Blog

A Snapshot of the Year Ahead

As we welcome 2023, we are excited for some big milestones in the year ahead, and for many opportunities to collaborate with community partners and members of state and city government. We expect continued growth and innovation in the housing sector, early education, youth development programs, financial empowerment, arts initiatives, and resident services.

Affordable Housing

IBA is a committed provider of safe and sustainable affordable housing in Boston. As the region faces a housing affordability crisis, we look to collaborate with the administrations of Mayor Wu and Gov. Healey as they create new policies to address housing needs. We look forward to developing an effective partnership with Governor Healey’s Affordable, Abundant Housing Transition Committee through IBA’s Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Vanessa Calderón-Rosado, who serves as a key member of that committee.

Recently, during Mayor Wu’s first State of the City address, she announced major changes to planning and development in Boston that will prioritize affordable housing and creating community. One step Mayor Wu unveiled was her intent to file another home-rule petition to end the city’s use of urban renewal, with tactics in place to preserve housing affordability and tackle climate change. In addition, the Mayor announced that the city will give 150 vacant lots to developers for the creation of affordable housing at no cost, providing they collaborate with the city on development. Also referenced in the State of the City, a proposal on rent control which will limit yearly rent hikes to 6% plus the consumer price index, or no greater than 10%.

Here at IBA, we are excited about the West Newton/Rutland restoration project to be completed later this year. This one-of-kind affordable housing renovation, which began in 2019, will offer 146 rehabilitated units across 24 historical brick townhouses in the South End, establishing affordable housing for decades to come. Stay tuned for details about the grand opening!

Early Education

The dedicated and ongoing efforts of our staff and donors have allowed us to expand our Early Education Program. Opening in May, our Early Education Program will now serve infants and toddlers in addition to preschool age children in a space exclusively designed for their learning. The Early Education Program, like all programs at IBA, prioritizes diversity and inclusion. Our program follows the Teaching Strategies Gold & Opening the World (OWL) curriculum for literacy and the Building Blocks curriculum in math. Through our bilingual education, we will continue to provide children in our communities with the support to achieve a successful academic future.

Youth Development

We recognize the critical link between education, community leadership, and economic mobility that begins with engagement in one’s community. That’s why we are excited about the launch of Mayor Wu’s new office of Youth Engagement and Advancement for the city of Boston. Youth Development is one of IBA’s core programs; ensuring that young people have a voice when it comes to the policies and decisions that directly affect them is fundamental in identifying the gaps in the youth programs and services offered to them. This year, we will enhance our nationally recognized youth development program, highlighting social justice and civic engagement in all aspects of our programming.

Financial Empowerment

As part of IBA’s ongoing mission to empower individuals and families to achieve socio-economic mobility, this year we will launch a new homeownership program that takes a ‘Moon Shot’ approach. This multi-faceted, cross-disciplinary innovative program provides financial coaching and tools to guide and support participating residents in their journey to homeownership and to securing housing for future generations. IBA sees homeownership as a vehicle to help our residents build assets and generational wealth. Moonshot will match up to $100,000 in down payment assistance for qualifying families. Stay tuned for more details on this new initiative!

Arts Initiatives

Our Arts Program, which celebrates Latino arts and culture through music, visual arts, dance, and community festivals, is gearing up for another busy summer. In July we will host our famous Festival Betances, the longest running Latino Cultural Festival in New England. Other events to look forward to include the return of our summer outdoor concerts in partnership with Berklee College of Music and the City of Boston ParkARTS’ program, and the Tito Puente Latin Music Series. We are proud to bring our community together through the arts in celebration of Latino culture! Thank you to the National Endowment for the Arts for their continuous support of this initiative.

Resident Services

IBA remains committed to providing robust resident services. A common new year’s resolution is to improve one’s health and wellbeing, and our team will be supporting that goal by promoting an active and fulfilling life for our residents year-round, with a particular focus on our community’s seniors. We make the health of our residents a priority by offering a variety of fitness and exercise classes as well as workshops that boost health and wellness. Through our culturally responsive approach at IBA, we keep our community connected with social and recreational events. Our bilingual team also provides services in advocacy, case management, and referrals while offering translation and interpretation support. We are always looking to expand the reach of our resources across Boston.

If you would like to learn more about IBA’s mission or be directly involved by supporting our programs, learn more here!

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