fidelity, Hancock United Church of Christ, HarborOne Bank, Harvard Memorial Church, Liberty Mutual Foundation, M & T Bank Charitable Foundation, Mabel Louise Riley Foundation, Massachusetts Division of Banks, Massachusetts Mortgage Bank Foundation, Maury E. Lederman, Metropolitan Area Planning Council, MHIC, Mifflin Memorial Fund, Needham Bank, NeighborShare, NeighborWorks America, New England Grassroots Environment Fund, The Paul and Edith Babson Foundation, Phil Freehan, Rockland Trust, Sailors Snug Harbor, Santander Bank, N.A., Suffolk County DA, United Way of Mass. Bay & Merrimack Valley, Webster Bank, the Well Coffee House, and more.

NOAH would also like to extend a special thank you to: Cambridge Savings Bank for its 2024 donation; to Citizens Bank, which awarded NOAH another Financial Literacy grant award; to the Amelia Peabody Charitable Foundation; to the Mabel Louise Riley Foundation; to the Liberty Mutual Foundation for their generous award to our affordable housing preservation service line; and to the City of Boston, for all of its wonderful ongoing support!

And, as always, a great big THANK YOU to our fantastic long-time funding partners NeighborWorks America and United Way of Massachusetts Bay & Merrimack Valley!

With our generous supporters, we are able to continue to create and maintain more sustainable neighborhoods, community services and affordable housing opportunities than ever before.

If you would like to make a donation, please reach out to Linda Foster at linda@noahcdc.org or 617-418-8246, or donate online on NOAH's website! 

NOAH would additionally like to thank those who have joined us to volunteer! Volunteer opportunities range from long-term law school and college interns and AmeriCorps volunteers to half-day project volunteers, such as working in our youth-led community garden or performing maintenance upkeep at Trinity House for the formerly homeless in East Boston, as well as first-time homebuyer education and financial capability workshops, and working on work-force preparation skills with new immigrants. We thank you all!

Make a BIG impact even with a SMALL Donation!

Please consider making a secure tax-deductible donation to

NOAH today. To donate online CLICK HERE.   

Please consider making a donation to NOAH this holiday season. There is a mounting crisis in the area of housing and shelter in Greater Boston. Over our 37-year history we have never seen anything like it. The numbers of families reaching out for housing assistance continue to grow exponentially. NOAH helped a record-breaking 6,600 individuals from 4,300 families in 2023. Of these, over 5,600 were housing-related clients - and over half of them were children. Your financial support at any level at this time can make a major difference in the lives of local residents struggling to retain or obtain their homes. Since 1987, NOAH has created investments totaling $637.9 million in the Greater Boston regional economy. Please help now if you can.

NOAH's 37th Annual Dinner Register Here Wednesday, December 18th, 6PM, at Spinelli's in East Boston. 

Upcoming First-Time Homebuyer Classes:

Please reach out to Carolina Suarez at 617-418-8261 for more information.

FIRST TIME HOMEBUYER CLASS – January 25 & 26, 2025

Saturday, January 25 (Part I) 9:00am - 1:30pm

Sunday, January 26 (Part II) 9:00am - 1:30pm

CURSO DE PRIMEROS COMPRADORES – 14 y 15 de Enero, 2025

Martes, 14 de Enero 5:30pm - 9:45pm (Parte 1)

Miércoles, 15 de Enero 5:30pm - 9:45pm (Parte 2)

CURSO DE PRIMEROS COMPRADORES – 8 y 9 de Febrero, 2025

Sábado, 8 de Febrero 9:00am - 1:30pm (Parte 1)

Domingo, 9 de Febrero 9:00am - 1:30pm (Parte 2)

FIRST TIME HOMEBUYER CLASS – February 25 & 26, 2025

Tuesday, February 25 (Part I) 5:30pm - 9:45pm

Wednesday, February 26 (Part II) 5:30pm - 9:45pm

CURSO DE PRIMEROS COMPRADORES – 11 y 12 de Marzo, 2025

Martes, 11 de Marzo 5:30pm - 9:45pm (Parte 1)

Miércoles, 12 de Marzo 5:30pm - 9:45pm (Parte 2)

FIRST TIME HOMEBUYER CLASS – March 15 & 16, 2025

Saturday, March 15 (Part I) 9:00am - 1:30pm

Sunday, March 16 (Part II) 9:00am - 1:30pm