CAPAC Members Mark Sixth Anniversary of Shelby County v. Holder

CAPAC Members Mark Sixth Anniversary of Shelby County v. Holder

Washington, DC —  Today marks the sixth anniversary of the Supreme Court’sShelby County v. Holder decision, which struck down key provisions of the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Members of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC) released the following statements:

Congresswoman Judy Chu (CA-27), CAPAC Chair:

“Our democracy is built on the idea of one person, one vote. The Voting Rights Act of 1965 was enacted to ensure that standard remains in effect for all Americans, regardless of race, class, age, or language ability. But since the Supreme Court gutted key components of the Voting Rights Act in its Shelby County v. Holder decision, we have seen a wave of voter suppression efforts enacted to disenfranchise millions of Americans. This includes restrictive voter ID laws, polling location closures, denial of language assistance, voter roll purges, and restrictions on voter registration and early voting.

“These unfair practices disproportionately hurt Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders and other communities of color. This is why we must pass legislation to restore the Voting Rights Act and ensure that every U.S. citizen has equal access to the ballot box. As Chair of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus, I am proud to support legislation to protect the scared right to vote and restore the integrity of our elections.”

Congressman Bobby Scott (VA-03), CAPAC Civil Rights Task Force Chair:

“Today marks six years since the disastrous Supreme Court decision in the Shelby County v. Holder case which struck down key provisions of the Voting Rights Act. The decision was a huge setback for voting rights and dismantled fundamental voter protections that had been in place for nearly 50 years. It has allowed states to engage in discriminatory practices that discourage minority voter turnout in elections, such as passing voter ID laws, closing polling stations and purging voter roles of eligible voters. Members of Congress must work together to restore the Voting Rights Act and ensure access to the ballot box for all Americans.”

Congressman Ro Khanna (CA-17):

“In the Shelby County v. Holder decision, the Supreme Court effectively legitimized the forms of voting intimidation and voter suppression that the Voting Rights Act of 1965 sought to eliminate. 6 years later, Asian American and Pacific Islander communities still vote at rates lower than the national average. My colleagues and I will continue to fight until every American is able to freely exercise their right to vote.”

Congresswoman Katherine Clark (MA-05):

“6 years ago, the Supreme Court delivered a significant blow to voting rights in Shelby County v. Holder by ruling that a key provision of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 was unconstitutional. Since Shelby, nearly two-dozen states and several municipalities have implemented restrictive voter ID laws, closed or consolidated polling places, shortened early voting, and imposed other measures to restrict voting and lower turnout. These discriminatory policies are designed to systematically disenfranchise people of color, the elderly, people with disabilities, members of the LGBTQ community, and low-income households. We need to ensure that the most fundamental right in our democracy – the right to vote – is protected.”

Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney (NY-12):

“The Shelby County v. Holder decision demonstrates why we need the For the People Act to ensure that all eligible voters are able to vote. No citizen should face obstacles in exercising this most basic American right.”

Congressman Scott Peters (CA-52):

“The right to vote is an essential part of our democracy. Sadly, the Shelby County v. Holder Supreme Court decision gutted the landmark Voting Rights Act of 1965 and weakened voter protections from discrimination, intimidation, and disenfranchisement. We must pass the Voting Rights Advancement Act to restore the protections of the Voting Rights Act, and undo the damage done by the Shelby County decision. The Senate must also pass H.R. 1 to expand voter protections and protect the American people’s right to vote in free and fair elections.”

Congresswoman Lucille Roybal-Allard (CA-40):

"Six years ago, the Supreme Court gutted the Voting Rights Act in its Shelby County v. Holder ruling.  In a healthy democracy, all eligible voters must have full, fair, and easy access to the ballot box; sadly, the Shelby County ruling has made it harder, not easier, for some Americans to exercise their voting rights.  I stand with my fellow Democrats in supporting the restoration of the Voting Rights Act, and protecting every eligible American's ability to get their ballot cast and counted."

Congresswoman Nydia Velazquez (NY-07):

“The right to vote is fundamental, yet to this day, the Supreme Court’s Shelby County v. Holder decision endorses racial discrimination to voting accessibility and threatens the integrity of our democracy. As the Representative of one of the most diverse districts in America, I have and will continue to advocate for voting rights so no voter is barred from the voting process. That’s why I proudly stand with CAPAC and the Congressional Voting Rights Caucus to end our voter suppression crisis. We must restore the democratic protections of the Voting Rights Act hastily gutted by Shelby County v. Holder so that our most vulnerable populations are not stripped of their constitutional right to vote.”

WinnCompanies Announces Completion of The Watson; $44M Project Brings Workforce Housing to Quincy, MA

WinnCompanies Announces Completion of The Watson; $44M Project Brings Workforce Housing to Quincy, MA

JUN 24, 2019

Largest number of middle-income units ever financed by MassHousing

BOSTON, MA (June 24, 2019) – WinnCompanies, an award-winning multifamily development and management company, and its nonprofit partner, NeighborWorks Housing Solutions, today announced the completion of The Watson, a $44 million, 140-unit apartment community that represents the largest number of workforce units ever financed under MassHousing’s Workforce Housing Initiative.

U.S. Rep Stephen Lynch, Gov. Charlie Baker, House Majority Leader Ronald Mariano, Quincy Mayor Thomas P. Koch, HUD Regional Administrator David E. Tille and MassHousing Executive Director Chrystal Kornegay were among the dignitaries who attended today’s ribbon-cutting ceremony at the newly constructed property.

The Watson features 86 apartments available to rent at 110% of Area Median Income (AMI), a new “middle-income” rental category aimed at individuals and families whose incomes are too high for traditional housing subsidies but too low to afford rising rental housing costs. Twenty percent of the property (28 apartments) are rented at 50% AMI and 20 percent (26 apartments) are market rate units.

All but one of the workforce units are rented.

“We are proud this community is already 96 percent leased. It’s clearly having a positive impact for working people who have struggled to find apartments that they can afford in greater Boston,” said WinnCompanies CEO Gilbert Winn. “This is a national model for a true mixed-income community as it is able to provide housing for low, middle and higher income renters under one roof in a major metropolitan market with the vast majority of the units restricted for the so-called ‘forgotten middle.’”

Construction was financed by Citigroup, city and state soft loans, and equity from WinnDevelopment. The project’s various income restrictions were made possible through permanent financing and a workforce housing loan from MassHousing, city and state soft loans, LIHTC equity, and equity driven by the Housing Development Incentive Program (HDIP), a Massachusetts tax credit program designed to create housing in cities like Quincy. Dorfman Capital served as the capital provider for the HDIP tax credits. NeighborWorks America provided pre-development funding.

“We’re very proud of this project. We’re proud of a number of the efforts that have gone forward under our workforce housing initiative,” said Gov. Charlie Baker. “We continue to look forward to working with great communities like Quincy, our colleagues at the federal government, our colleagues in the private sector to continue to put opportunities like this together for people here in the Commonwealth.”

The project represents a major urban place-making initiative. It was developed on the site of a long-vacant former office building adjacent to the former Fore River Shipyard, a largely dormant, sprawling ship-building complex facility that stands as one of Quincy’s best opportunities for mixed-use, mixed-income development. Community leaders believe The Watson will serve as a new anchor that generates more private investment opportunities in an underdeveloped area of the city.

"Workforce Housing is essential to the balance of our residents’ needs," said Mayor Thomas Koch.  "I applaud a project like The Watson for the value it brings to our City."

The City of Quincy contributed $2 million, consisting of $1.25 million from its Affordable Housing Trust Fund, $500,000 in HOME funds and $250,000 in Community Preservation Act funds. That support, blended with tax-exempt financing, allowed WinnCompanies and NeighborWorks to generate federal Low-Income Housing Tax Credit equity, which in turn, created meaningful affordability while minimizing the use of scarce state affordable housing resources.

“We need to connect families to jobs and to the economy and transportation to really fulfill their lives, not just warehousing people,” said U.S. Rep. Stephen Lynch. “We really appreciate the work that WinnCompanies has done here. This is a real partnership that cobbled together about 20 different programs to develop housing that working families can live in and that working people can afford.”

The Watson would not have been possible without the strong partnership between WinnCompanies and NeighborWorks Housing Solutions. As part owner and co-developer, the non-profit helped source the opportunity, provided clerk of the works services, and raised critical local and federal funding to support the project.

"NeighborWorks has been focused on community redevelopment in Quincy Point for decades and we are so thrilled to see this amazing project completed,” said NeighborWorks CEO Rob Corley. “The Watson benefits households of all incomes and is a true public private partnership resulting in a tremendous reinvestment in this proud neighborhood.”

The property offers eight studio, 85 one bedroom and 47 two-bedroom units, and includes a gym, community room, networking lounge, a dog park, and a large second floor patio courtyard.

“WinnCompanies and NeighborWorks have developed a new mixed-income housing community that has anchored new development in an underutilized area of a Gateway City,” said MassHousing Executive Director Chrystal Kornegay. “This project has provided long-term affordability for low and middle-income households and highlights the importance of creating workforce housing for families who want to live and work in communities with expensive rental housing like Quincy.”

Led by WinnDevelopment Vice President Meade Curtis and Senior Project Director Andrew Colbert, work on The Watson began in June 2017. Cube3 Studio served as the architect and Dellbrook | JKS served as the general contractor.

The community is managed by WinnResidential, the nation’s sixth largest multifamily property manager. In greater Boston, WinnResidential manages 167 properties in all income categories, totaling 14,270 apartments.

WinnCompanies CEO Gilbert Winn cuts the celebratory ribbon, surrounded by U.S. Congressman Stephen Lynch, Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker, Massachusetts State Senator John Keenan, Quincy Mayor Thomas P. Koch, HUD Regional Administrator David E. Tille, MassHousing Executive Director Chrystal Kornegay, WinnDevelopment President and Managing Partner Larry Curtis and NeighborWorks Executive Director Rob Corley.