Southeast CDC

Hot off the press, Southeast CDC's Fiscal Year 2024 Annual Report! We're proud to share the outcomes of our collaborations with schools, businesses, artists, and community residents in our annual report - available to browse at https://lnkd.in/ecu-dyty.

Congratulations to our Board Treasurer, Carlos Plazas, on his new role as CEO of La Clinica del Pueblo!

Open your business in Highlandtown - we'll help! Our Project Restore program has $250,000 to spread to four businesses that open in the district. Grant funds can be used for rent and build-out at four participating locations. Get a closer look at the four participating properties at our upcoming property tours: - Tuesday, September 24 – 5:30 PM - Wednesday, September 25 – 1:00 PM - Thursday, September 26 – 10:00 AM Sign up for a tour at https://lnkd.in/eQRRejpf For more program information visit: https://lnkd.in/eWXXxjqD

The Develop the Developer Academy is a 5-day intensive program presented Nov 7-11 by HomeFree-USA that equips aspiring developers from underrepresented communities with the knowledge, resources, and connections needed to revitalize single-family homes in Baltimore. Southeast CDC is pleased to be a member of the advisory board. Applications for the academy are due Oct 1st: https://lnkd.in/eUVurtED

Southeast CDC is excited to introduce our new Executive Director, Carla Paisley! Carla is a licensed master social worker with executive leadership experience working with the immigrant community at LIRS (now Global Refuge) and the International Rescue Committee. Carla speaks English and Spanish, and in her own words, has “a strong commitment to agencies which center social justice, diversity, education, access, and culturally appropriate intervention and active listening.” Carla serves as the Chair of Development and on the Executive Board for ACLU-Maryland and on the Maryland State Board of Social Work Examiners. Carla joins the Southeast CDC on the eve of our 50th anniversary. Please join us in welcoming Carla and prepare to celebrate a half-century of community development in Southeast Baltimore with us next year!

Job opening! Southeast CDC is hiring a full-time Community School Coordinator for Highlandtown #215 Elementary/Middle School. Create, grow, and managing a menu of programs, activities, and volunteer programs at the school! This includes student enrichment, family engagement, a food bank, support for high attendance, and coordination of health and social supports. Must be bilingual in English and Spanish. Visit https://lnkd.in/e6DWv-BF for details on how to apply.

Our Neighborhood Team had a great time touring our entire staff around the Ellwood Park community last month! We stopped by the park to learn about upcoming improvements to the lighting and the playground, saw a community mural painted by our YouthWorkers, and visited a home rehab project under construction. A highlight was hearing from Ms. Diane, one of our favorite community collaborators!

We are saddened to share that our longtime board member, Delegate Carolyn Krysiak, passed away earlier this month. Delegate Krysiak was a lifelong resident of Southeast Baltimore and served in the Maryland House of Delegates for two decades, from 1991-2001. We will deeply miss her lively commentary and astute guidance. We were very touched to learn that she asked for memorial contributions to be directed to support Southeast CDC. Please keep Carolyn’s family and all the neighbors in Southeast Baltimore who are mourning her in your thoughts at this time. https://lnkd.in/easv-AK6

Congratulations to our second community buyer, Nakia! Nakia met us while we were renovating a house on her block for our affordable homeownership program. Nakia had rented her home since 2005, which she also uses to run a daycare center for the community. After 16 years of renting, her landlord notified her that he would be selling the house. If she wanted to buy it, she'd need to pay for it in cash. Nakia didn't have the money available to buy and was at risk of losing both her home and business with a change in ownership. She approached us to ask if we would be willing to acquire the house and create a rent-to-own program with her. While we never had a rent-to-own tenant before, we agreed due to Nakia's leadership in the community, the letters of support we received from neighbors on her behalf, and the vital services she provides with her daycare center. Nakia worked with one of our housing counselors to improve her credit score by 300 points over a two and a half year time span and become "mortgage-ready." Last month, she closed on the home she's been renting for almost 20 years. She is now the proud owner of her forever home!

Ms. Sandra wants others to know about the opportunity to move up to homeownership. She became a client of ours through our partnership with the Housing Authority of Baltimore City (HABC). The staff of HABC's Homeownership Office are working hard to help housing voucher holders move into homeownership - with the rental voucher able to be applied toward a mortgage A renter for decades, Ms. Sandra conscientiously saved and maintained good credit, making the most of her limited income. Ms. Sandra attended our Homebuyer Education Workshop August 26 and then worked with our senior housing counselor Yvette Murray. Yvette guided her through the homebuying process, encouraging her along the way. Since Ms. Sandra already had savings and good credit, Yvette helped her gather her documents, gave her a few tips to further improve her credit, and ensured she qualified for the $10,000 Baltimore City First-Time Homebuyer Program. Ms. Sandra chose to work with loan officer Debbie Meeder at M&T Bank. Ms. Sandra closed on her house in East Baltimore in March and she is thrilled to have a "house just for me!" She praised Yvette and Southeast CDC who "helped me in so many ways and partnered with me right away to achieve homeownership."