WCHR Receives $350K MassHousing Grant

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October 13, 2022

With summer in the rear view, we are reflecting on the work we've done to connect WCHR with our local community.

For starters, we are thrilled to share that we were awarded a $350,000 grant from MassHousing’s Neighborhood Stabilization Program for our restoration of the 12 Congress Street property in Worcester’s historic Crown Hill neighborhood. This grant helps us to bring the neglected property back to life and provide homes for new neighbors.

We are passionate about serving our community. Members of our team were on hand at many local events this summer to spread the word about WCHR’s programming. At Worcester’s “Out to Lunch” Festival, we spoke to residents about our Landlord Liaison Program and other offerings for renters and homeowners. We also participated in the Worcester Black Music Festival and “Party with HEART!” - both events allowing us to foster a stronger connection with our community by promoting our initiatives.

I look forward to continue sharing the news about how we're strengthening our ties to the Worcester community.

Sincerely,

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Jennifer Schanck-Bolwell

Executive Director

WCHR Granted $350,000 for Revitalization of Historic Property

Our site at 12 Congress St. recently received a $350,000 Neighborhood Stabilization Program (NSP) grant from MassHousing, which awarded a total of $4.6 million to eight community-based organizations and municipalities to support affordable homeownership.

NSP, according to MassHousing, is a new capital grant program that is “providing grants for the construction, reconstruction, renovation, or repair of substandard rental and homeownership properties.”

WCHR is working to get the property at 12 Congress St. ready for construction in the next few months. We were recently appointed as receiver of the .15-acre plot of land, which had been abandoned for a decade, in the historic Crown Hill neighborhood.

We have worked closely with a structural engineer to assess the building and determine where repairs and reinforcements are needed. We will be working with JMA Architects, a woman-owned firm, on the initial designs and we anticipate moving to the next step soon – bidding out the construction work.

We are grateful to the Baker-Polito administration for their vision and commitment to community revitalization through the NSP grants.

WCHR Staff Promotes Our Programs at State Festivals

WCHR team members attended local events to spread the word about our programs to the community earlier this summer.

Financial Coach Tamara A. Matama attended the Worcester Black Music Festival to promote our Financial Coaching program. Our Financial Literacy and Debt Counseling initiative — made possible through a Massachusetts Division of Banks grant — is designed to increase participants’ financial literacy and health while reducing overall debt.

Matama, Community Loan Fund Director Rosa Maria Salas and Landlord Liaison Program Coordinator Olivia Cepeda (above) partied with HEART! The Worcester Partnership for Healthy, Equitable, Affordable Retrofits and Training (HEART) also hosted a block party where WCHR spoke with local renters and homeowners about financial services and jobs. WCHR was proud to partner with “Party with HEART!” to promote our initiatives to Worcester residents.

WCHR Goes "Out to Lunch"

We saw plenty of team-building over the summer!

The popular Out to Lunch Festival and Farmers’ Market series, sponsored by the City of Worcester and Worcester Cultural Coalition, marked its 12th anniversary this summer. The celebration has grown from a single event featuring a handful of vendors into a multi-week local extravaganza including entertainment, food, handmade crafts and more.

WCHR’s Landlord Liaison Program coordinator Olivia Cepeda attended the Out to Lunch Festival on August 18and September 1 to promote the program. Olivia connected with event attendees about how the Landlord Liaison Program works – including signing bonuses and flexible funds. She also spoke to landlords about how to obtain resources for lead paint removal, weatherization and the landlord handbook on owner’s rights.

The program has engaged with over 100 landlords through outreach and engagement efforts. It has provided 45 landlords with incentive payments, with many more in the process. We have also been able to decrease the usual time for voucher holders to lease units by about 10 days, in comparison to other voucher holders.

Check out our Landlord Liaison Program here.

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