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NBC10: Ribbon-cutting ceremony held for new affordable housing in East Providence

by NBC10 News Friday, April 26 EAST PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WJAR) — A ribbon cutting was held in East Providence Friday morning for the newly-constructed Residences at Riverside Square. The 16 new affordable apartments will be available for extremely low to moderate-income households. Three of the apartments are reserved for youth aging out of foster care. “This project not only provides options for our residents but it is a unique project in that it reserves 3 units for children aging out of foster care. It is a cause that is not only near and dear to me, but brings me great pride…
oneneighborhoodbuilders
April 26, 2024
News Coverage

PBN: Future of R.I.’s health equity zones unclear amid funding gap

By Katie Castellani-04/26/2024 In 2015, Rhode Island pioneered the Health Equity Zone Initiative, a community-focused program meant to help fill gaps in health care. But now the initiative’s future is hazy as it’s facing a funding gap. The initiative is facilitated by the R.I. Department of Health, with the support of the R.I. Executive Office of Health and Human Services, and has expanded to include 15 health equity zones throughout the state. Each zone represents a different geographic area and is anchored by a backbone organization that serves as an administrative hub. Health equity zones are tasked with identifying their community’s…
oneneighborhoodbuilders
April 26, 2024
Featured - News CoverageNews Coverage

Boston Globe: R.I. asked ordinary people how to spend over $1m on their neighborhoods. Here’s how that process could be the future.

A group of residents from Central Falls and Pawtucket, R.I., look through the details of projects area residents designed that could be funded through a participatory budgeting process. LISC photo Here’s what was funded, and how Rhode Island could adopt a participatory budget process in other areas of the state. By Alexa Gagosz The Boston Globe Last summer, residents of three Rhode Island cities were asked to figure out how to spend nearly $1.4 million. Teenagers as young as 13 were asked to participate, all the way up to to adults well into their 70s. Some live not far from…
oneneighborhoodbuilders
June 27, 2023
News CoverageNews Releases

ONE|NB Launches $1M, Community-led Participatory Budgeting Initiative

Residents gather at the Smith Hill Library in Providence to discuss ides for improvements to nine neighborhoods in Central Providence. Photos by Stephen Ide/ ONE Neighborhood Builders. FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE November 22, 2022 Download PDF ONE|NB Launches $1M, Community-led Participatory Budgeting Initiative PROVIDENCE, RI - ONE Neighborhood Builders, one of the state’s leading community development corporations, officially kicked off the idea collection phase of a $1 million, community-led participatory budgeting initiative last week. As part of this phase, ONE|NB is accelerating efforts to solicit ideas from neighbors about how to invest $1 million in the community. In the coming weeks,…
oneneighborhoodbuilders
November 22, 2022
Featured - News CoverageNews Coverage

EastBayRI: ‘The Residences at Riverside Square’ project takes a step forward

EastBayRI: The reclamation of the former VAMCO site Bullocks Point Avenue in Riverside as a location for affordable housing took another step forward last week when the Zoning Board, at its February 2 meeting, granted a number of variances for the project to the prospective developers, the non-profit One Neighborhood Builders. CLICK TO READ MORE
oneneighborhoodbuilders
February 4, 2022
Featured - News CoverageNews Coverage

The Public’s Radio: First round of spending from March affordable housing bond wins approval

THE PUBLIC'S RADIO: The state Housing Resources Commission approved Tuesday the first round of spending from a $65 million affordable housing bond approved by Rhode Island voters in March, awarding more than $1 million each to 10 different developers, including $5.12 million for ONE Neighborhood Builders for two projects. CLICK TO READ MORE
oneneighborhoodbuilders
December 1, 2021
Featured - News CoverageNews Coverage

OP-ED: Use American Rescue Act funds to address affordable housing crisis

Rhode Island is facing a housing emergency. We have been for years. And now we have an extraordinary opportunity to address it. With $1.1 billion in federal stimulus funding available for Rhode Island to invest in catalytic solutions, we unite with local housing advocates to call for the investment of $500 million of American Rescue Plan Act funds to help develop the housing we need in the Ocean State. CLICK TO READ MORE
oneneighborhoodbuilders
October 8, 2021
News Coverage

ONE Neighborhood Builders shows the path forward in solutions to the affordable housing crisis

ConvergenceRI — By Richard Asinof — If Providence had its own home-grown breakfast cereal to celebrate its champions of place-based development, one of the faces on the inaugural cereal boxes would no doubt be Jennifer Hawkins, the executive director of ONE Neighborhood Builders, who in the last few years has stewarded a series of remarkable achievements and tangible results. CLICK TO READ MORE
ONE|NB
July 26, 2021
News Coverage

Central Providence Health Equity Zone awards $399K to 16 organizations

Providence Business News — Sixteen organizations have received a combined $399,085 in grants from the Central Providence Health Equity Zone, convened by ONE Neighborhood Builders, the organization announced Monday. The grants, which provided up to $35,000 in funding each, will support a range of initiatives to help residents learn new skills, offer civic education and leadership training and tutor and mentor students. CLICK TO READ MORE
ONE|NB
June 22, 2021
News Coverage

MISSING MIDDLE: R.I. focuses on finding housing for people who fall between low, high income

By Mary MacDonald Published June 11, 2021, 4 a.m. Providence Business News   Certified nursing assistant Virginia Burdick works two jobs so she can afford the rent for her cramped, two-bedroom apartment in South Kingstown. Her daughter, 9, and son, 14, have never had their own rooms. She makes too much to qualify for state assistance but not so much to live comfortably. “If I don’t work my other job, I’m just barely cutting it,” said Burdick, 30. “I make too much for health insurance. I make too much for food stamps. I make too much for child care assistance. I…
ONE|NB
June 11, 2021
News Coverage

SEG and ONE Neighborhood Builders open small-business center in Olneyville

By PBN Staff Published June 4, 2021, 1:24 p.m. Providence Business News PROVIDENCE – A new small-business support center at 222 Manton Ave. opened on Thursday. The center, a collaboration between ONE Neighborhood Builders and Social Enterprise Greenhouse, will provide small-business owners access to resources to grow and launch their business. The center, located in the city’s Olneyville neighborhood, will provide access to SEG’s network of business experts, programs and services, free internet and use of computers, technology training and advising, one-on-one support, workshops and community events, and resources to connect individuals to economic and workforce development opportunities. “When our storefront…
oneneighborhoodbuilders
June 4, 2021
News Coverage

Small business support center opens in Providence

Social Enterprise Greenhouse and ONE Neighborhood Builders say the new center will offer resources to help small business owners launch and thrive in Rhode Island By Edward Fitzpatrick Published June 3, 2021, 9:57 a.m. The Boston Globe PROVIDENCE — The Social Enterprise Greenhouse and ONE Neighborhood Builders on Thursday announced the opening of a local business support center at 222 Manton Ave. The business center will serve as “a collaborative, one-stop shop where individuals and small business owners can easily find the resources and support they need to launch and grow their businesses,” the groups said. The center welcomes all…
oneneighborhoodbuilders
June 3, 2021
News Coverage

Community Networks: Neighborhood-Wide Free Wi-Fi Network Gearing Up For Expansion

Jennifer Hawkins, executive director of ONE Neighborhood Builders, spoke to Maren Machles with the Institute for Local Self-Reliance about ONE|NB Connects, the free community WiFi network that ONE|NB has developed in Olneyville.  Community Networks is a project of the Institute for Local Self-Reliance. Thursday, April 15, 2021 | Posted by Maren Machles While the day after Turkey Day is one of carb hangovers and movie marathons for many Americans across the country, on that cold day in November 2020, for the Providence, Rhode Island-based nonprofit One Neighborhood Builders (ONB), it was a day of celebration. A seven-car parade rounded the…
ONE|NB
April 15, 2021
News Coverage

East Providence to meet state affordable-housing goal with Sutton Place project

By Mary MacDonald Published April 15, 2021, 10:20 p.m. Providence Business News Caption: A DESIGN RENDERING of the two-building Sutton Place apartment development in East Providence, which will be renovated and deed-restricted to be leased at affordable rates. / COURTESY ED WOJCIK ARCHITECT LTD. EAST PROVIDENCE – ONE Neighborhood Builders, a Providence-based community development nonprofit, has purchased a 36-unit apartment complex in East Providence for $3.3 million, the organization announced recently. It plans to renovate the units and create deed-restricted affordable housing at the site, called Sutton Place. The property at 54 and 60 Sutton Ave. in East Providence consists of two identical buildings.…
ONE|NB
April 15, 2021
News Coverage

Opinion/Delmonico and Hawkins: Stable, affordable homes keep families healthy

By Domenic Delmonico and Jennifer Hawkins Published April 12, 2021, 5:50 p.m. The Providence Journal Domenic Delmonico is the executive director of Rhode Island Medicaid at Tufts Health Plan. Jennifer Hawkins is the executive director of ONE Neighborhood Builders. Voters across Rhode Island signaled their support for producing more affordable homes by approving the $65-million housing bond during the March 2 special election. This is an important win, but it is not a long-term, fix-all solution to address the state’s urgent housing crisis. Rather, it is an important first step and we need to build off this momentum. Rhode Island's…
ONE|NB
April 12, 2021
News Coverage

The Public’s Radio: Help on wheels: A mobile trailer delivers COVID-19 vaccine registration to Providence’s hard-hit neighborhoods

Lynn Arditi, Health Reporter The Public's Radio The Public's Radio · A mobile trailer delivers COVID-19 vaccine registration in Providence RI A gas generator makes an unholy roar outside St. Bartholomew’s Church in the city’s Silver Lake section where a shiny white trailer is parked. Inside the trailer on this chilly March afternoon it’s warm and filled with light. Two healthcare workers are seated at a long folding table behind plexiglass dividers, working on laptops. Their cushioned benches double as storage space. “We’re able to store items here, as the vehicle moves, so things are not sliding, left and right,’’…
ONE|NB
March 22, 2021
News Coverage

I Heart Rhody – Get to know Jennifer Hawkins of ONE Neighborhood Builders

Get to know Jennifer Hawkins of ONE Neighborhood Builders Your name: Jennifer Hawkins, Executive Director Nonprofit name: ONE Neighborhood Builders Website: https://oneneighborhoodbuilders.org/ Blog: https://oneneighborhoodbuilders.org/blog/ Twitter: @1_neighborhood Facebook: @ONENeighborhoodBuilders Instagram: one_neighborhoodbuilders  1. Tell us about your nonprofit’s mission.  ONE Neighborhood Builders has a mission to develop affordable housing and engage neighbors across Greater Providence to cultivate healthy, vibrant, and safe communities. 2. Is there a story behind your organization’s name?  In 2015, Olneyville Housing Corporation and Community Works Rhode Island merged together, and the newly-resulting organization was named ONE Neighborhood Builders. 3. How long has One Neighborhood Builders been operating…
ONE|NB
March 15, 2021
News Coverage

Bridging the digital divide

Guest post by Madelyn Lazorchak, Communications Writer, NeighborWorks America   In November, just before Thanksgiving, ONE Neighborhood Builders paraded through the streets of their community with an announcement, posted on signs and shouted from the back of a truck. "Free WiFi," they said. And then in Spanish, "Gratis WiFi." The announcement was for the community's new WiFi network, providing about 3,000 households in the Olneyville neighborhood of Providence, Rhode Island, with free high-speed internet. Almost immediately, Mirza Portillo's sons, Diego, 8, and Dylan, 11, were using that WiFi to connect to school, where officials instituted distance learning starting last March.…
ONE|NB
February 9, 2021
News Coverage

ONE Neighborhood Builders Receives $20,000 to Expand COVID-19 Vaccine Education in Communities of Color

Funding is part of join community investment by Harvard Pilgrim Healthcare Foundation and Tufts Health Plan Foundation ONE Neighborhood Builders (ONE|NB) has announced that, in their first joint community investment, the Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Foundation and Tufts Health Plan Foundation are giving $1 million to 42 organizations across the region to expand vaccine education, awareness, and outreach in communities of color. ONE|NB has received a grant of $20,000 to promote vaccination efforts in underserved populations in the 02908 and 02909 areas. Nine Rhode Island organizations will receive a total of $175,000 in funding. Just one month after Harvard Pilgrim…
ONE|NB
February 9, 2021
News Coverage

Who to Watch 2021: Jennifer Hawkins, Executive Director, ONE Neighborhood Builders

"In 2021 I intend to not stay in my lane and to push boundaries,” proclaims Jennifer Hawkins. She’s got a head start on that New Year’s resolution. Last year, ONE Neighborhood Builders (ONB) – formerly known as Olneyville Housing Corporation for you “Take a left where the Almacs used to be” types – made a play into the 195 land. Their proposal for a 58-unit apartment building with a ground-floor childcare center won widespread acclaim, but was unfortunately not pushed forward by the 195 Commission. Hawkins, the executive director, remains undaunted. “Our proposal generated a lot of attention and I…
ONE|NB
January 28, 2021
News Coverage

Providence Business News: Five Questions With Jennifer Hawkins

Jennifer Hawkins, the executive director of ONE Neighborhood Builders, a community-development organization in Providence, spoke to Providence Business News recently about the Central Providence Opportunities initiative. Announced in December, the initiative will focus on investments in two ZIP codes of Providence and is funded by an $8 million grant provided by Blue Meridian Partners, a philanthropic organization. A 17-member resident advisory council will help shape the direction of the grant investments. PBN: What is the Central Providence Opportunities initiative? HAWKINS: Central Providence Opportunities is a partnership that pulls together ONE Neighborhood Builders to serve as the community backbone and project , the…
ONE|NB
January 26, 2021
News Coverage

Governor Raimondo Announces $8 Million Central Providence Opportunities Initiative

Governor Gina M. Raimondo today announced that Rhode Island has been awarded an $8 million, 24-month grant to implement Central Providence Opportunities – a place-based initiative to increase social and economic mobility for residents of the 02908 and 02909 zip codes, and then scale these strategies statewide. The pilot initiative, set to commence next month, brings together the Governor’s office, state agencies, the Rhode Island Foundation, and ONE Neighborhood Builders. Governor Raimondo was joined by community partners at a Facebook Live event to launch this initiative. The video can be viewed here: facebook.com/GinaMRaimondo. “This initiative is a critical step in building a stronger,…
ONE|NB
December 18, 2020
News Coverage

Changing life trajectories in Providence

Blue Meridian invests $8 million in a new initiative being led by ONE Neighborhood Builders in Central Providence Jennifer Hawkins, executive director of ONE Neighborhood Builders, who will be shepherding a new $8 million pilot program focused on Central Providence WHY IS THIS STORY IMPORTANT? ONE Neighborhood Builders has been chosen to lead a new $8 million initiative funded by Blue Meridian Partners, focused on transforming lifetime trajectories for children and families in Central Providence. THE QUESTIONS THAT NEED TO BE ASKED What kinds of data coordination can be done with the social determinants of health surveys conducted by ONE…
ONE|NB
December 8, 2020
News Coverage

R.I. receives $8M for pilot initiative to increase economic stability in central Providence

PROVIDENCE – Rhode Island has been awarded an $8 million grant for a pilot initiative to increase social and economic mobility for city residents in the 02908 and 02909 zip codes, Gov. Gina M. Raimondo announced on Wednesday. The governor’s office said that the nonprofit Blue Meridian Partners made the two-year investment in the initiative, called Central Providence Opportunities, which will be managed by the Rhode Island Foundation. The foundation will serve as the fiscal sponsor of the initiative and provide technical assistance aimed at building toward a plan to scale the program statewide. The 24-month program will be a collaboration…
ONE|NB
December 3, 2020
News Coverage

$8-million grant aimed at helping 2 Providence zip codes

PROVIDENCE — Gov. Gina Raimondo on Wednesday announced an $8-million grant for a pilot initiative to increase economic opportunities and health equity in two central Providence zip codes. The grant will be funded by the philanthropic organization Blue Meridian Partners over the course of two years and will be managed by the Rhode Island Foundation. The investment will be focused in two central Providence zip codes, 02908 and 02909, which have been some of the state's hardest-hit areas during the coronavirus pandemic. Through Wednesday, 02909 had the second-most cases of COVID-19 per capita since the start of the pandemic. Zip code 02908…
ONE|NB
December 3, 2020
News CoverageONE|NB CONNECTS

Broadband Access is a Health and Social Justice Issue — Episode 437 of the Community Broadband Bits Podcast

by Ry Marcattilio-McCracken Jennifer Hawkins, President and Executive Director of ONE|NB and Christopher Mitchell of the Institute for Local Self Reliance discuss the Olneyville neighborhood, situated on the west side of Providence, and how significant health disparities in that community led ONE|NB to jump into action over the summer to build a free wireless network for the residents. Jennifer and Christopher talk about mapping the network, placing hardware on ONE|NB-owned buildings, and putting up 12 access points to cover more than half of the community with robust wireless. She shares why the project’s been worth it, and the health outcomes they…
ONE|NB
November 24, 2020
News CoverageONE|NB CONNECTS

Free Community Wi-Fi as a Health Imperative in One Providence, Rhode Island Neighborhood

Thu, November 12, 2020 |  by Ry Marcattilio-McCracken Originally posted on November 12, 2020 at Muninetworks.org When the pandemic hit American shores this past spring and cities around the country began to practice social distancing procedures, Rhode Island-based nonprofit One Neighborhood Builders (ONB) Executive Director Jennifer Hawkins quickly realized that many of those in her community were going to be hit hard. As spring turned to summer, this proved especially to be the case in the Olneyville neighborhood in west-central Providence, where Covid-19 cases surged among low-income residents with fewer options to get online to work, visit the doctor, and…
ONE|NB
November 13, 2020
News CoverageONE|NB CONNECTS

ONE|NB launches community WiFi network in Olneyville

“The internet is a public utility – No one questions whether you should have access to clean water and heat and so forth, right? For so long we just considered the internet to be a luxury, a convenience. But it really has absolutely transcended that at this point in time.“ October 7, 2020 Steve Ahlquist Upriseri.com ONE Neighborhood Builders has achieved its fundraising goal of $200,000 to launch ONE Neighborhood Connects, a mesh WiFi network that will cover five million square feet in Olneyville and provide approximately 4000 neighborhood residents with access to free, high-speed internet. The WiFi mesh will be live…
ONE|NB
October 8, 2020
News Coverage

Neighborhood News: Affordable Housing in Fox Point, Fate of the Columbus Statue, Firebox Restoration Project & New Trees for Washington Park

Quality affordable housing proposed for Lower Fox Point The Fox Point Neighborhood Association recently endorsed a $23 million mixed-use development proposed for Parcel 9 of I-195 land, located in lower Fox Point just south of Wickenden Street, near the Our Lady of the Rosary Church. The “Ernestina” project, which was submitted for approval to the 195 Commission in August by the nonprofit organization ONE Neighborhood Builders, will include affordable apartments, a Children’s Friend child care center, community space, and a combination of onsite and nearby (leased) parking. ONE Neighborhood Builders adheres to the City’s Comprehensive Plan in developing this project, and FPNA points…
ONE|NB
October 5, 2020
News CoverageONE|NB CONNECTS

In low-income Olneyville, a free Wi-Fi program could be a game-changer…

PROVIDENCE – When the insurance company where Tinisha Brice works told employees in March that they would need to begin working from home because of the coronavirus, a wave of anxiety swept over her. She had been through a lot over the years, even battling homelessness, but she had finally found an apartment that she loved in Olneyville at the western edge of the city, just steps away from a playground. She had a newborn child and a daughter in high school at home. But the family was missing a tool that would make it nearly impossible for Brice to…
ONE|NB
September 25, 2020
News Coverage

195 commission considers mixed-income, residential development for Fox Point

PROVIDENCE – Two developers with two visions for creating more mixed-income housing pitched their proposals Wednesday to the I-195 Redevelopment District Commission, competing for the right to develop Parcel 9 in Fox Point. The property, which runs alongside the exit from I-195 into South Main Street, is adjacent to the historical Our Lady of the Rosary Catholic church. In the request for proposal, issued by the commission earlier this year, the language stated clearly that projects involving housing that create workforce or affordable rate apartments would be given priority. The commission is expected to decide which proposal to move forward…
ONE|NB
September 23, 2020
News Coverage

Providence Online – Nonprofit Developer Continues Transforming Olneyville & Elmwood

How ONE Neighborhood Builders continues to develop Providence neighborhoods through affordable housing and more For many Providence residents, the most consistent reason to go to Olneyville was to “dine” at the famed Olneyville NY System, the Home of RI’s Best Wieners established in the 1930s. The once-vibrant manufacturing center that employed thousands declined rapidly after World War II as factories closed or moved south; as jobs fled, so did the residents, and with the Woonasquatucket River polluted with chemical waste and raw sewage, the problem only worsened. Then, when the Route 6 connector was built, the neighborhoods were divided and…
ONE|NB
September 15, 2020
News Coverage

ONE Neighborhood Builders Receives $10,000 In Funding from Tufts Health Plan to Expand High Speed Internet Access in Providence

ONE Neighborhood Builders Receives $10,000 In Funding from Tufts Health Plan to Expand High Speed Internet Access in Providence PROVIDENCE, RI – Sept. 4th, 2020 – ONE Neighborhood Builders (ONE|NB) has received $10,000 from Tufts Health Plan to support the creation of a wireless mesh network over the Olneyville neighborhood of Providence. “The Covid-19 health crisis has brought great suffering to a Providence neighborhood that already suffers from some of the highest poverty in Rhode Island—and average lifespans that are nearly nine years lower than those of other Providence neighborhoods,” said Jennifer Hawkins, executive director of ONE|NB. “What may have…
ONE|NB
September 10, 2020
News Coverage

Providence West End Gateway Design Competition (AIA Rhode Island)

The Canonicus Prize: ONE Neighborhood Builders/led by Haley Hardwick-Witman, was 1 of 2 proposals recognized as outstanding. The ONE Neighborhood Builders team led by Haley Hardwick-Whitman presented a sensitive and realistic scheme that imagines transit-oriented development with 3-5 story multi-family dwellings. The proposal, which they named “Canonicus Commons,” is a mixed-use, mixed-income development designed to serve the neighborhood with pedestrian-scale residential and commercial buildings. A public market occupying the 1921 bank building was featured in this proposal, and in many others, and was applauded by the jury. Providence Preservation Society Read Full Article and Interview with Haley Hardwick-Witman on the…
ONE|NB
September 2, 2020
News Coverage

ONE Neighborhood Builders Launches Central Providence Conquers COVID-19

For additional information please read "Taking aim at coronavirus in 10 Providence neighborhoods" published by the Providence Journal and written by Madeleine List PROVIDENCE, RI (August 3, 2020) On Monday, August 3, ONE Neighborhood Builders announced its launch of Central Providence Conquers COVID-19. While the pandemic has affected all peoples and places, certain ZIP codes have been disproportionately impacted due to the social and economic conditions of their residents. The purpose of Central Providence Conquers COVID-19 is to reduce the imbalance of cases in these areas, many of which are high density communities of color. In order to address this disparity, ONE…
ONE|NB
August 4, 2020
News Coverage

Moving the Dialog—and the Work!—Forward

Rethinking Eviction Prevention Jennifer Hawkins, our president and executive director, in her most recent blog post, outlines seven possible innovations to help reduce evictions. Her post honors the expertise of other organizations in the area, such as the RI Center for Justice and Direct Action for Rights and Equality, noting that we have far more to learn from them on this matter than to offer, but shares some suggestions to consider that might help to move the dialog forward. The Pandemic and Community Health Work: The State of the State and Notes from the Neighborhood Laurie Moïse, director of community health integration, and Yuselly Mendoza, community health worker,…
ONE|NB
June 26, 2020
News CoverageOur Stories & Voices

Standing In Solidarity: A Message on Black Lives Matter

“Survival is . . . learning how to stand alone, unpopular and sometimes reviled, and how to make common cause with those others identified as outside the structures in order to define and seek a world in which we can all flourish. It is learning how to take our differences and make them strengths. For the master’s tools will never dismantle the master’s house. They may allow us temporarily to beat him at his own game, but they will never enable us to bring about genuine change . . . each down into that deep place of knowledge . .…
ONE|NB
June 2, 2020
News Coverage

ONE Neighborhood Builders Awards $125,000 in Grants to Six Central Providence Health Equity Zone (CP-HEZ) Partners

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…
ONE|NB
May 28, 2020
News Coverage

Community Health Workers are Helping Residents Survive in a Time of Pandemic

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…
ONE|NB
May 1, 2020
News Coverage

ONE Neighborhood Builders Welcomes Three New Members to Board of Directors

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…
ONE|NB
April 16, 2020
News Coverage

Five Questions: Sheridan Small Homes Lottery

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…
ONE|NB
March 26, 2020
News Coverage

Haley Hardwick Witman, RA Enterprise Rose Fellow ONE Neighborhood Builders

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…
ONE|NB
March 17, 2020
News Coverage

ONB Awarded $125,000 by TD Charitable Foundation

March 9, 2020 On Thursday, March 5, TD Charitable Foundation announced that ONE Neighborhood Builders of Providence, RI, was awarded a grant of $125,000 in support of its work around affordable housing, making it the only organization in Rhode Island to receive this funding. “ONE Neighborhood Builders is deeply grateful to TD Charitable Foundation for its support of our work to improve home, health, and safety for our neighbors,” said Jennifer Hawkins, executive director, ONE Neighborhood Builders. In total, TD Charitable Foundation, the charitable giving arm of TD Bank, awarded 30 affordable housing development organizations from Maine to Florida a…
ONE|NB
March 16, 2020
News Coverage

Rebuilding homes, rebuilding hope

By Jessica David for the Rhode Island Foundation's Winter 2020 Magazine.   “Oh, this is my lucky day,” thought Ana Jimenez. Ana, her husband Freddy, and their three children were living in a small two-bedroom apartment when she saw men rehabbing a two-family home in her Olneyville neighborhood in early 2018. “I asked the guy who was fixing the house if they were going to rent it,” Ana recalls. He directed her to ONE Neighborhood Builders (ONE|NB), a nonprofit community development organization that works to revitalize Providence neighborhoods. Ana followed up with them and learned about their P3 (Protecting Providence Properties)…
ONE|NB
January 30, 2020
News CoverageUncategorized

Multi-agency investment will create replicable models for sustainability

Press release by Rhode Island Housing  Providence, RI – RIHousing and the Rhode Island Office of Energy Resources (OER) announced today the award of funds to develop highly energy efficient housing for low- and moderate-income Rhode Islanders. The pilot program, Zero Energy for the Ocean State (ZEOS), is the result of a public-private partnership between RIHousing, OER and National Grid to explore innovative, replicable solutions to utilize cost saving, clean energy technologies in homes. “RIHousing is committed to developing housing that Rhode Islanders can afford,” said Carol Ventura, Executive Director at RIHousing. “Energy efficient features in these homes will result…
ONE|NB
January 23, 2020
News Coverage

ONE|NB is awarded Rhode Island Foundation Grant to Ensure “Hard-to-Reach” Communities are Included in 2020 Census

Published by Chris Barnett, Rhode Island Foundation on January 3rd, 2020.  Thanks to the generosity of local donors, the Rhode Island Census 2020 Fund has awarded nearly $300,000 to local organizations for outreach and education that will encourage participation in the 2020 Census. The goal is to protect the roughly $3.8 billion a year that Rhode Island receives in federal funding for education, health care, housing and more based on Census data. “These Census outreach grants are an essential tool to build the grassroots effort that will help us achieve our goal of ensuring that every Rhode Islander is counted,”…
ONE|NB
January 8, 2020
News CoverageUncategorized

ONE Neighborhood Builders begins construction on Manton Live/Work Townhomes

PROVIDENCE, RI -- Community developer, ONE Neighborhood Builders, has broken ground on Manton Live/Work Townhomes. This new project runs along Manton Avenue in the Olneyville neighborhood of Providence and consists of four two-family homes. Each of the four homes will also offer a commercial space on the ground floor. The owner’s home offers a total of 960 sf of space that includes two bedrooms and1 bathroom, plus an additional 350 sf ground floor work/make area with a half bathroom. The ground floor space will be flexible, as it may be used as part of the owner’s home or leased to…
ONE|NB
December 31, 2019
News Coverage

Rhode Island development pairs affordable housing with net-zero design

Published by Energy News Network -- November 18th, 2019 Developers of five new Providence homes aim to reduce residents’ long-term costs by eliminating their utility bills. Residents of an affordable housing development under construction in Providence, Rhode Island, will get more than a break on the home price — they will have zero energy bills. Five two-bedroom homes are being built to net-zero energy standards on a 0.75-acre lot in the predominantly Hispanic neighborhood of Olneyville. The two-level, 750-square-foot homes will be equipped with enough rooftop solar panels to supply slightly more energy than they are expected to consume. The…
ONE|NB
November 27, 2019
News Coverage

Small homes, big ambitions: Work starts on RISD-designed affordable housing project

Published in The Providence Journal  - October 28, 2019 PROVIDENCE — A new housing development in Providence will simultaneously address three key issues — affordability, climate change and workforce development — officials say, while also providing housing for five families. On Monday, officials broke ground on the Sheridan Small Homes project, a community of five compact, affordable, zero-emissions homes being developed by One Neighborhood Builders, a community development nonprofit based in Olneyville. “While modest in scale ... this project is large in innovation,” said One Neighborhood Builders Executive Director Jennifer Hawkins, as she stood at the project site — a…
ONE|NB
October 29, 2019
News Coverage

Five small homes poised to become a giant step for RI

Published in ConvergenceRI - October 28, 2019   Full Article Here PROVIDENCE – On Monday morning, Oct. 28, a ceremonial groundbreaking will take place in Olneyville for the innovative Sheridan Small Homes project, a community of five, very affordable compact small homes to be built along Riverside Park in Olneyville, in a new development being led by ONE Neighborhood Builders, a community development corporation. Among the dignitaries scheduled to attend and to speak are: Sen. Jack Reed; R.I Treasurer Seth Magaziner; Providence City Council President Sabina Matos; Bonnie Nickerson, director of Providence’s Planning and Development Department; and Carol Ventura, executive director of…
ONE|NB
October 28, 2019
News Coverage

How Healthy is Rhode Island?

Kudos to the ProJo for this reporting.  ONE|NB is grateful to be the backbone of the Central Providence Health Equity Zone. We're working with a dozen community organizations to address disparate health outcomes.  Shockingly, Olneyville's life expectancy rate is only 73.  Affordable housing, family wage jobs, high-quality education - these are the social determinants to health we're working on. Read the article here.
ONE|NB
October 24, 2019
News Coverage

Five Questions with Jennifer Hawkins

Interview by Mary MacDonald, Providence Business News – October 2, 2019 PBN: Is this the first net-zero home in Providence, and what does that mean? HAWKINS: I think it’s the first affordable , targeted to low- and moderate-income households. A deed-restricted property. It’s a passive home. That means the systems and the siting and the materials of the home are done in such a way as to use the natural environment. We have triple-pane windows. We have an all-electric system. All of these things make the home extremely efficient. PBN: Tell me what the Sheridan Small Homes are, and how small…
ONE|NB
October 2, 2019
News Coverage

ONE Neighborhood Builders, Building Futures and RISD Team Up to Create Eco-Conscious Small Home Community

PROVIDENCE, RI - Community-based developer, ONE Neighborhood Builders, is beginning construction on a zero-energy, small home community this fall. The Sheridan Small Homes project will bring five new, very affordable, “passive”, compact homes to the Olneyville neighborhood of Providence. The project was originally posed as a challenge by ONE Neighborhood Builders to Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) students in professor and architect Jonathan Knowles’ studio to address issues of increased housing unaffordability and climate change. The selected designs are now ready for construction. “By building smaller we are consuming less resources: land, materials, energy and financial support,” said Jennifer…
ONE|NB
October 2, 2019
News Coverage

TD Charitable Foundation Supports ONE|NB with Donation

The TD Charitable Foundation, the charitable giving arm of TD Bank, America’s Most Convenient Bank®, recently donated to ONE|NB  as part of the foundation’s commitment to giving back to the community. The funds from the TD Charitable Foundation will support construction of the Sheridan Small Homes, a community of five compact, very affordable, net-zero homes to the Olneyville neighborhood. A staunch commitment to active involvement in the local community is a vital element of the TD Bank philosophy. TD Bank, America’s Most Convenient Bank® and the TD Charitable Foundation provide support to affordable housing, financial literacy and education, and environmental…
ONE|NB
September 13, 2019
News Coverage

Bank of America Generously Supports ONE|NB’s King Street Commons

ONE Neighborhood Builders was awarded a generous grant by Bank of America to support the development King Street Commons (KSC). KSC combines the creation of 30 new, affordable residential apartments and a childcare facility with the re-syndication and preservation of 32 units of affordable housing in the Olneyville and Elmwood neighborhoods of Providence. The new construction will be developed on a vacant lot adjacent to Providence Housing Authority's (PHA) Manton Heights development. The project will transform a magnet for crime into much-needed safe, high-quality, affordable housing and early childhood education facilities for approximately 72 children. KSC will also facilitate access…
ONE|NB
August 28, 2019
News Coverage

ONE|NB Receives Grant from HarborOne Bank to Support Small Homes Construction!

ONE|NB has been awarded a generous grant from HarborOne Bank to support the development of Sheridan Small Homes. Sheridan Small Homes is a cluster of five net-zero small homes sited at the end of Sheridan Street on the Woonasquatucket Greenway at the head of Riverside Park in Olneyville. Featuring affordability, energy efficiency, durability, sustainability, and community-centric living, the project is designed to be a model for a new and replicable approach to affordable homeownership in RI. The homes will be developed on land that is a blighted eye-sore between Riverside Park and newly developed 60 King Street apartments.
ONE|NB
August 20, 2019
News Coverage

RIHousing Creates More than 600 Homes, Supports Nearly 700 Jobs

Press Release - RIHousing July 11, 2019 Over $34 million in private investments will create and preserve housing in communities across the state Providence, RI – RIHousing’s Board of Commissioners approved investments at its June Board meeting that will attract private investments of more than $34 million, create 610 homes, significantly improve the neighborhoods where they are located, and support almost 700 jobs. Funding awards were approved for developments located in East Greenwich, North Providence, Pawtucket, Providence, Scituate and Woonsocket. “The success of these developments relies heavily on the utilization of every available funding resource and partnership at our disposal,”…
ONE|NB
July 18, 2019
News Coverage

Five Questions With Jennifer Hawkins by Providence Business News

Interview by Mary MacDonald, Providence Business News - July 10, 2019   PBN: What is King Street Commons and who will it provide housing for? HAWKINS: In 2013, we issued a neighborhood revitalization plan called the Build Olneyville plan. It was funded by the Choice Neighborhoods initiative. The idea was how do we connect the Providence Housing development called Manton Heights, which is in the neighborhood, along with the next of the neighborhood. It was physically isolated. The only way to access Riverside Park and that area was through this street that had been closed with Jersey barriers for years because…
ONE|NB
July 15, 2019
News Coverage

Santander awards grants to 12 local nonprofits — including ONE|NB!

SANTANDER BANK awarded 12 grants for local nonprofit efforts to aid low- to moderate-income communities in the fields of affordable housing, community services, economic and small business development, financial education development, neighborhood revitalization and workforce development.   Read the full story, and list of awardees, here.
ONE|NB
May 30, 2019
News Coverage

ONE|NB & Federal Hill House awarded a $144,000 Community Enhancement Grant from to launch the Central Providence Village

Friday, May 24th, ONE|NB and partner organization, Federal Hill House, were acknowledged by Governor Gina Raimondo for the new Central Providence Village project. "CP Village" will connect older Providence residents with community resources so that they can remain independent, happy & healthy in their own homes. Read more about the opportunity here. Other community organizations funded by the Executive Office of Health and Human Services' Money Follows the Person program include the Providence Village, Paul V. Sherlock Center on Disabilities / RI College, Thundermist Health Center, Westbay Community Action, St. Martin de Porres, and Town of Foster.
ONE|NB
May 27, 2019
News Coverage

ONE|NB and Brown’s Swearer Center Team Up to Offer After-school Program in Olneyville

PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND — ONE Neighborhood Builders is proud to announce the renewal of William D’Abate Elementary School’s after-school enrichment program. The community development organization has received an award through the Rhode Island Department of Education’s 21st Century Community Learning Center Grant to support existing after-school and school vacation extra-curricular programs at Olneyville’s D’Abate Elementary School for an additional 5 years. The program is intended to help students build academic skills and to develop socially and emotionally, while teaching the value of responsible decision-making and critical thinking. Brent Kermen, D’Abate's Principal, reflected, “Our teachers and parents witness firsthand the impact…
ONE|NB
May 20, 2019
News Coverage

Health Equity Zones expand to Cranston, West End of Providence, East Providence

The Health Equity Zone serving Olneyville will be expanding to serve adjacent neighborhoods in Federal Hill, Hartford and Valley, according to ONE Neighborhood Builders, the local HEZ backbone agency. *Article written by Richard Asinof for ConvergenceRI,  Published May 6th, 2019.  See full article here. PROVIDENCE – At a time when the two leading hospital systems in Rhode Island, Care New England and Lifespan, are engaged in an escalating war of words over plans by Partners Healthcare in Boston to merge with Care New England, one of the more significant news events when it comes to achieving better health outcomes is occurring…
ONE|NB
May 10, 2019
News Coverage

Making an impact – one house at a time

Blog post written by Jessica David and published by the Rhode Island Foundation on Monday, November 19, 2018.  “Impact investing is about aligning financial investments with mission,” says Jessica David, executive vice president of Strategy and Community Investments at the Foundation. Last year, we began investing, beyond traditional grant making efforts, in Rhode Island-based efforts that generate measurable social impact and a financial return. Our goal is to invest up to 5 percent of our endowment in these types of investments. One Neighborhood Builders (ONB) is one of these investments. Its Protecting Providence Property (P3) program is a pilot effort to develop…
ONE|NB
November 28, 2018
News Coverage

Former Providence knife factory finds new life as housing

Article published by the Providence Journal on Tuesday, October 30, 2018. By Madeleine List Journal Staff Writer  $22-million affordable housing project at 60 King St. is completed with 60 units PROVIDENCE, R.I. — Between 1958 and 1988, hundreds of employees worked at the Imperial Knife Factory in Olneyville, manufacturing folding pocket knives, stainless steel cutlery and tableware. Today, that same mill building boasts 60 new apartments for families of varying income levels. “In the coming weeks, 60 families will come home to a beautiful apartment here,” said Dan Drazen, project manager for Trinity Financial, the developer of the $22-million affordable housing…
ONE|NB
November 1, 2018
News Coverage

ONE|NB Awarded $600,000 by RI Foundation to Further HEZ Initiatives Addressing Social Determinants of Health

Left to right: Larry Warner (Strategic Initiative Officer: Healthy Lives, RI Foundation), Neil Steinberg (President & CEO, RI Foundation), Ana Novais (Executive Director, RIDOH), Jennifer Hawkins (Executive Director, ONE|NB), Robert McMahon (Board Chair, ONE|NB), Allyson Plantz (Chief of Staff, ONE|NB), Lorraine Lalli (Board member, ONE|NB), Rochelle Lee (Board member, ONE|NB), Elmer Stanley (Board member, ONE|NB), Allegra Scharff (Community Building Manager, ONE|NB), and Kimberly Dennin (AmeriCorps VISTA Volunteer, ONE|NB). $3.6M in grants to combat health disparities announced by Rhode Island Foundation Article published by the Providence Journal on Friday, October 19, 2018. Read more about this story on Latino Public Radio, and PBN. By G. Wayne Miller Journal Staff Writer The grants,…
ONE|NB
October 23, 2018
AnniversaryNews Coverage

Here’s to 30 more!

One final BIG THANK YOU to all of the guests and sponsors that came out to support us last Friday in celebration of our 30th anniversary. It was a packed house and it was so wonderful to be with friends, family, and key community partners on such a special day! We have accomplished a lot over the last three decades because of your collaboration & support, and we are so excited to see what the future will hold. Hats off to: Roger Williams University, Food4Good, Lynch & Greenfield, LLP, Bank of America, Standard Communities, Ocean State Center for Independent Living (OSCIL), LISC Rhode Island, National Equity…
ONE|NB
September 24, 2018
News Coverage

Long-Standing Collaboration Behind Another Successful Event in Olneyville

There are two stories to be told of the 5th annual Summer Safety Slam event held on August 8th at Joslin Parkin the Olneyville neighborhood of Providence.  One is about bringing residents and police together for a fun-filled, free evening in the park.  The second, and lesser told story, is of the longstanding collaborations that made this possible. For close to 20 years, Olneyville residents, community groups and local businesses have worked together to organize community initiatives through the Olneyville Collaborative.  Since the introduction of the Health Equity Zone initiative, these collaborations have grown stronger due to increased communication and…
ONE|NB
August 20, 2018
News Coverage

Executive Director Participates in Forum on Revitalization and Gentrification in Providence

Last Friday, May 25th, ONE|NB's Jennifer Hawkins was one of several pivotal community leaders invited to participate in a forum on Revitalization and Gentrification in Providence. The event was held downtown at the Roger Williams University Providence campus, and moderated by Brenda Clement, Director of Housing Works RI. The presentation and discussion were focused on the first publication in the new Housing Works RI Scholar Series entitled "You Don't Have a Problem Until You Do: Revitalization and Gentrification in Providence, RI", by Fay Strongin. Other panelists included Teresa Guaba, of Providence Children & Youth Cabinet, Ana Novais, from the Rhode…
ONE|NB
June 1, 2018
News Coverage

ONE|NB Receives $15,000 In Financial Literacy Charitable Contribution From Citizens Bank

Effort also leverages the financial expertise of more than 400 Citizens bankers who volunteer with local nonprofits to teach consumers how to manage their money better PROVIDENCE, RI -- As part of its ongoing commitment to give consumers the confidence and tools they need to reach their potential, Citizens Bank announced today that eight nonprofit organizations in Rhode Island will receive $140,000 in contributions as part of the Citizens Helping Citizens Manage Money financial literacy initiative. The Citizens Helping Citizens Manage Money program is a yearly effort by the bank to teach financial literacy throughout the communities it serves. This year, the…
ONE|NB
May 16, 2018
News Coverage

ONE|NB Team Honored at 4th Annual State House Meet & Greet

Featured (left to right): Karelin Marcia, Stephen Kearns, Jennifer Hawkins, Jordan Durham, Barbara Fields, Rosa Pastor, Allegra Scharff, Aurélien Alphe & Allyson Plantz ONE|NB was recently honored at the RIHousing Meet and Greet & 45th Anniversary Celebration for being an instrumental partner in the transformation of communities across the state. In addition to the awards ceremony, attendees were treated to videos from each partner organization summarizing their work, and a review of the RIHousing 2017 Annual Report. Of the many projects mentioned in the report, ONE|NB was recognized for its partnership work on the 60 King Street "Imperial Knife Factory" property in…
ONE|NB
May 7, 2018
News Coverage

ONE Neighborhood Builders Opens Elmwood Financial Center

  On March 23rd, ONE Neighborhood Builders, a Community Development Corporation based in Providence, held an Open House for the new Elmwood Financial Center at 770 Broad Street in Providence. After a soft opening on February 1, ONE|NB’s Elmwood Financial Center has hosted Homebuyer Education classes and counseling sessions, as well as walk-in clients looking for answers to financial questions. Of the Elmwood Financial Center launch, ONE|NB’s Executive Director, Jennifer Hawkins, said “This new one-stop center is possible due to the financial support from our community-based financial institutions – Bank Newport, The Washington Trust Company, Bank RI, and Coastway Community…
ONE|NB
March 26, 2018
News Coverage

ONE|NB Names Three to Board of Directors

ONE Neighborhood Builders is pleased to welcome the recent appointments of Ann Baccari, Lorraine Lalli, and Jordan Durham to its Board of Directors! What a great start to 2018! Read more about this below! New Board Members Ann Baccari Baccari is the Chief Financial Officer of The Journey of Hope, Health and Healing, Inc. of Warwick, RI. She has 30 years of public accounting experience, including 20 years focused on accounting for non-profit organizations. A Narragansett resident, Ann holds a BS in Accounting from Bryant University. Lorraine Lalli Lalli, a resident of the Summit Neighborhood of Providence, is currently the…
ONE|NB
January 3, 2018
News Coverage

Amherst Garden Open House

On Friday, December 1st. One Neighborhood Builders had Amherst Gardens Open House & Ribbon Cutting Event. Foreclosed and abandoned properties that had become magnets for criminal activity in Olneyville were targeted for inclusion in Amherst Gardens, ONE Neighborhood Builders’ newest development. ONE|NB purchased 13 distressed properties for Amherst Gardens, and they were “strategically selected” for their nuisance effect, high visibility, proximity to existing ONE|NB properties, and the positive impact their improvement would have on surrounding homes. Eight buildings had to be demolished and replaced with new homes; the others were renovated. The result of the $10.4 million development is 36…
ONE|NB
December 6, 2017
News Coverage

Five Questions With Jennifer Hawkins

Jennifer Hawkins | Executive director, ONE Neighborhood Builders 1. What are your top priorities? My top priority is being a responsible steward of the resources the community has entrusted to ONE Neighborhood Builders. Our real estate development work helps protect the natural resources of this community, and we must ensure that the scarce financial resources available to ONE|NB are used responsibly to realize the greatest impact. 2. What inspired you to pursue a career in community development? I am very pragmatic, and this career path provides a genuine opportunity to create positive change that is tangible and meaningful. At its best, community…
ONE|NB
August 18, 2017
News Coverage

Get a Free Ride to a Farmers’ Market on the Veggie Van

This summer and fall, you can get a free trip to Farmers’ Markets around Providence on the Veggie Van, an Olneyville Health Equity Zone program organized in partnership with Farm Fresh RI. The van will stop at Manton Heights, Olneyville Community Health, Olneyville Food Pantry, and Clinica Esperanza. To see a full list of dates, times, and markets, click here.
oneneighborhoodbuilders
June 12, 2016