Humphrey Street Nonprofit Expands Mission

A local nonprofit organization whose mission is to find affordable housing for New Englanders in need took a major step forward recently by securing a family property north of the border.

The closed on Newport Village Apartments in Newport, NH, on Dec. 6.

Caleb closed on its first North Shore property in Gloucester in June: LePage Apartments at Pond View Village. The property, which is 20 percent completed, will become 34-units of affordable family housing. 

Also, close to the agency's home base, Caleb provides service coordination to an elderly community, Louis Barett Residences, on Washington Street in Lynn; and has properties in Lowell and North Adams serving low to moderate-income families and children. 

Caleb's director of acquisition, Rob Bernardin, said in an interview this morning that  securing property is key to the agency's success.

"It allows us to continue to grow as an organization," Bernardin said.

The larger the scale the organization works on the more opportunities it will have to fulfill one of its missions: providing affordable housing to people on the North Shore, he said.

"Which is an area of emphasis for the organization," he said.

The Newport property consists of 50 units of family housing, including 35 two bedroom and 15 three bedroom units. This will be Caleb's first family property in New Hampshire.

All units at Newport Village are affordable and covered by a project-based Section 8 contract with the Department of Housing Urban Development (HUD). Tenancy is restricted to income eligible applicants with tenant rents established at 30 percent of their income. 

The Caleb Foundation is a nonprofit affordable housing organization based out of Swampscott that develops and preserves housing for low to moderate income elderly, disabled, and families throughout New England. 

The Caleb Group, an affiliate, provides service coordination and programs to empower and enhance the lives of residents residing in these communities and to encourage independence and self-sufficiency. Caleb operates in 23 affordable housing communities in Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Connecticut, impacting nearly 4,000 residents.

For more information about Caleb and its other communities, programs, and services, please visit our website at www.thecalebfoundation.org.