LOCAL INITIATIVES SUPPORT CORPORATION

95 Berkeley Street, Suite 202

Boston, MA  02116

TEL: 617-338-0411

FAX: 617-338-2209

SUBURBAN HOUSING INITIATIVE

The Local Initiatives Support Corporation  (LISC) will be inviting funding requests from non-profit, community-based organizations involved in advocacy for and/or the development of affordable housing in suburban communities of Greater Boston. Funding and technical assistance will be made available for organizational operating costs, organizational development issues, housing and community development strategies. And the establishment of partnerships between and among entities. Organizations selected for funding will be eligible to receive project-specific loans and grants from LISC. 

With a quarter century of experience working with citizen-led initiatives to solve community problems, LISC believes that community based organizations can play an important role in remedying the serious shortage of affordable housing in the Greater Boston area. New and expanded community development activity in the suburbs will complement the impressive accomplishments of community development corporations  (CDCs) that LISC has supported in urban neighborhoods. The goals of LISC’s Suburban Housing Initiative are: 

§         To strengthen or facilitate the creation of enduring, sustainable, locally based organizations that have a community development vision which integrates affordable housing into broad community planning and development blueprints 

§         To support citizen- and resident-led initiatives which advance environmentally sensitive affordable housing developments that can readily gain broad-based community acceptance and support 

§         To increase the amount of affordable housing in Greater Boston’s suburbs and assist communities in achieving legal and regulatory targets for affordable housing production and overall mix. 

§         To encourage activities that support regional solutions to the creation of affordable housing

LISC’s over-arching goal is to bolster the infrastructure for producing housing in the suburbs. LISC’s expertise of building local capacity through community-based organizations will add value to other efforts underway to address the affordability of housing in Greater Boston.

Funding under this RFP will be targeted to work and activities in connection with specific affordable housing developments, local affordable housing strategies and production systems and organizational capacity building that will strengthen the grantee’s ability to impact the production of affordable housing over the long term.

While LISC has supported primarily community development corporations, LISC recognizes that it is not feasible for every community to have its own non-profit development organization. Development organizations which serve multiple communities, community-based organizations that are primarily involved in advocacy on housing and community development issues and organizations that are involved with non-residential development as well as housing are all envisioned as potential applicants and grantees under this Suburban Housing Initiative. It is expected that in   most instances the grantee will need to collaborate with other organizations and individuals that have the specific technical expertise to develop affordable housing. It is hoped that applicants will reach out to experienced and established CDCs to partner and collaborate on new suburban affordable housing.

Eligible Applicants

Non-profit organizations incorporated (or prepared to incorporate) under ch. 180 of Mass. General Laws, and tax exempt under Section 501 ( c ) 3, of the Internal Revenue Code with following characteristics: 

§         Activities are limited by charter, by-laws or policy to communities within the target geography of this RFP

§         Majority of the Directors must be residents of the community or communities served by the organization; at least one director must reside in each community in which grant-funded activities will occur.

§         Activities connected to affordable housing should be included in the purposes sections of the organization’s articles of organization, by-laws. or policy.

NOTE:  Funding under this RFP is not available to government or quasi-government organizations, including local committees, the members of which are   appointed by elected or appointed government officials

Target Geography of this RFP:  Communities within Route 495 that have less than 10 percent of their housing units affordable, i.e. subject to provisions of chapter 40B. 

Joint proposals:  Proposals from two or more organizations, at least one of which meets the basic eligibility criteria are acceptable and encouraged.

Minimum requirements for consideration  (“Threshold criteria”)

I.  Applicant must play a significant, advocacy, financing, and/or development roles with either

      (i) a specific affordable housing project 

                         OR

     (ii) two or more   potential projects in which specific available sites have been identified and resources that would insure achieving 25 percent affordability are known to be available 

II.  There are local resources for affordable housing, which may include

§         Community Preservation Act funds

§         Local inclusionary zoning

§         Community membership in a federal HOME funds consortium

§         Developable land owned by local government 

III. The application has the written support of at least one local public official such as mayor, city/town manager, or   members of Board of Selectmen, local housing authority, local planning board, or local conservation commission.

Funding Levels

LISC will make up to 5 one-year grants ranging in amounts of $30,000 to $70,000. Subject to grantee performance and future availability of funds, LISC intends to renew grants for at least a second year.

Maximum grant amounts:

       for single applicant/single community:         $45,000

       for single applicant/multiple communities:    $60,000

       for joint application                                    $70,000

CALL LISC 617 338 0411 (Mat Thall at x 222 or Jay Paget at x 231) or e-mail jpaget@liscnet.org with information about potential applicants