ALLSTON-BRIGHTON COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION
Strengthening Partnerships and Securing the Future of a Neighborhood Keystone

The Allston-Brighton Community Development Corporation's (ABCDC's) mission is to encourage residents to participate in maintaining diversity and stability in their neighborhood in the face of economic pressure. Integral to ABCDC's mission is building attractive, affordable housing for the community. The ABCDC also works to promote community organizing, economic development, home ownership, and open-space initiatives.

With the help of Harvard University, the City of Boston and a number of other public and private sources, the ABCDC secured funds to renovate a seafood processing plant in Allston, converting it into a nine-building complex with 50 affordable units. Named after the late city councilor who tirelessly supported affordable housing in Allston, the Brian J. Honan Apartments have become the first new affordable housing for families in Allston in 15 years.

For the groundbreaking, the ABCDC enlisted SM& to generate visibility that would honor Harvard University for its crucial $2.8 million contribution, one of the largest grants ever made by a private institution for a single affordable-housing development in Boston . SM& geared up and quickly developed a strategy that focused on ABCDC's history of achievement in Allston, Harvard's extraordinarily generous gap-financing grant, and the university's role as an enthusiastic partner with the City of Boston. SM& targeted Boston-area media and acted as a liaison between ABCDC, the Harvard University News Office, Boston Mayor Thomas M. Menino's office, and the office of Rep. Kevin Honan, brother of the apartments' namesake. SM& filled the same role two years later for the ribbon-cutting of the completed project, while also working with the Mayor's advance team on logistics and preparing residents to speak at the celebration.

For both events, SM& secured extraordinarily positive coverage for ABCDC and Harvard University, including The Boston Globe, Boston Herald, Associated Press, community newspapers, and local drive-time radio. Not only did the coverage showcase this new advance in affordable housing for Allston-Brighton residents in need, it further positioned Harvard as an enthusiastic partner with the City of Boston .