Since 1984, Dudley Street Neighborhood Initiative (DSNI) has been making strides to create thriving, affordable communities in Boston’s Roxbury and Dorchester neighborhoods through its community-controlled land trust.
Unique in its breadth of urban land under neighborhood stewardship, the nonprofit has emerged as a national leader in place-based development. Through its land trust, DSNI owns and operates more than 30 acres of land with 227 units of affordable housing, an urban farm, a greenhouse, commercial buildings and parks. They also run community farms and greenhouses and provide programs for the arts, youth and education, and homelessness prevention. Run by a resident-elected board of directors, DSNI continues to build out its vision for a thriving community where they could organize, plan for, and create the changes they want to see in their neighborhoods.
Our relationship with DSNI started with a line of credit to help with their cash flow management. This relationship has grown and deepened since, first through financing for working capital, and today, through partnerships for our local work in the Boston neighborhoods. Together with Boston Medical Center (BMC), we are working together to activate the business district in the triangle of land between Nubian Square, Upham’s Corner and Grove Hall in Roxbury and Dorchester.
Through stakeholder engagement, community organizing, lending and technical assistance, our goal is to equip the individual businesses with the tools and resources they need and foster cross-pollination across sectors. We are grateful for our partnership with DSNI and look forward to continuing to work with them in the future.
