No images? Click here
Sweet Stories & Sweet Treats
Check out the latest from LISC including our Story Slam, new rounds of housing grants available, updates from MEN@Home, resources for small businesses and more.
The LISC Story Slam is right around the corner. It's next Wednesday, November 10th at 6 pm.
You still have time to get tickets, but time is running out. Order by THIS FRIDAY and get pre-event sweet treats delivered directly to you from Sweet Teez Bakery.
Each fall the Story Slam is a chance to celebrate the incredible ways we at LISC and our community partners are turning the page, celebrating where we have been and where we are going – energized by supporters like you.
The LISC Story Slam, hosted by Theresa Okokon, will be an event and an experience you will not want to miss. The evening’s storytellers will highlight our timely theme, “Turning the Page,” each in their unique way.
Don't Wait. Get your tickets today.
For sponsor benefits, visit our website. Read more about LISC’s impact in Massachusetts and what we are up to in the pieces featured below:
Pictured from the top, left to right: Cathy Mercado, Story Slam 2019 Storyteller; Theresa Okokon, host of LISC's Story Slam; Andy Men of Maloney Properties- Building Operator Certification recipient; and Chu Ling Dance Academy, small business grant recipient.
LISC Boston LAC Members and Partners in the News
An Op-Ed by LISC Boston Local Advisory Committee (LAC) member Betty Francisco was published by the Boston Business Journal on October 15th. The article highlights the critical importance of Latinos to the U.S. and Massachusetts economies and calls for investment in Latino and Black businesses – specifically through the $1.1B proposal put forth recently by the Coalition for an Equitable Economy to invest $1.1B of federal recovery dollars in small businesses.
Congratulations to LISC Boston LAC Member Glynn Lloyd, Executive Director of the Foundation for Business Equity, and LISC Boston partner Segun Idowu, President of the Black Economic Council of Massachusetts, for being named to the Boston Business Journal’s “BBJ Power 50.” The BBJ says this year's Power 50 is called, "The Movement Makers" because they want to highlight those not only holding positions of traditional power but also those leading from the pack itself, effecting change in communities across the Greater Boston economy and building a better, more prosperous equal area for all. [+]
Glynn Lloyd of the Foundation for Business Equity, Mill Cities Community Investments & LISC Boston LAC Member
Segun Idowu of the Black Economic Council of Massachusetts (BECMA)
MEN Advocates & Witnesses Creation of Historic Black Men and Boys Commission in Boston
This summer and fall, the Male Engagement Network (MEN) through MEN@Home hosted forums focused on community priorities. In October, members joined as Boston made history with the establishment of a Black Men and Boys Commission for the City. Through this, a similar statewide Commission, and other efforts, MEN@Home is currently researching, identifying, and acting on ways to address housing policies for men of color in Dorchester, Roxbury, and Mattapan. For more, follow the Male Engagement Network on Facebook & Twitter or contact Lee Nave lee@csndc.com.
MEN@Home is supported by the Innovative Stable Housing Initiative’s Upstream Fund, Massachusetts Smart Growth Alliance, LISC and others.
Energy Cohort Session, All-Electric Specs for Your Property
Tues, 11/9 at 11 am
Join us for the next Energy Cohort on all-electric building systems (HVAC and Domestic Hot Water) technical options with guest presenter James Peterson, Principal of Peterson Engineering. [+]
SAVE-THE-DATE: Joint Energy Cohort/MACDC Boston Committee Session on BERDO 2.0, Thurs. 12/16
Join us for an overview and discussion of this new regulation with Brenda Pike from the City of Boston. Boston’s Building Energy Reporting and Disclosure Ordinance (BERDO) 2.0 was signed into law in October. The updated ordinance now applies to smaller buildings and requires carbon emissions reductions which rachet down to net zero emissions in alignment with the City’s commitment to carbon neutrality by 2050. While the regulation assumes a phased approach to carbon emissions reduction, it will require proactive planning on the part of building owners to ensure the thresholds can be met.
Save the date or sign up for our Green Homes Mailing list by contacting Emily Jones, ejones@lisc.org.
The Energy Cohort is a community of practice for affordable housing professionals interested in energy efficiency, renewable energy, resiliency, and resident health to network, learn, and share information. The Energy Cohort is co-hosted by LISC, the Massachusetts Association of Community Development Corporations (MACDC), and New Ecology, with funding support from Barr Foundation.
Join STAR Round 2, Apply by 11/15
LISC, MACDC, and Resonant Energy have launched a path-breaking program designed to remove barriers and dramatically increase the adoption of solar PV for affordable housing developments across the Commonwealth. STAR participants receive staff time support grants and free technical analysis services to analyze the solar potential and financing options for their portfolio. Apply by November 15th to join Round 2. [+]
Watch the recent webinar on about the program so far and applying for STAR Phase II. [+]
Decarbonize Your Buildings with Energy Audits
Now Accepting Applications
Are you a multifamily affordable housing owner with a project approaching rehab? Do you want to achieve deep energy savings and integrate clean energy technology?
LISC is offering grants to fund 50% of the cost of comprehensive energy audits and kickoff design meetings for multifamily affordable housing projects approaching refinance/ rehab in Massachusetts. Projects pursuing adaptive reuse to become affordable housing are also eligible. All selected properties are eligible to receive free bench-marking services leading up to and following rehab so owners can track their property's energy and water savings. This matching grant is made possible thanks to the generous support of MassCEC and DOER. [+]
Renters looking for help in applying for rent, move in cost, utility assistance and additional resources can visit the ABCD Mobile Outreach Team. Visit them on Wednesday, Nov. 10th, from10 am - 2 pm at ABCD Roxbury/North Dorchester NOC (565 Warren Street in Roxbury). For more, email housing@bostonabcd.org [+]
The Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) helps keep families safe and healthy through initiatives that assist families with energy costs.
LIHEAP provides federally funded assistance in managing costs associated with home energy bills, energy crises, weatherization and energy-related minor home repairs. If you know of an individual in need of assistance with their home energy bills, please click here to refer them to the best contact information by their state or tribe. They can also call the National Energy Assistance Referral (NEAR) hotline at 1-866-674-6327, or visit Mass.gov for other questions regarding utility bill assistance
Community Action Agencies (CAAs) can help residents in many ways. Whether it be housing bills, finding a job, emergency food assistance, early education and care programs, or a general assessment of needs, CAA case managers are very good at understanding a family’s needs and connecting them to the right set of services. Listed here are CAAs in closest proximity to Boston: Action for Boston Community Development, Inc., Cambridge Economic Opportunity Committee, Community Action Agency of Somerville. If you know someone who may benefit from these services, they can find their local agency here.
The Massachusetts Community Banking Council (MCBC) recently released Small Business Lending in Massachusetts, an annual review of data regarding the small business lending in Massachusetts, prepared by the UMass Donahue Institute’s Economic & Public Policy Research Group. The report reveals relatively lower rates of small business lending to businesses in low-and moderate-income census tracts and census tracts where residents are majority people of color. [+]
Fund Your Small Business Strategy
Small Business Strong can help you find the funds you need to realize your vision. Their mission is to help you success.
Consult one of Small Business Strong's advisors today to get free assistance and to discover which grant programs you could take advantage of! [+]
LISC is the Program Manager for Small Business Strong, a non-profit organization that provides expedited, pro-bono support for women and entrepreneurs of color working to stabilize and grow their businesses in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Sign up for LISC's Small Business Newsletter for Massachusetts
Join our mailing list exclusively for small business news, featuring resources for entrepreneurs and business support organizations in Massachusetts.
