Organization: THE SOMERVILLE COMMUNITY CORPORATION
Mission: SOMERVILLE COMMUNITY CORPORATION (SCC) IS DEDICATED TO MAINTAINING DIVERSITY AND PRESERVING AFFORDABILITY IN SOMERVILLE BY BUILDING AND PRESERVING HOUSING, ORGANIZING FOR NECESSARY POLICIES AND FUNDING, AND GIVING RESIDENTS THE FINANCIAL SKILLS THEY NEED TO SURVIVE.
Activities: RENTAL PROGRAMS - FIVE OF SCC'S RENTAL HOUSING DEVELOPMENTS ARE OWNEDDIRECTLY BY SCC: THE 12 ONE AND TWO-BEDROOM UNITS AT 110 WALNUTSTREET; THE 6 THREE-BEDROOOM UNITS AT 109 GILMAN STREET; THE 18 TWO,THREE AND FOUR BEDROOM UNITS AT 33 BOW STREET; THE 14 SINGLE ROOMOCCUPANCY UNITS ON SEWALL STREET; AND THE 8 ONE AND TWO-BEDROOM UNITSAT 75 CROSS STREET. ALL OF SCC'S RENTAL PROPERTIES, INCLUDING 161 UNITS OWNED THROUGH LLCS, ARE MANAGED BY WINGATE MANAGEMENT COMPANY, UNDER CONTRACT WITH SCC.
HOUSING DEVELOPMENT - FOR A COMMUNITY TO BE SUSTAINABLE, THERE MUST BEHOUSING OPTIONS AVAILABLE TO PEOPLE OF ALL INCOME LEVELS. IN ORDER TOKEEP SOMERVILLE ECONOMICALLY DIVERSE, SCC BUILDS AFFORDABLE RENTALHOUSING, CREATES HOMEOWNERSHIP OPPORTUNITIES, AND DEVELOPS RETAILSPACES. SCC HAS PRODUCED OVER 100 UNITS OF AFFORDABLEHOMEOWNERSHIP, BEGINNING ITS DEVELOPMENT ACTIVITIES BY PURCHASINGDILAPIDATED 1-3 FAMILY HOMES, REHABBING THEM, AND RESELLING THEM TOMODERATE AND LOW-INCOME BUYERS. MORE RECENTLY, SCC DEVELOPED TWOCONDOMINIUM PROJECTS WITH A TOTAL OF 23 UNITS BETWEEN 2001 AND 2006. SCC OWNS 219 AFFORDABLE RENTAL UNITS IN 7 SITES THROUGHOUTSOMERVILLE, INCLUDING THE 84-UNITS SAINT POLYCARP VILLAGE, COMPLETED IN 2014. IN LATE 2016 SCC COMPLETED ITS MOST RECENT LOW INCOME HOUSING TAX CREDIT PROJECT AT 181 WASHINGTON STREET, THE FORMER BOYS AND GIRLS CLUB PROPERTY, DEVELOPING 35 NEW AFFORDABLE RENTAL APARTMENTS AND GROUND LEVEL COMMERCIAL SPACE.IN THE FALL OF 2017 SCC BROKE GROUND ON A NEW 11 UNIT HOME OWNERSHIP DEVELOPMENT - 8 AFFORDABLE AND 3 MARKET RATE CONDOS - AT 163 GLEN STREET, THE SITE OF THE FORMER AMERICAN LEGION POST 388. CONSTRUCTION IS ANTICIPATED TO BE COMPLETED IN SEPTEMBER 2018 WITH ALL 11 UNITS SOLD BY THE END OF 2018.SCC LAUNCHED THE "100 HOMES" PROGRAM IN LATE 2015, IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE CITY OF SOMERVILLE AND MASS. HOUSING INVESTMENT CORPORATION. THE PROGRAM AIMS TO ACQUIRE AND PRESERVE AS LONG-TERM AFFORDABLE 2- AND 3-FAMILY HOMES OFF THE OPEN MARKET. SCC ACQUIRED ITS FIRST PROPERTY UNDER THIS PROGRAM IN DECEMBER 2015, A TWO-FAMILY AT 52 SYDNEY STREET. THROUGH EARLY 2018 SCC HAD ACQUIRED 45 UNITS OF HOUSING THROUGH THE 100 HOMES PROGRAM.
COMMUNITY ORGANIZING & PLANNING- SCC WORKS TO EMPOWER SOMERVILLERESIDENTS TO BECOME ACTIVE LEADERS IN THE COMMUNITY. OUR MEMBERSORGANIZE FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING, LOCAL JOBS, AND GRASSROOTS PLANNING,AND HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO DEVELOP LEADERSHIP SKILLS THROUGH OUR ANNUAL LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT INSTITUTE. IN RECENT YEARS, SCC'SCOMMUNITY ORGANIZING AND PLANNING WORK HAS RESULTED IN (A) A DOUBLING OF THE HOUSING LINKAGE FEE, ASSESSED ON LARGE-SCALE NEW COMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENT, TO GENERATE MORE FUNDS FOR NEW AFFORDABLE HOUSING; (B) THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A JOBS LINKAGE FEE TO SUPPORT WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS CONNECTING LOW INCOME SOMERVILLE RESIDENTS TO NEW JOBS COMING TO SOMERVILLE; (C) THE ESTABLISHMENT OF OUR "FIRST SOURCE" JOBS PROGRAM TO ASSIST WITH JOB READINESS AND PREPARATION; AND (D) CHANGING THE CITY'S INCLUSIONARY HOUSING ZONING ORDINANCE TO INCREASE THE REQUIRED AFFORDABLE HOUSING PERCENTAGE IN NEW HOUSING DEVELOPMENTS FROM 12.5% TO 20% OF THE NEW UNITS. CURRENT CAMPAIGNS INCLUDE AN EFFORT TO GAIN A COMMUNITY BENEFITS AGREEMENT IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE MASTER REDEVELOPMENT OF 12 KEY ACRES OF LAND IN UNION SQUARE, PASSING A CITY ORDINANCE TO GRANT TENANTS IN APARTMENT BUILDINGS THE FIRST RIGHT TO PURCHASE THE BUILDING WHEN IT GOES UP FOR SALE, AND A CITY ORDINANCE THAT WOULD ESTABLISH A REAL ESTATE TRANSFER FEE ON ALL TRANSACTIONS, GENERATING A NEW SOURCE OF FUNDS TO SUPPORT NEW AFFORDABLE HOUSING DEVELOPMENT.
NTEE category: Housing & Shelter
Secondary category: Community Improvement & Capacity Building