View the videos below to learn more about the partners recognized at our 2018 State House Meet & Greet!
RIHousing 45th Anniversary
Transformational Partners Award Recipients
Rhonda Mitchell
Jeanne Cola
Monday, April 30, 2018
RIHousing Awards Key Partners at 4th Annual State House Meet & Greet
Since 1973,
RIHousing has helped generations of Rhode Islanders across the State find a
place to call home. To date, the corporation has helped more than 70,000
families buy homes and financed the construction of more than 14,000 apartments
for low- and -moderate-income Rhode Islanders.
In honor of
RIHousing’s 45th anniversary, the corporation honored partners who have been
instrumental in transforming communities throughout the State:
- Carla DeStefano, Executive Director, SWAP, Inc.
- Frank Shea, Former Executive Director, ONE Neighborhood Builders
- Jeanne Cola, Executive Director, LISC Rhode Island
- Jennifer Hawkins, Executive Director, ONE Neighborhood Builders
- Jim Reed, Former Executive Director, Housing Authority of Newport
- Joe Garlick, Executive Director, NeighborWorks Blackstone River Valley
- Linda Weisinger, Executive Director, Pawtucket Central Falls Development
- Nancy Whit, Former Executive Director, Pawtucket Central Falls Development
- Rhonda Mitchell, Executive Director, Housing Authority of Newport
“The
partners we are recognizing today understand that transforming communities
doesn’t happen overnight. It’s a long process that takes hard work and
commitment. It takes vision, and persistence to carry out that vision,” said
RIHousing Executive Director Barbara Fields.
Click here
to see photos from the event.
Moving Rhode Island Forward: 2017 Annual Report
2017 was an
amazing year for RIHousing and its partners. Together, we invested hundreds of
millions of dollars in developments across the State, launched new programs to
expand our reach, and put Rhode Islanders back to work. Most importantly, we
helped thousands of individuals and families find a place to call home.
Last year, RIHousing invested $839 million into the
State’s economy through direct investment and leveraging of partner resources.
This included $371 million in mortgages to homebuyers, $257 million in
financing to construct or rehabilitate apartments and homes, and $180 million
to help Rhode Island renters.
But it’s
not just about the numbers. Behind each of these statistics is the success
story of a person, family, neighborhood, or community. The 2017 Annual Report includes just a few of
the stories of the thousands of Rhode Islanders whose lives we touch.
While we
have achieved many successes, this is not the time to slow down. I look forward
to working with each of you on steps to help move the State forward and make
progress in jobs creation, economic activity, and better quality of life.
Please feel
free to connect with me at bfields@rihousing.com.
Barbara Fields
Executive Director
Rhode Island Housing
Tuesday, April 17, 2018
Partners Join in Providence to Celebrate Dean Street Studios
“This project is special because it will provide on-site services
and more affordable housing options for our most vulnerable residents,” said
Mayor Jorge Elorza. “With our partners, we are creating affordable housing
options and helping those who need it most.”
As part of the redevelopment, the Kent Center relocated its
Housing First RI offices to Dean Street Studios. This will allow the Kent
Center to provide residents with a variety of services as well as access
full-time support from Housing First RI’s nurses, doctors, and case managers. Originally
built in 1997, the Dean Street building underwent a rehabilitation that included
structural repairs, roof replacement, energy efficiency upgrades, and
improvements to security.
“Dean Street Studios represents a great achievement made possible
by the successful partnership of many parties,” said Barbara Fields, Executive
Director of RIHousing. “It’s a great example of how we can leverage investment
in housing to attract additional private funding and reach more Rhode
Islanders.”
RIHousing Wins Competitive $4.7M Grant to Create and Preserve Over 550 Homes
“Housing is an essential component of strong communities – it
serves as the foundation of economic wellbeing for Rhode Island families,” said
Governor Raimondo. “The resources from
the Capital Magnet Fund will help our continued efforts to ensure that Rhode
Islanders are not burdened by unsustainable housing costs and will allow us to
continue creating an environment that incentivizes residents and businesses to
choose Rhode Island and help us further strengthen our economy.”
Senator Reed led the effort to create Treasury’s Capital Magnet
Fund. Started in 2008, the fund invests in community development financial
institutions and non-profit housing developers to increase investment in
affordable housing and economic development. This year, RIHousing was one of 40
recipients nationwide to be selected by Treasury.
“The Governor and RIHousing worked hard to put together a
successful application for this highly-competitive grant. This is a smart investment that should put
folks to work and put more working families in homes they can afford,” said Senator
Reed, a senior member of the Banking Committee, which oversees federal housing
policy, and the Ranking Member of the Appropriations Transportation, Housing
and Urban Development (THUD) Subcommittee.
The Capital Magnet Fund requires recipients to leverage $10 of additional
investments for every $1 of federal funds.
RIHousing plans to exceed that goal and estimates that this award will
help attract over $110 million in public and private investment.
RIHousing Celebrates 45 Years, Honors Key Partners
In 1973, the Rhode Island General Assembly established the Rhode
Island Housing and Mortgage Finance Corporation (today RIHousing) to tackle the
state’s widespread, critical housing issues. 45 years later, RIHousing has
helped generations of Rhode Islanders across the State find a place to call
home.
Our State has changed since 1973 and we have changed with it. We
are proud of the many accomplishments we’ve achieved, and the partnerships
we’ve forged along the way. It is due to
these strong partnerships – with elected officials, lenders, realtors, community
development corporations, non- and for-profit developers, banks, advocates,
federal, state and municipal leaders and agencies – that we have been able to
help so many Rhode Islanders.
In honor of our 45th anniversary, RIHousing will be honoring
partners at its annual State House Meet & Greet. These partners have been
instrumental in transforming RI communities and understand that housing
development not only builds homes, but just as important, creates communities
where people can live, work, and enjoy a high quality of life:
·
Carla DeStefano, Executive Director, SWAP,
Inc. (Providence)
·
Frank Shea, Former Executive Director, ONE
Neighborhood Builders (Providence)
·
Jennifer Hawkins, Executive Director, ONE
Neighborhood Builders
·
Jeanne Cola, Executive Director, LISC Rhode
Island
·
Jim Reed, Former Executive Director, Housing
Authority of Newport
·
Rhonda Mitchell, Executive Director, Housing
Authority of Newport
·
Joe Garlick, Executive Director, NeighborWorks
Blackstone River Valley
·
Linda Weisinger, Executive Director, Pawtucket
Central Falls Development
·
Nancy Whit, Former Executive Director,
Pawtucket Central Falls Development
The 2018 State House Meet & Greet will be held on Tuesday April 24 from 3:00 PM – 4:30 PM in
the State House’s State Room. Please join us!
Wednesday, December 20, 2017
Looking Back on 2017…and Ahead to 2018!
As 2017 draws to a close, RIHousing has a lot to
celebrate. This year, we invested millions of dollars in developments across
the state, putting people to work and helping thousands of Rhode Island
families find and keep an apartment or buy a home.
Our investments don’t just create homes: each new
development improves the whole community. When an individual or family buys a
home, they are able to put down roots in the neighborhood. They shop at local
stores, dine at local restaurants and give back to the community. And let’s not
forget: building and buying homes creates jobs for hundreds of construction
workers, architects, electricians, real estate professionals, mortgage brokers
and others.
Earlier this year, we celebrated a groundbreaking at 60
King Street at Providence, the site of the former Imperial Knife Factory, which
provided jobs for many people in the Olneyville neighborhood. Like many mills
around New England, when the factory closed, the building stood vacant and fell
into disrepair. It was cut off from the rest of the neighborhood and became a
magnet for crime and vandalism.
In that blighted building, a coalition of partners saw
potential. With investments from a host of sources, including a first mortgage
and federal HOME funding from RIHousing, Trinity Financial is now undertaking
more than $21 million in renovation and turning the mill into apartments for 60
families. The redevelopment is contributing to more than a decade of
significant investments in Olneyville. In fact, Providence Mayor Jorge Elorza,
whose parents once worked in Olneyville mills, called 60 King “a
transformational project” for the neighborhood.
Another transformation is Greenridge Commons, a
development of 96 townhomes, apartments and commercial space in the Pascoag area
of Burrillville. As our Executive Director Barbara Fields noted at Greenridge’s
ribbon cutting last month, developments like Greenridge “break down negative
perceptions associated with affordable housing.” Built on a 200-arce site, the
development preserves open space while creating homes that are in keeping with
the character of Pascoag’s architecture and history.
Investments like Greenridge and 60 King are only possible
thanks to our many partners – developers, banks CDCs and investors.
For many people, homeownership represents achieving part
of the American dream. Here at RIHousing, we are so proud to be able to help by
providing mortgages for first-time homebuyers. In fact, we financed an all-time
high 531 mortgages in Q3. Totaling over $106 million, this represents
RIHousing’s highest single-quarter mortgage volume in our 44-year history. But
these aren’t just numbers for us – this means that we helped hundreds of Rhode
Island families become homeowners.
We are extremely proud of the work we did in 2017, and
are looking forward to an even better New Year. From all of us here at
RIHousing, happy holidays and best wishes for 2018.
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