BCDC Marks Milestone with First Down Payment Assistance Grant
$10,000 Grant Helps Brookline Resident to Purchase First Home, Realize Dream of Homeownership
Brookline, MA – The Brookline Community Development Corporation (BCDC) announced today that it has provided financial assistance to help a first-time homebuyer achieve the dream of homeownership, marking a major milestone for the organization and the community it serves.
Through a grant from the Brookline Community Foundation (BCF), BCDC provided $10,000 toward a down payment to support a Brookline resident and survivor of domestic violence in purchasing her first home, where she and her child can now live in safe, stable housing. For privacy and safety reasons, the recipient’s name and the location of the home in Greater Boston are being withheld.
“This moment represents exactly what BCDC was founded to do,” said Dave Cavell, Interim Executive Director of BCDC. “Our mission is to ensure that every family in Brookline has access to safe, stable, and affordable housing and expand economic opportunity. Thanks to our partnership with the Brookline Community Foundation, we were able to help a local family not only find safety but also achieve the dream of owning their own home.”
Deborah Brown, Chair of the BCDC Board of Directors, added: “We are so proud of this milestone, not just for BCDC, but for the entire Brookline community and beyond. Homeownership builds stability and opportunity for generations. We are grateful to the Brookline Community Foundation for their partnership and to our donors for making moments like this possible.”
“At BCF, we envision a Brookline where everyone has the resources they need to thrive, and that includes affordable housing," says BCF Co-President David Mann. “We’re proud to be an early supporter of BCDC’s effort to close the homeownership gap in our community via a proven approach to empowering first-time homebuyers. We’re thrilled for the first grant recipient and hope to see many more residents benefit from this necessary program.”
BCDC’s First-Time Homebuyer Assistance Program provides $10,000 grants to income-eligible Brookline households to help with down payments or closing costs for homes purchased in Massachusetts. Residents must also enroll in a first-time homebuyer class for low- and moderate-income residents, which is open to all, and includes financial literacy training, an introduction to the home-buying process, and information on available local and state resources for affordable homeownership.
In addition to the first-time homebuyer’s program, BCDC offers up to $5,000 for emergency rental assistance to families who meet our guidelines. BCDC is also making substantial improvements to their two properties in Brookline and continues to look for additional development opportunities. BCDC hopes to expand its efforts to support more families in achieving housing stability and homeownership through new programs and partnerships in the coming year.
Businesses and individuals can support BCDC’s work by donating and taking advantage of the Commonwealth’s Community Investment Tax Credit (CITC) program, which allows donations of $1,000 or more to BCDC or other qualifying organizations to receive half of the donation back as a state tax refund. To learn more or make a contribution, visit https://brooklinecdc.com/donate/
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Founded in 1980, the primary purpose of the Brookline Community Development Corporation (BCDC), formerly the Brookline Improvement Coalition (BIC), is to develop, own and maintain decent, safe, and sanitary affordable housing for low- and moderate-income households in Brookline, Massachusetts. BCDC’s vision is to create successful partnerships and programs to improve access to affordable housing for Brookline’s residents, leading to better health outcomes, economic prosperity, security and quality of life for those of lesser financial means. Learn more at https://brooklinecdc.com/