This month, Fresh Fridays considered how shared ownership of resources help make local communities more economically equitable. Community wealth building is a model for communities to directly own and control their resources. Recognizing that many common economic development models do not work for many communities, community wealth building incorporates worker cooperatives, community land trusts, housing cooperatives, public banking, and other tools to strengthen local economies.
If you receive benefits from the State, your personal information is at risk. Take steps to protect yourself. On Friday, December 13, the State of Rhode Island informed the public about a major cyber-security threat to the RIBridges system. RIBridges is the state’s system for administering many programs and benefits including Medicaid and SNAP. RIBridges is managed by a vendor, Deloitte, who is working with the State to address this concern. The State and Deloitte confirmed that there is a high probability that a cybercriminal has obtained files with personally identifiable information of anyone who has received benefits from RIBridges. …
Four residents of Central Providence were recognized for their leadership within the community, notably through their participation with Central Providence Opportunities Health Equity Zone (CPO-HEZ)’s Nine Neighborhood Fund participatory budgeting initiative.
This month’s Fresh Friday featured a group of panelists discussing the important topic of adaptive reuse and affordable housing development. Throughout New England and the US, there are publicly- and privately-owned buildings that no longer serve their original use – mills, churches, school buildings, and much more. As communities work to address the housing crisis, they are increasingly looking to these existing assets as potential affordable housing.
By Build Healthy Places Staff November 20, 2024 – Build Healthy Places Network (BHPN), a program of the Public Health Institute is thrilled to announce the five awardees of the Community Innovations for Racial Equity (CIRE) initiative, a program aimed at tackling structural racism and health inequities in disinvested communities. Supported by a generous grant from The Kresge Foundation, these five community development organizations, led by and serving Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) communities, have demonstrated a strong commitment to community-led strategies and racial equity. Each organization will receive a $50,000 grant. The awardees are: Beyond Housing in St. Louis, MO: Beyond…
By Will Richmond “The Providence Journal and United Way of Rhode Island have partnered to highlight the state’s nonprofits. Each week, a nonprofit identified by the United Way will be spotlighted in the Providence Sunday Journal, and the United Way will share how they support that organization. This week, we feature One Neighborhood Builders, which develops “affordable housing and engages neighbors across Greater Providence to cultivate safe, healthy, and vibrant communities.” We asked Vice President of Resource Development & Communications Kyle McKendall to tell us more about the organization. What is One Neighborhood Builders’ mission and vision? As a nonprofit community…
By Jusolyn Flower, Published November 14, 2024 “PAWTUCKET, R.I. (WPRI) — Rhode Island officials announced additional grant funding Thursday to support infrastructure improvements for affordable housing projects statewide. The Rhode Island Infrastructure Bank and Department of Housing awarded $2.8 million to five communities as part of efforts to tackle the ongoing housing crisis. “Developing housing projects often requires upgrades to municipal infrastructure, including site preparation, stormwater management, sidewalks, and wastewater utilities,” William Fazioli, Executive Director of R.I. Infrastructure Bank, said. […] East Providence received $480,000 to support the Center City Apartments, which will transform three blighted acres into…
This month’s Fresh Friday session brought together a panel of experts to discuss the critical topic of accessibility and inclusion in community engagement with a specific focus on disability justice and multilingual spaces in community meetings
C+J Rentals started with a straightforward goal: to provide rentals for small parties. Founded by father Mynor Quiñonez and sons Jeffrey Quiñonez, Christian Quiñonez and Danilo Quiñonez, the business began with a few basic party items, but quickly grew as they served more clients. As the business expanded, Danilo, Jeffrey, and Christian faced the challenge of keeping up with demand and navigating the complex world of loan and grant opportunities. Many funding options were tangled in red tape, making it tough for small businesses to get the help they needed. Enter the Central Providence Community Loan Fund. Unlike other funding…
