What was your journey to your position as the Arts Director at a non-profit? How did you decide you wanted to get involved with IBA? I started my professional career in a publishing house and from there I immersed myself in the cultural world. I’ve been involved with publishing for the past 20 years in different ways— I’ve published government books and magazines, then ran...
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Puerto Rican Yara Liceaga has been writing poetry since the late 1990’s, and for many years lived fully immersed both in the island’s cultural scene and academia through the Universidad de Puerto Rico. After leaving Puerto Rico in the midst of the country’s economic crisis, she used her experience to begin building a series of projects that would promote artistic collaboration and inter...
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Affordable housing development takes time. But, in Massachusetts, time is a luxury. Every day, there are approximately 43 evictions across the state. Residents of the Commonwealth continue to face a harsh housing landscape where rents are the fourth-highest in the nation and there is a deficit of over 162,000 homes needed to accommodate residents on the brink or experiencing poverty (...
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Puerto Rican native Josy Latorre has been singing professionally for over 40 years and is the only female founding member of the widely successful group, Haciendo Punto En Otro Son. Formed in 1975, the group became part of Puerto Rican folklore for their vast repertoire that melded traditional Puerto Rican folk music with modern sounds, musicalizations of national poets, and lyrics with social ...
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Affordable housing is at the core of IBA’s work. Our commitment to providing not just a home, but a community continues as strong as ever in 2019. As you may know, we recently added new affordable housing units to our existing Villa Victoria community. ...
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U.S. residents are familiar with Congress and the President using government shutdowns as a way to push a legislative agenda. However, the most recent government freeze lasted for the longest time in U.S. history at 35 days, placing unnecessary financial stress on low- and moderate-income families and individuals without a nest egg, as well as the organizations and programs that support them....
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Father-daughter duo Kianí and Jerry Medina are some of the most talented and requested voices of Puerto Rico. Jerry, also a trumpeter, has spent over 40 years making music, collaborating with the likes of Tito Puente, Eddie Palmieri, Calle 13, and more. Singing professionally since the age of 16, Kianí is part of the group Viento de Agua and is currently performing on the Residente Tour. ...
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Honoring the work we’ve done over 50 years made for an impactful year, but so did the work we do everyday. All of our programs continued to serve our community as diligently as they have for the past half century, and we’re proud to look back at 2018 with you. Over 900 people attended IBA’s programming, a 13% increase from 2017. From arts to financial empowerment, we’re proud to su...
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We are so proud to announce that our own College and Financial Empowerment Program Director, Tiana Bonner, has been selected to join The Social Innovation Forum Executive coaching class of 2019! Through a 12-year partnership with William James College (formerly Mass School of Professional Psychology) The Social Innovation Forum works with a sma...
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During the winter, it’s easy to be consumed by thoughts of slippery roads, bitter winds and unpredictable snow storms. But it’s just as easy to forget that such cold weather also threatens the lives of thousands who don’t have a safe shelter. This past year, homele...
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Over the past year, significant strides have been made to expand affordable housing opportunities throughout Greater Boston and Massachusetts. For instance, Boston City Mayor Martin J. Walsh recently increased Imagine Boston 2030’s housing goal to 69,000 new units, 15,820 of which will be income-...
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Many families have holiday traditions, whether it’s a special food to a family activity they can all enjoy. This year, why not create a new tradition? Giving back to our community is what makes it so vibrant and strong, and there are so many ways to take part. Volunteering over the holidays can make a big impact on those who benefit from it, whether it’s their next meal, or a safe home for thei...
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As IBA celebrates the end of its 50th year, we are already looking to the future. We have already begun building our next half century, and we are excited to see how our community grows. From affordable housing and arts programs to support for our residents, our future is bright! By the end of this year, we will acquire, rehab, and renovate 146 units of affordable housing to add to IBA’...
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November kicked off in observance of Latina Equal Pay Day, calling attention to the fact that, on average, Latinas earn 53 cents to every dollar earned by non-Hispanic white men. This fact and this day expose a blatant reality: that wealth and power are not shared equally nationwide and even within our city. A recent report f...
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We’ve been celebrating 50 years of IBA, from our anniversary kickoff almost one year ago, through our gala earlier this month. The gala was an incredible event, the culmination of 50 years of supporting our community through housing, the arts, and more. We were honored to welcome our 50 honorees, esteemed guests, and fantastic chefs to the Edward M. Kennedy Institute on the evening of November ...
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