Washington Trust Charitable Foundation donates $122,000 to housing organizations in Rhode Island

Providence, RI According to Washington Trust, the Washington Trust Charitable Foundation has awarded $122,000 to seven Rhode Island organizations in support of various programs to support safe and affordable housing and homeownership programs throughout the Ocean State.

The grants are part of more than $459,000 of total giving granted by the Charitable Foundation to 60 organizations throughout the Bank’s footprint. In addition to these grants, additional funds were awarded to organizations in support of financial literacy and economic empowerment, basic needs and family services, diversity and inclusion, and more. Washington Trust grants funded the following housing organizations and programs:

• Local Initiatives Support Corp. (LISC) - The $25,000 in funding will support LISC’s ‘Neighborhood Development Fund,’ which helps to build capacity for local community development corporations through training, resources and technical assistance.

• Neighborworks Blackstone River Valley - The $22,000 in funding will support their ‘Focused Neighborhood Homeownership Initiative,’ which provides intensive HUD-certified homebuyer assistance to help 20 renters to become first-time homeowners.

• West Elmwood Housing Development Corp. - The $20,000 in funding will be used to support their ‘Matched Savings Incentive Program,’ which provides financial capability workshops for future homeowners, and the ‘Getting Your House In Order” program, which provides culturally specific financial education for African-Americans.

• ONE Neighborhood Builders - The $20,000 in funding will be used to support the advancement of pre-development activities affiliated with the construction of Sheridan Village, a six-building modular development in Olneyville, which will create homeownership opportunities for upwards of 20 Rhode Islanders from low-to-moderate income households.

• Pawtucket Central Falls Development - The $20,000 in funding will be used to support their Homeownership Program, which has two major focus areas: providing bilingual pre- and post-purchase homebuyer education classes and supporting the construction and sale of single and two-family homes for first time homebuyers.

• Crossroads Rhode Island - The $10,000 in funding (year 2 of a 5-year, $50,000 commitment) will be used to support the “Roads to Home” Capital Campaign to create nearly 300 affordable permanent supportive apartments for formerly homeless adults in Providence.

• South County Habitat for Humanity - The $5,000 in funding (year 1 of a 2-year, $10,000 commitment) will help to support the construction of two new affordable homes on Cardinal Ln. in Hopkinton that will be purchased by hard-working local families.

“Washington Trust is committed to supporting organizations that offer safe and affordable housing programs for our neighbors,” said Rolando Lora, Washington Trust executive vice president and chief retail lending officer. “These grants represent both a financial investment for the development of new housing in Rhode Island, as well as support for educational programming to help our neighbors realize the dream of homeownership.”