Fenway CDC
Authors: Rose Southard ,Robert Chyorny , Bethaney Murphy , Allison Kelly
- Brief History
Fenway CDC has a strong 40-year history of developing affordable housing, having created or preserved nearly 600 units in 11 projects with financing through city, state, federal, and private sources. Fenway CDC was founded in 1973 as a response to a string of threats to the neighborhood:
- A flawed urban renewal plan
- An arson-for-profit ring that claimed five lives
- Pressures from institutional expansion, widespread condo conversions, and displacement
- The elimination of rent control in a context of rapidly rising housing costs
- Plans for the construction of a large baseball stadium in the residential area
2. Overview
- The Fenway CDC started as a way to improve the local community around Fenway which had been a bit run down because of a lack of government intervention and assistance.
- Organization that builds and preserves affordable housing, and supports local projects.
- Protects neighborhoods’ economic and racial diversity, as well as improves the social well-being of residents by providing social support services, workforce development programs, financial literacy, health programs, and adult education.
- Urban village that is a model for smart growth and sustainability where both businesses and residents thrive together.
- Mission — to capitalize on opportunities and address challenges arising from Fenway’s world renowned institutions, which are important drivers of the regional economy.
3. Programs
- Civic Engagement: Community based grassroots planning initiative, working with residents to expand and update Urban Village Plan, and incorporate collaborations with local residents, non-profits, institutions, leadership and interest groups.
- Tenant Organizing: Work with tenants to preserve “expiring use” housing- 600 units preserved to date.
- Urban Village Plan: Started in 1992, resident’s vision for Fenway’s growth in the 21st Century. Focused on creating a smart-growth, transit-oriented residential neighborhood. Urban Village committee serves as the planning arm of FCDC, made up of community members and serves to implement the UVP and communicate with the BRA. Main goals of UVP:
- Sufficient/varied housing supply
- Access to public transport
- Community building facilities
- Healthy business community
- Open space and a responsible level of impact on the environment
- Housing Development: Providing affordable housing for Fenway residents. FCDC responsible for developing over 500 affordable homes, housing 1500 residents. Current focus is on preserving existing affordable housing and creating more affordable options.
- Resident Services: Providing social support, including referral and case management, with a focus on helping low income people access food, housing, and childcare.
- Workforce Development: Job training/placement, as well ESOL classes, resume assistance, and life skills/employment training.
- Moneysmart program: Financial literacy classes for residents.
- Fairfoods program: Two-dollar food bags to residents regardless of income level or work status.
- Fenway Family Coalition: This program was formed in 1994, meant to help out families because of the isolation and lack of support which they had been receiving. A group of individuals which meet once a month to plan family activities and to brainstorm what is needed for the community. They encounter many problems like growing housing prices and the lack of larger apartment sizes which force many families to have to relocate. Organize events such as family gatherings at Edgerly Road Park and halloween parties, and they have compiled a resource guide, which provides information about child care, after school programs, health care, and housing. Advocating for building two neighborhood playgrounds.
- Senior Program: Began in 1998 as a way to help out and help serve the needs of seniors citizens in the Fenway area.
4. Neighborhood
5. Get Involved?
- Taste of Fenway: Annual festival event incorporating local businesses to provide food, drinks and music to benefit FCDC.
- Membership: Members pay a small fee and it enables them to vote on issues at board meetings, as well as enjoying discounts around the Fenway area.
- Community Partners: FCDC seeks partnerships with private developers and institutions to collaborate on shared goals and advance respective community visions.
6. Social Media/Contact
- FCDC has a very active Twitter and Facebook presence, and they use social media to publicize community events and share news with the community.
7. Economic Deployment
- Increase the employment within walking distance, they did this by trying to establish jobs close to the area because most of the people did not have vehicles.
- Fenway CDC works to promote employers and businesses to expand, by trying to give them a customer basis, for example appealing to families with children. They provided toys and clothes for children.
- They also wanted to put in place a recycling center to raise more awareness of saving the environment and
Questions & Answers about The Fenway CDC
Q: Who funds Fenway CDC?
A: Community Investment Tax Credit Program. The Fenway CDC has already identified a number of partners and supporters who recognize the importance of the Fenway CDC’s work and are willing to be investors in the work of the next five years through the funding of CITC program. We will focus our fundraising efforts on expanding existing sources of grassroots fundraising through our successful annual Fenway Ball and Fall events that have been stable sources of unrestricted income for the last 10 years. We will strengthen relationships with funding sources that may potentially benefit from tax credits offered through the CITC Program.
