Community Development Corporations (CDCs)

Codman Square Neighborhood Development Corporation aims to build a cohesive and resilient community in Codman Square and South Dorchester.  To do so, the CDC focuses on developing affordable housing and commercial spaces that are safe and sustainable and on promoting economic stability for low and moderate income residents.  Since its founding in the 1970s, the CDC has developed 1,400 housing units, including 500 within a ½ mile radius of the Fairmount Commuter Rail Line.  The CDC is considered a leader in promoting the creation of vibrant, transit-oriented urban villages where residents have access to public transportation, jobs, and supportive services.  To support area small businesses, in 2015 Codman Square launched its Dot Biz program, which, in its first year, provided 22 enterprises with the technical assistance needed to ensure long-term sustainability, job creation, and growth.

Formed in 2001 by concerned residents, Southwest Boston Community Development Corporation aims to build and sustain a thriving, economically and racially diverse community in Hyde Park and Roslindale by preventing displacement, developing and preserving affordable housing, strengthening neighborhood commercial areas, fostering accessible transit and green space, and nurturing local leadership.  The CDC is currently developing the first new affordable housing project for families in Hyde Park in nearly 25 years, which will include 27 sustainably designed rental apartments, green space, an outdoor play area, and a community room.  To provide area youth with job skills and training while promoting environmental stewardship, the CDC established its Green Team program which has engaged over 125 youth since 2009.

Serving East Boston since 1987, the Neighborhood of Affordable Housing (NOAH) started as a two-person organization operating from the basement of a church and has evolved into a multi-service non-profit credited with driving over $352 million of investments into the Greater Boston region.  To date, NOAH has developed or rehabilitated 382 units in 66 buildings, assisted over 650 families to purchase their first home, and redeveloped six school yards, a four and a half acre waterfront “Urban Wild” park, and a youth-run community garden.  The CDC now owns 265 affordable rental units and three commercial units in over 20 locations across the Boston region.

Inquilinos Boricuas en Acción aims to empower people to improve their lives through high-quality affordable housing, arts programs, and education.  Catalyzed in 1968 by South End residents who fought to avoid displacement, the CDC now develops affordable housing and provides supportive programming focused on improving the knowledge, life skills, and health of the 818 residents living in its developments. Since its establishment, the CDC has created more than 1,000 affordable housing units and has helped create the only gallery in New England exclusively dedicated to promoting local, national, and international Latino artists.

Established in 1988, the Asian Community Development Corporation was formed to address the lack of affordable housing options for Asian immigrants and other low-income families. With a focus on preserving and revitalizing Boston’s Chinatown community, the group has developed more than 400 affordable housing units.  It also offers homeownership workshops and one-on-one counseling in English, Mandarin, and Cantonese, and has a matched savings program to encourage first-time home ownership that provides a $1 match for every dollar saved.  Also focused on leadership development, the CDC runs a year-long leadership program for low-income youth from Boston and urban Asian American communities in the metropolitan area.

Guadalupe Neighborhood Development Corporation was created in 1981. Since its inception, it has rehabilitated over 50 homes, enabled over 40 families to purchase homes, and developed over 50 single-family rental units. In 2012, GNDC expanded its programs to include a land trust, the first in the state.  Its long-term vision is to transform an existing brownfield into 110 units of land trust housing for low to moderate income individuals—with 60 of the units producing as much energy as they consume, generating a “net-zero” energy bill.

Foundation Communities was created in 1990 with a focus on empowering low-income families and individuals and has become a national leader in the asset-building movement. The nonprofit owns 18 affordable housing communities that provide apartments and duplexes to over 2,800 low-income families. It employs a "service-enriched" housing model that focuses on ending the cycle of poverty through housing and on-site service centers, providing programs such as financial literacy and education.  It also has a matched savings program, which provides a $2 match for every $1 saved for the purpose of purchasing a home, college tuition, or small business expansion.

Founded in 2006, the Austin Community Design and Development Center (ACDDC) aims to improve the quality of life of low- and moderate-income people by identifying and solving social, economic, and environmental problems as they relate to housing. ACDDC’s staff is LEED accredited and integrates green design principles into site feasibility, construction project management, and policy work. ACDDC was a key partner in the Alley Flat Initiative, which develops small, detached residential units in underused alleys to illustrate how sustainable housing can be affordable and adaptable.