I would like to offer my congratulations to our current chair of CEDAC’s board of directors, Chrystal Kornegay, on the recent announcement of her appointment as the new executive director at MassHousing. Chrystal has served with distinction for the past three years in the Baker-Polito administration as the Undersecretary of Housing and director of the Department of Housi...

Over a decade ago, a college professor and her students routinely observed how children interacted with teachers in an early childhood education program in Connecticut. They found that only 3 percent of each child’s time was spent interacting with an educator. This low percentage was notable, considering that research shows that engagement with a caregiver is essential t...

  Home Modification Loan Program (HMLP) is a state-funded loan program first enacted by the Legislature in 1999 to assist homeowners and small landlords finance home accessibility improvements. The program funds modifications such as ramps and lifts, hardwired alarm systems, fencing, bathroom and kitchen adaptations, and the creation of sensory spaces and accessory...

By profiling the work of a CEDAC borrower, we can see not only the evolution of the organization, but the evolution of the non-profit affordable housing sector in Massachusetts. Casa Esperanza is a great example that allows us to trace an inspiring chapter in the history of supportive housing for individuals and families impacted by addiction. Casa Esperanza was founded...

While it makes good planning sense to promote transit-oriented development (TOD) housing, there is also a need to ensure that the very households who most benefit from public transportation can afford to live in locations where it is easily accessible, that is, equitable transit-oriented development, or eTOD. Recently, the growing demand for TOD housing has been driving up...

Reflecting on the last twelve months, the housing and community development sector in Massachusetts has accomplished much in our efforts to build strong communities. We are proud of both CEDAC’s contributions and the work of our non-profit community partners. These partners are the backbone of the Commonwealth’s robust community development sector and its achievemen...

Congress has approved the tax reform bill and it is anticipated that it will be signed into law by the end of the week, finishing a month of nail biting uncertainty regarding a number of fiscal issues, including several important affordable housing programs. The production and preservation of affordable housing is part of the country’s social safety net for low-income an...

Today’s guest blog is from Vince O’Donnell, who was CEDAC’s Director of Development from 1986 to 2001. During that time, he played a major role in CEDAC’s emergence as a significant driver of the affordable housing preservation mission in Massachusetts. For over 45 years, he has worked with nonprofits, resident organizations and governmental agencies in his afforda...

At CEDAC, we are committed to strengthening communities around the Commonwealth. While there are many examples that fit the bill, we want to highlight two separate affordable housing developments on the same important block in Northampton because of the significant role that they play in the revitalization of an important section of the City. The City of Northampton has...

On Friday, November 17th, the Massachusetts Association of Community Development Corporations (MACDC) will celebrate its 35th anniversary at an event in Boston. MACDC represents the Commonwealth’s mission-driven non-profit community development organizations, who are “dedicated to working together and with others to create places of opportunity where people of diverse ...