PROVIDENCE, RI– On Friday, May 22, ONE Neighborhood Builders (ONE|NB) awarded grants totaling $125,300 to six partner organizations from our Central Providence Health Equity Zone (CP-HEZ) to support their work improving economic opportunities and ameliorating health disparities. There were 11 submissions received in response to our request for proposals, with nearly $275,000 in total funding requested. The CP-HEZ is a 25-member collaborative convened by ONE Neighborhood Builders. Across the state, HEZs, which Governor Gina Raimondo and Dr. Nicole Alexander-Scott, director of the Rhode Island Department of Health (RIDOH), frequently highlight in their daily COVID-19 press briefings, have proven to be…
By Jennifer Hawkins Adapted from an essay for NeighborWorks America’s Achieving Excellence program Introduction The COVID-19 pandemic has thrown into sharp relief chronic, severe health disparities faced by people of color and low-income communities. As a nonprofit community development corporation (CDC), ONE Neighborhood Builders (ONE|NB) has worked for decades to address social determinants of health (SDOH’s), such as housing affordability, economic stability, early education, neighborhood safety, environmental justice, and food access. In the past five years, we have increasingly emphasized this work and invested in personnel who are dedicated to it. ONE|NB serves as the backbone for the Central Providence…
Published by ConvergenceRI PROVIDENCE – The messages were filled with “aspiration.” In a series of posts on Twitter on Thursday, April 16, and Friday, April 17, Providence Mayor Jorge Elorza wrote about Providence being a “city that cares for the wellbeing of all neighbors.” “Even when faced with seemingly insurmountable challenges, our local businesses continue to find new and inspirational ways to help keep our community healthy and safe,” Elorza wrote in his first message. “Physical doors may be shut, but Providence is still open for business.” In his second message, Elorza wrote: “I have seen neighbors and business owners step…
April 2020 — ONE Neighborhood Builders is proud to announce the addition of three new members to its board of directors. The Providence-based community development organization builds affordable housing and addresses issues of health equity throughout the state. The organization relies on its board to guide these efforts and ensure community voices are represented. New director Raysa Marte is a Silver Lake resident and former board member of Olneyville Housing Corporation, ONE|NB’s predecessor. She is a health data analyst at Lifespan and has lived in the Central Providence area for over twenty years. Raysa is dedicated to working with and…
Interview by Mary Macdonald at Providence Business News – March 25, 2020 Jennifer Hawkins is the executive director of ONE Neighborhood Builders in Providence. She spoke to the Providence Business News about the upcoming lottery for net-zero and passive-house homes that will be sold in the Olneyville neighborhood. The homes will be sold at prices starting at $140,000. The application period for the first homes should be opened in about a week. PBN: Remind our readers, what is available? HAWKINS: Five passive-certified, zero-energy homes. They are small. The average square footage is 725 square feet. They achieve zero energy because they’re…
Haley Hardwick Witman ONE Neighborhood Builders Providence, R.I. ONE Neighborhood Builders’ Haley Hardwick Witman was featured in the AIA-RI chapter’s monthly newsletter for March. Below is a bio of Haley from the Enterprise website. Enterprise sponsors the Rose Fellows program, which was highlighted in the AIA-RI newsletter. The progressive strides in sustainable design, both socially and environmentally, are encouraging to Haley as an idealist seeking to change the way in which people inhabit the world. She believes that it is critical to the success of a project that the existing community is involved and heard from the very beginning stages…
