- On December 27, 2016
- In Affordable Housing
2016 in Review: IBA Leads the Way in Affordable Housing
It was a wonderful year for IBA. We moved forward with key projects, the City of Boston made significant strides in preserving and expanding affordable housing, and CEO Vanessa Calderón-Rosado was recognized for her work in the sector. IBA has played a powerful role in the real estate community, and we’re taking a look back at some of this year’s key highlights:
- IBA’s Developments: Over the past year, we’ve moved forward with two important projects in the South End. We continue to make progress with the revitalization of West Newton/Rutland Streets, which includes interior and exterior upgrades to 146 units of public housing. In October, we held a ribbon cutting to celebrate the opening of Residencia Betances, an 11-room, single-occupancy building serving low-income individuals with serious mental health issues on Shawmut Avenue, and the only one of its kind in Boston. We are proud to provide quality resident services and preserve affordability amidst gentrification and rising property values in our historic neighborhood.
- Community Preservation Act (CPA): One of the most significant moments in Boston was the adoption of the Community Preservation Act. This will add a one percent surcharge on property taxes, generating an additional $20 million in revenue for the city to support affordable housing, public spaces and historic preservation. Read why it’s so important in Vanessa’s op-ed in the Boston Business Journal.
- Executive Accomplishments: It was a strong year for our CEO, who was recognized as a thought leader on affordable housing. Most recently, she was appointed to the Federal Reserve Board’s Community Advisory Council, where she will work with leaders from around the nation to provide thoughtful counsel and strategic recommendations to the Board on relevant policy matters and emerging issues of interest, particularly as it relates to the concerns of low-and moderate-income populations. She was also selected for the Pahara-Aspen Education Fellowship Class at The Aspen Institute, a two-year fellowship on leadership development in education. Because of her standing as a powerful woman in real estate, Vanessa was also honored by the Boston Business Journal as a Leader in Diversity, and by Banker & Tradesman as a Woman of FIRE.
- Imagine Boston 2030: While there is much more to be done, it was great to see the progress made in Mayor Walsh’s Imagine Boston 2030 Plan, including the release of a draft plan this fall. We were also honored to be a part of the Mayor’s suggested reading list, which included Villa Victoria: The Transformation of Social Capital in a Boston Barrio by Mario Luis Small.