Community Development Corporations (CDCs) play a critical role fostering the redevelopment of urban areas in Metropolitan Boston.  CDCs are attuned to the unique needs of urban neighborhoods and practice a distinct form of “community building” that involves a broad range of potential strategies: development of housing and commercial space, community organizing and neighborhood planning, technical assistance to small businesses, and cultural programming.  CDCs often create opportunity for women and minority contractors and low-income residents through contracts and employment.
As community controlled non-profit developers, CDCs are in a unique position to turn community visions into a reality, and are often willing to participate in challenging and high-risk ventures in weak markets.  Their developments often help to pave the way for more investment from the for-profit sector, creating additional housing and economic opportunities.  

Since their inception more than 30 years ago, Massachusetts CDCs have developed over 24,000 homes and attracted several billion dollars of investment to low- and moderate- income neighborhoods, mostly in urban municipalities.  

CDC innovation at the local level requires resources from a variety of private and public sources.  All too often, it is easier for CDCs to identify money to pay for new programs than it is to find funding to pay rent, buy basic supplies, or pay for important ongoing services and community organizing.  New state funding streams are needed to provide a stable and predictable foundation to support the ongoing work of CDCs and help them leverage other funds.  

9.a    The Department of Housing and Community Development should create a program to provide significant annual funding and technical assistance for CDC core organization operations

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