Dear Friends, At Nuestra, 2008 will be remembered as the year we were called upon to help stabilize our traditional service area in a new and progressive manner, as the neighborhoods to which we have worked to bring positive change for nearly three decades suffered abandonment, deterioration, and blight in the wake of the foreclosure crisis. The great need displayed by our community called for a new approach that would both rebuild the ailing neighborhoods in Roxbury and North Dorchester and continue our long-term mission of community-building. Our mission was articulated for us by the City of Boston identifying the Dacia Foreclosure Intervention Target (FIT) area, an area of under half a square mile from which 81 families were ousted by foreclosure in the span of just 2 years. This area lies across our traditional service area, so it was natural for the City to approach us in the summer of 2008 and ask that we lead the way in restoring these neighborhoods |
42-44 Woodbine St. Under Renovation |
As you will see on the map inside, Nuestra is applying all of its resources in this area. Many of you are already familiar with our work in foreclosure prevention, which has played an increasingly important role in neighborhood stabilization throughout Boston. Our dedicated and highly-skilled foreclosure prevention counselors have helped nearly 100 homeowners save their homes over the past 2 years. Additionally, we are bringing to bear our decades of real estate development experience in breathing new life into these streets, as we move to purchase foreclosed and abandoned homes, renovate them, and return them to the housing market for aspiring local homeowners. The Dacia FIT area is also the home of two major new developments: the former Kasanof bakery site and Quincy Commons, both of which are located on Blue Hill Avenue in Roxbury. Finally, we are engaging residents of the area and encouraging them to share in our work with a new emphasis on community organizing that builds on our longstanding commitment to resident service. Our goal in the Dacia FIT area is not simply to stem the tide of foreclosure, but to rebuild and fortify our communities by empowering residents to take positive action on their own behalf. As it turns out, the economic crisis has had a silver lining for Nuestra in that it has served to crystallize the importance of what we can—and should—be doing for the neighborhoods we serve. In responding to the needs of the Dacia FIT area, we have honed our approach to community development into a more holistic, collaborative undertaking that will inform our service going forward. Warmest regards, V. Paul Deare & David Price |
