Dear Friends,

2019 has been a busy but extremely successful year at ABCDC. I started my tenure as Executive Director in 2018 and the amount of growth that I have seen in such a short period of time has been inspiring.

In 2019, we had over 500 first-time homebuyers graduate from our Homebuying 101 classes. Our Resident Services programming continues to grow, and we even launched our new All Bright Afterschool program for youth living in our properties. We also purchased 5 new All Bright Homes units to sell to folks who can make Lower Allston their home for the long run.

Our Community Engagement team has also been working tirelessly to educate neighbors on the development process. With over 4,000 units in the development pipeline in our neighborhood, it is more important than ever that we bring a more diverse pool of voices to the table and ensure that housing reflects the needs of our neighborhood. This year, we engaged over 500 residents through our workshops and forums in the community.

We have been diligently pursuing several very important housing development activities in the last year and are starting to see some benefit to these efforts.  This work includes securing financing for a project that will help us restore and preserve two of our valuable affordable housing sites.  In addition, we have been working very closely with the Hill Memorial Baptist Church Community on the potential to redevelop their existing property to add affordable homeownership opportunities to the North Allston area. This important activity has been pursued with the open and transparent involvement and input of the neighborhood residents.  These activities symbolize a renewed and re-focused effort to add and enhance to the Allston Brighton CDC’s portfolio of affordable housing available to residents with limited incomes.

I am extremely grateful to the staff, board, residents, volunteers, community leaders, and everyone who is committed to making Allston Brighton great. As we enter our 40^th anniversary year, I’m excited to see how we can continue to create a more equitable, affordable, and stable Allston Brighton.

I hope you’ll join us and consider a donation to Allston Brighton CDC this holiday season. Your invaluable support will allow us to create more affordable housing, educate more first-time homebuyers, and engage more residents in the development process. Together we can build a stronger and more stable Allston Brighton for everyone. You can donate safely and securely online here or mail a check made out to Allston Brighton CDC to 18R Shepard Street Suite 100, Brighton MA 02135.

With gratitude,

John Woods
Executive Director