Excerpts from Summer 2007 Newsletter...

WESCDC Looks to Launch Next Homeownership Initiative

     In the last year, we completed seven houses — more importantly, though, we provided homeownership opportunities to seven families who now call the East Side “home.” The satisfaction that comes from seeing results inspires us to keep moving forward with our efforts in the Bell Hill area and this summer, we took the first steps toward our next homeownership initiative.
     Bell Hill - Phase 4 will include five separate parcels, each to be developed into a site for a high-quality, energy-efficient, two-family home. Three of the houses will be new construction and two will be full “gut” renovations of existing buildings. All of the homes will eventually be sold to families and individuals who meet low-income guidelines and qualify for affordable homeownership.
     Each of the five new homes in the Bell Hill 4 project will consist of a three-bedroom, 1 ½ bathroom owner’s unit and a two-bedroom, one-bathroom rental unit. We also plan to use energy-efficient design techniques and technology, including the use of solar panels that will produce electricity, as well as a variety of “green” building materials.
     Currently, the CDC owns all of the properties to be used in the project and we have completed all the pre-development work. The sites that will be developed are as follows:

     119 Eastern Ave. is located in the same area as 116, 121, 123 and 125 Eastern Ave., all homes previously completed and sold to first-time homebuyers in Bell Hill Phases 1, 2 and 3. The present two-family building on the site was destroyed by fire last year and has been vacant and frequently a dumping site — and an eyesore for the neighborhood — since then. Our plans call for its demolition and then construction of a new two-family home.
     22 Catharine St. has also been a vacant building and troubled site in the neighborhood for more than 10 years. For years, the CDC persevered through a combination of legal and financial troubles that encumbered the property, but finally acquired it for this project. The building will undergo a full “gut” renovation and the result will be another new two-family home.

     30 Catharine St. is currently a 6,000 sq. ft. vacant lot a few doors down the street from 22 Catharine St.. Here we plan to build another new two-family home.
     10 Hooper St. is another parcel the CDC has pursued for many years because it was identified as a priority by the neighborhood association. It was finally purchased this year at an auction held by the City of Worcester. The vacant 6,200 sq. ft. lot will also be developed into a new two-family home.
     The fifth site is an existing home that was owned and occupied by a woman for whom the rigors of home ownership and maintenance were becoming too great a responsibility. She sought to relinquish the property and move into senior citizen housing, without worrying about the complexities associated with a home sale or the temporary relocation required while waiting for availability. Her community-minded spirit and familiarity with the work of the CDC led her to contact the organization with an offer to sell her home and request assistance with the sales and relocation process. The CDC purchased her home and signed an agreement that allows her to continue living there rent-free until elderly housing is available, which is expected to occur within six months. Similar to 22 Catharine St., this property will undergo a full “gut” renovation to create a new two-family home.

Funding requests underway
     In August, we submitted an application to the state for funding assistance for the Bell Hill 4 project. Other funding requests will also be made to cover what is estimated to be about $2.95 million in development costs. We still have many months of preparation ahead, but look to the future when more families will call the East Side “home.”

 The WESCDC's next proposed homeownership initiative (Bell Hill/Phase 4) will create five two-family homes -- three new and two rehabbed properties. The properties are located on Eastern Ave., as well as Catharine and Hooper streets.

Phlebotomy Program Draws Residents In Search of Career Opportunities

     Our goal was to offer neighborhood residents an opportunity to gain skills that would allow them to pursue jobs in the healthcare field that are both challenging and rewarding. According to neighborhood resident Ivette Lopez, the CDC’s new phlebotomy program offered her that and more.
     “It was amazing — such a great experience,” said Lopez. “I had been working as a home health aide but the hours were inconsistent and there were no benefits. I’m a single mom and have a seven-year-old boy… now I love my job.”
     Ivette is employed as a phlebotomist by the UMass Memorial Healthcare system, our partner in the job training program. Sixteen students graduated from the program, which was offered to East Side residents tuition-free as part of our Neighborhood Revitalization Strategy Area (NRSA) initiative. The five-week course, which included classroom instruction and a 120-hour externship allowed the 16 students to become certified phlebotomists. Seven of those students are now employed by UMass Memorial, including Lopez.
     “I just loved it — everybody helped each other during the class and after the training I felt very prepared for my job,” said Lopez.

Pauline O'Brien and Nardy Vega use their newly acquired

phlebotomy skills on the job at UMass Memorial's Ronald

McDonald Care Mobile.