Capitol Square Apartments Project Closing Announcement!

Housing Corporation of Arlington (HCA) is pleased to announce closing on our Capitol Square Apartments Project, the first Arlington property to receive low-income housing tax credits from the Massachusetts Dept. of Housing and Community Development (DHCD).  

“Capitol Square Apartments Project  is HCA’s most exciting endeavor yet,” states Paul Parravano, HCA Board President, “In size, scope of work, diversity of funding, location—it all adds up to a monumental achievement for HCA and our supporters.”

The acquisition and redevelopment of these properties required a complex mix of both private and public financing, including Community Development Block Grant funds from the Town of Arlington, local HOME Program funds, state Affordable Housing Trust Funds, stabilization funds through DHCD, low-income housing tax credits (4%), tax-exempt bond financing through Eastern Bank, state and federal historic tax credits with investors Brookline Bank and Cambridge Savings Bank, and HUD funding through the McKinney-Vento Program.  The total cost of this venture is approximately $11 million.

Applications are currently available on the HCA website, at the HCA office, and at the Robbins Library.  Applications must be postmarked by noon on November 1 to be eligible for the lottery on November 7. The units will start renting to new tenants this winter. 

Capitol Square Apartments: How to Apply

As we transition from summer to fall, you will begin to notice quite a few changes around Capitol Square Apartments. The Capitol Square team is working to close our construction loan so the renovation can begin. Within weeks, you will all begin to notice workers on site and hear the sounds of the transformation of this historic property.

Anyone who is interested in applying for an apartment at Capitol Square can obtain an application at Housing Corporation of Arlington offices, the Robbins Library in Arlington Center or Peabody Properties in Braintree. The application is also available online. You must complete a new application even if you are currently on HCA’s waiting list.

Some more dates to remember: On September 13, we will conduct infor­mational sessions to explain the lottery process. Those will be held at 4 PM and 6 PM on the first floor of the Arlington Senior Center at 27 Maple Street in Arlington Center. We will accept applications until October 31. Then, on November 7 at 2 PM, we will conduct the lottery on the first floor of the Arlington Senior Center. Peabody Properties will process applications selected on that date and notify the applicants. If there are not enough qualifying applicants identified from the initial lottery, additional applications will be drawn until all the apartments are leased.

We are very excited about the progress we’re making at Capitol Square--Stay tuned for more updates!

Treasurer Grossman to be at 2012 Annual Meeting!

Exciting news...Don't Forget to RSVP!

Join HCA friends and supporters at our

2012 Annual Meeting

Keynote Speaker,

State Treasurer Steve Grossman

Thursday, October 18, 2012

Tango

464 Massachusetts Avenue 

Arlington Center

7:30 AM Registration & Breakfast

8:15 AM Program

Kindly RSVP to Joanna at jain@housingcorparlington.org or 781-316-3606 by Tuesday, October 9, 2012.

Say Farewell to David & Welcome to Pam!

Celebrate with us

Say Farewell to David and
Welcome to Pam! 

David J. Levy has been serving low-income households in Arlington for 8 years as HCA's Executive Director.  We are saddened to say goodbye to our good friend, David, but delighted to celebrate HCA's accomplishments throughout his tenure. Through his tireless efforts, David has been a key player in putting HCA on the map. 

At the same time, we look forward to introducing our new Executive Director, Pamela Hallett!

Sunday, June 24, 2012

3:00 to 5:00 PM

Tryst

689 Massachusetts Ave, Arlington, MA 02476

Heavy hors d'oeuvres will be served.  There will be a cash bar.

A suggested donation to the Housing Corporation of Arlington of $25 per guest in David' s honor will help HCA continue our homelessness prevention and affordable housing work in Arlington and surrounding communities.  

RSVP by June 18, 2012 to Joanna Ain at 781.316.3606 or jain@housingcorparlington.org. 

Welcome, Pam!

HCA is pleased to announce that Pamela Hallett will be joining the organization as its new Executive Director. Pam comes to the position with over 25 years of affordable housing and community development experience.

Her past experience includes 20 years with her own development/consulting firm which specialized in affordable housing.  The firm developed more than 1,500 units of housing, securing more than $100 million in construction and permanent financing.  It provided expertise in tax credits, financing, planning, construction monitoring, energy conservation and negotiations. 

Most recently, Pam was the Neighborhood Stabilization Program Manager for The Community Builders, Inc. where she managed the $78 million loan program funded by HUD to revitalize and stabilize neighborhoods in nine states and the District of Columbia.  In addition, Pam has served on a variety of boards and committees of non-profit organizations over the years, including the Chicago Low Income Housing Trust Fund, DevCorp North, Windy City Habitat for Humanity, Lawyers’ Committee for Better Housing, and the Greater Illinois People’s Cooperative. 

Pam has deep Arlington roots.  Her maternal grandparents moved to Arlington from Newton in 1932.  And although Pam grew up in Bedford, her parents returned to Arlington in 1984. Pam now lives in the Heights.

“On behalf of HCA’s board and staff, we are truly excited to have Pam on board,” said HCA Board President, Paul Parravano, “Her energy, enthusiasm and wealth of affordable housing knowledge are exactly what we were looking for in order to move Housing Corporation of Arlington into its next phase of growth. We’re so grateful to HCA Board Member, Mark Lesses, and his committee members for their diligence, thoughtfulness and many hours of hard work to find our next Executive Director.”

You can reach Pamela Hallett at 781-316-3429 and phallett@housingcorparlington.org.

First Parish Youth Group Host Music & Art Benefit for HCA

While it’s not unusual for young adults to spend their Saturday nights attending live concerts, one church youth group did something out of the ordinary with their Saturday night—they put on their own live concert. The seventy plus members of the First Parish Youth Group marketed, played in, sold tickets for and MCed their Music & Art Benefit on Saturday, April 28 to support our 11th Annual Walk for Affordable Housing, which took place the next day.

The youth group’s theme for the year was Homes & Homelessness. When choosing a beneficiary for the Music & Art Benefit, the group wanted something that benefited Arlington as a community—something close to home rather than in Boston or another city. HCA's Walk for Affordable Housing was also the next day, and many of the youth were signed up to go.

Erika Tai, the Social Action Coordinator of the First Parish Youth Group, stated, “This year, we realized how much the issue of homes and homelessness affects Arlington. Usually, when we think of these concerns, we think of them in the context of big cities, like Boston. Before this year, many of us did not understand how much these issues affect Arlington.”

A night of live music, a silent art auction and food donated from Anna’s Taqueria, this benefit is the First Parish Youth Group’s largest fundraiser each year. Several groups of young talent played original pieces. Others performed covers of their favorite recent hits. All the art was donated from the local community—youth group members, high school students, and adults inside the church.

“The feeling throughout the night was great, and it was one of the most successful fundraisers we’ve held, raising $3,000 in one evening,” remarked Erika.

Debby Lewis, longtime HCA board member and First Parish member, spoke to the crowd, “The First Parish Youth Group has been supportive of our Walk for the past eleven years, but this year, they really outdid themselves! We are so appreciative of their energy, support and dedication to affordable housing issues in Arlington.”

Spring Clean Up!

Love gardening?  Love HCA?

Join us for our...

Spring Clean Up! 

Saturday, May 12

9 AM – Noon

Spend a morning cleaning up some of HCA's properties with HCA supporters!  

Contact Joanna at jain@housingcorparlington.org or

781-316-3606 for more details.