The Rhode Island Foundation has directed $30,000 worth of funds to the Community House Land Trust of R.I. to support the conversion of properties on foreclosure list into affordable houses.
The fund is part of the almost $4.5 million grant that the foundation will distribute this year to support various economic and community development efforts. Aside from converting properties on foreclosure list to affordable houses, the foundation will also distribute $1.15 million to various projects such as $50,000 to fund job training at the Amos House and $60,000 to help Crossroads Rhode Island to promote employment readiness and job skills among underemployed and homeless adults.
Furthermore, the foundation will also provide $50,000 for regional workforce development initiative of the Newport Skills Alliance. Additionally, grants were also awarded to the following areas; $897,550 for education, $806,308 for health, $513,000 for arts and culture and $773,000 for human services.
Foundation President and Chief Executive Officer Neil D. Steinberg said that the organization has the responsibility to strategically plan its grant investments because of its limited resources. But still, the total grants received by the foundation rose by 1 percent in 2009 despite the recession. All in all, 107 grants were awarded by the foundation, with $75,000 as the largest.
For the development of community and economy, a total of $1,145,000 grant was awarded, including $50,000 going to Amos House, $30,000 to Aquidneck Island Planning Commission, $12,000 to The ARC of Northern Bristol County, $30,000 for Community Housing Land Trust of R.I., $40,000 for Corporation to Supportive Housing/New England Program, $60,000 to Crossroads Rhode Island and $65,000 to Dorcas Place Adult and Family Learning Center which provides assistance to immigrant professionals.
For education, a total of $897,550 were awarded, including $45,000 to Brown University for the study of how suburban and urban students choose their career and education paths, $40,000 to the City Year Rhode Island, $25,000 to The College Crusade of Rhode Island, $40,000 to The Compass School in Kingston, $30,000 to Cranston School Department for its program at the Construction Career Academy in the New England Laborer and $30,000 to The Greene School for the establishment of a public charter secondary school.
Industry experts are hopeful that the grants will help contain the number of properties on foreclosure list which has grown alarmingly due to recession and the rising unemployment rate.
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