5/28/2014 SCC Newsletter: May 2014

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In This Issue

New Member Open House May 28th

Register for July First-Time Homebuyer Class

Apply Now to Be a Part of Pocket Change

Save Our Homes Walk A Success

Ongoing Meetings

St. Polycarp Ribbon Cutting

Union United Gains Traction and Press

New First Source Program Launched for Youth

Employment

SCC & MassDOT to Sign MOU on Local Jobs for

the Green Line Extension

SCC Adopts 2014-2017 Strategic Plan

New Financial Education Class Begins in July

New Member Open House

Meet the SCC Community on May

28th!

Are you a new member of SCC, a

Somerville resident (or worker) who is

interested in learning more about SCC,

or a current member looking to

reconnect with us? Then please join us

for an open house at our office in Union

Square on Wednesday, May 28th from

6 to 8pm!

Enjoy light snacks and beverages and a

Dear Mary,

Finally, Spring seems to have found New England. As we begin to spend more time outside enjoying the

beautiful weather, flowers, and festivals that have cropped up, we can take a fresh look at our

neighborhoods and how things have changed in the last year. It's amazing to think about how our

conversations have shifted from planning stages for Union Square, the Green line Extension, and

Washington Street, and into the actual development. We are excited for the opportunities these projects

present to nurture our vibrant neighborhoods and preserve their unique qualities. Stay tuned as SCC

spearheads the next stages of development for these projects and more in the coming months!

~From all of us at SCC, thank you for your support!~

Save the Date!Saint Polycarp Ribbon Cutting June 9th

Please join the SCC community at the Saint Polycarp Village Apartments Ribbon Cutting on June 9th, 2014!

Come celebrate with SCC, Saint Polycarp Village residents, Mayor Joseph Curtatone, and DHCD

Undersecretary Aaron Gornstein the completion of Saint Polycarp Phase 3 Apartments! This will be a

ribbon cutting celebrating the opening of the third and final phase of the vibrant Saint Polycarp Village.

WHEN: Monday, June 9th, 2014 at 10:30 a.m.

WHERE: Saint Polycarp Phase III Courtyard, 7 Memorial Road, Somerville MA 02143

Union United Gains Traction and Press:Community Coalition Kicks off to Win Community Benefits in Union Square

SCC committees and members are playing an active role in the Union United Coalition, a group of

stakeholders working to ensure that the Union Square redevelopment results in tangible benefits - not

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chance to tour our office, get to know

some of our staff, and find out how you

can get involved in our work this year.

RSVP here!

Registration Open:

July First-Time

Homebuyer Class

Sign up NOW for SCC's First-TimeHomebuyer Class in July 2014! Thefour-session, 12-hour class will featurepresentations by a real estate agent, alender, a home inspector, a real estateattorney, and an insurance agent, inaddition to SCC staff, and it will teachyou everything you need to know beforeyou start the process of buying yourfirst home. Upon completion of thecourse, participants receive acertificate that enables them to accessproducts geared specifically towardsfirst-time homebuyers, such as the ONEloan product. The class will be conducted in Englishfrom 6 to 9 pm on June 3rd, 5th,10th & 12th.

A complete 2014 class calendar can be

viewed on our website. For more

information or to register, please

contact Shannon at 617-776-5931 x238.

displacement - for the Union Square community. The stakeholders include small business owners,

residents, activists, immigrant groups, religious congregations, labor unions, and other community-based

organizations.

All coalition members (currently 13 organizations and more than 40 individuals) have signed a pledge

affirming equitable outcomes like affordable housing, community space and resources, local jobs and

workers' rights, open and green space, public safety, support for small and local businesses,

and transparent and participatory planning processes.

Union United has already met with two of the shortlisted master developers and six aldermen to share

community priorities and begin a dialogue about the CBA process. In the coming weeks, the coalition

hopes to meet with more aldermen, the other shortlisted developers, the Somerville Redevelopment

Authority, the Civic Advisory Committee, the Office of Strategic Planning and Community Development,

and the mayor.

The coalition will also continue reaching out to more stakeholders, including resident groups. Ultimately,

the coalition's goal is to include language in the City's Land Disposition Agreement with the Master

Developer that stipulates a community benefits agreement. Stay tuned for more information!

If you're interested in learning more, please contact Mashael Majid at 617-776-5931 x228.

Creating Career Opportunities for Youth: New Partnership will Match Youth with Local Employers

On March 20, SCC, in partnership with the City of Somerville and The Career Place,

Change as part of our First Source program, which connects local workers with local jobs

will offer youth between 18 and 24 years of age the chance to gain experience, access training, and obtain

permanent employment with local employers once experience and soft-skills training requirements are

met. The City of Somerville is seeking participation from residents, businesses, and community

partners. Applications are being accepted NOW, and the next information session will be held at SCC on

June 4 at 6pm.

For more information about the program, or to schedule an intake session, please call Jorge at 617-776-

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Be a Part of Pocket Change!

Get Help with Odd Jobs and

Support Local Youth Employment

Need help with small projects aroundyour home or other general odd jobs?Be part of an exciting new initiativeSCC, the City of Somerville, and TheCareer Place have just launched! Get intouch with our Pocket Change staff andlet us know what your need is; we willthen connect you to Somerville youthwho can help you! We are currently creating a database ofpeople interested in providing youthwith pocket change opportunities; ifyou have a job you need help with,contact Max MacCarthy at 617-625-6600 x 2515 ormmaccarthy@somervillama.gov

Thank you for Helping to Save

Our Homes!

There's Still Time to Support the

Walk

The 11th annual Save Our Homes Walk

raised over $26,000 - with more coming

in every day- to help people in

5931 x226.

Agreement on Green Line Jobs:SCC & MassDOT to SIgn MOU on Local Hires for Green Line Extension

We are happy to announce that SCC, Jobs for Somerville, and

the MBTA are ready to sign the Memorandum of

Understanding (MOU) that will create the Mass WIN/GLX

Workforce Development Initiative. This program will provide

a pathway to the construction jobs on the Green Line

Extension to residents from Somerville, Cambridge, and

Medford. The MOU also provides for the creation of an Access

and Opportunity Committee that will guide the

implementation and development of the Mass WIN/GLX

program and make sure the program's local hiring goals are

achieved.

This agreement comes after years of hard work by the Jobs for Somerville committee. Members of the

committee never gave up in their efforts to create this opportunity for Somerville residents; spending

several hours testifying at board meetings, writing letters to the MBTA, and meeting with other local

groups to share strategies. In addition to a strong organizing strategy we had the support of the

Somerville legislative delegation, and were able to meet with MassDOT and the MBTA officials to share

our vision and ideas. Thanks to the visionary approach of Secretary of Transportation Richard Davey and

MBTA General Manager Dr. Beverly A. Scott, we were able to agree on the creation of this program, which

will hopefully be a model for the rest of the country in connecting local residents to careers in

transportation and helping to prevent displacement.

The MBTA and MassDOT are planning to formalize the agreement on June 18th at the MassDOT Board of

Directors meeting at the Transportation Building in Boston. Jobs for Somerville and SCC are also

organizing a local ceremony to celebrate this milestone!

To learn more or to join Jobs for Somerville, contact Rene at 617-776-5931 x226.

New Goals for the Future of Our Neighborhoods:SCC Adopts Strategic Plan for Achieving an Equitable Somerville

On May 20th, SCC's Board of Directors adopted the 3 Year Strategic Plan for 2014-2017. This planrefreshes the previous 3 year strategic plan by taking a close look at the critical challenges and issueswe face in order to sharpen our approach to achieving our intended impact

SCC has determined that preserving and enhancing the remaining economic, racial, and ethnic

diversity of our population is the overarching priority that drives our work today. This decision

was made after witnessing the substantial displacement of low-income and working families

from the western half of Somerville since the 1980s.

With the City's projection of 30,000 new jobs and 6,000 new housing units coming to Somerville by 2030,

as well as 6 new Green Line stops, and large scale redevelopment plans for Assembly Square, Union

Square, and other districts on the horizon, Somerville is on the brink of major transformation. With this

change comes great opportunity for the community: access to transportation, jobs, housing, and other

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Householdof 1

Householdof 2

Householdof 3

Householdof 4

Householdof 5

Householdof 6

$47,150 $53,900 $60, 650 $67,350 $72,750 $78,150

Somerville stay in their homes! Over 75

people came out to walk on this

beautiful afternoon in May and there

were more than 50 fundraisers and

more than 30 sponsors who contributed

to our cause.

For an average of $1,084 per

household, we were able to prevent 36

families from becoming homeless in

Somerville last year. This is the most

cost-effective and compassionate

response to homelessness! These funds

are used to make targeted grants to

help people with security deposits, back

rent, utility bills, and moving costs

related to stabilizing their housing.

Donations are still welcome to help us

hit our $30,000 goal.

Thank you walkers, fundraisers, and

donors!!

Ongoing Meetings

Our many groups and committees meet

regularly and are usually open to

newcomers! Please click on the calendar

image below to see the what's

happening this month!

Links

About SCC

Current Real Estate

Donate

Current Campaigns

Facebook

Tw itter

amenities within walking distance. However, the risk of displacement of SCC's core constituency-low and

moderate income and immigrant residents of Somerville, is higher than ever. Through this strategic

planning process, SCC zeroed in on key questions we must address, and established the following goals:

Goal 1: Increase the amount and stabilize the stock of affordable rental and homeownership housing

in Somerville.

Goal 2: Create and support initiatives that enhance the economic well-being of low and moderate

income Somerville residents.

Goal 3: Execute vision to expand SCC's impact on transitioning areas of the city to result in more

equitable outcomes.

Goal 4: Expand SCC's membership base and invest in the development of leaders in SCC and in the

community.

Goal 5: Broaden and strengthen SCC's operations, internal policies and financial position in order to

support and facilitate SCC's achievement of its intended impact.

Jumpstart Your Finances in 2014!SCC's Financial Education Course Begins July 1st!

We are excited to announce our second financial education class at SCC for the 2014 year! Over the

course of four weeks, participants will gain important information and skills to help them navigate their

financial lives more successfully.

The class will meet on Tuesday and Thursday evenings from 6:15 to 9:00 p.m., and a support group will be

offered after graduation so participants can continue to hone the knowledge and skills acquired in the

class. Graduates will receive a $200 stipend to get them started on a successful financial path! The class

will be open to people who live and/or work in Somerville.

Details:

Classes meet: Tuesdays and thursdays (July 1, 3, 8, 10, 15, 17, 22, and 24)

Language: English.

Dinner and childcare offered.

Pre-registration is required.

Requirements: Participants must a) live, work, or study in Somerville; b) attend all eight class

sessions, as well as two counseling sessions with SCC staff; and c) qualify under the following income

guidelines:

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(@SCC_Somerville)

(@SomervilleCommunityCorporation)

As always, we appreciate feedback. Be sure to join us on Facebook & Twitter for the most current info on what we're up to and how toget involved. We look forward to seeing and hearing from you soon!

Sincerely,Daniel LeBlancSomerville Community Corporation

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