Mr. Gregory Russ, Executive Director of the Cambridge Housing Authority, has been asked by the Housing Financial Services Subcommittee on Insurance, Housing and Community Opportunity to testify on the hearing entitled "The Section 8 Savings Act of 2011: Proposals to Promote Economic Independence for Assisted Families". As part of this hearing Mr. Russ will testify on the discussion draft of the Moving to Work Improvement, Expansion, and Permanency Act of 2011.
This hearing will take place today October 13, 2011 at 2pm EST. A live broadcast of the hearing can be accessed through the Committe's website here.
Mr. Russ' written testimony can be downloaded in .pdf format here.
$1.9 million project features rooftop solar PV system, pays for itself in energy savings
Framingham, MA – July 12, 2011 – Ameresco, Inc. (NYSE:AMRC), a leading energy
efficiency and renewable energy company, announced today that it has completed the
construction of the second phase of an energy performance contract with the
Cambridge Housing Authority (CHA). The $1.9 million project expands on a previous
effort that is now expected to deliver approximately $300,000 a year in utility cost
savings.
The Ameresco project focuses on energy conservation measures at the 196-unit Daniel
F. Burns Apartments in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The recently completed upgrades
include water saving retrofits, lighting efficiency improvements, roof replacement, and
installation of a new, highly efficient heat and hot water plant. The project also features
a 46 kW grid-connected rooftop photovoltaic (PV) system.
“In this latest effort at Burns Apartments, we have rekindled an existing relationship with
Ameresco in order to leverage additional conservation improvements and clean,
renewable technologies,” said Greg Russ, CHA’s Executive Director. “This second
phase significantly expands our conservation efforts, provides capital improvements to
the property and also adds renewable energy technology in the rooftop solar
photovoltaics. Overall, the program pays for itself, improves the performance of the
building and creates good paying local jobs, all of which are priorities for CHA.”
Ameresco began working with CHA in 1997 to convert the building’s heat and hot water
from electricity to natural gas, and to implement basic energy efficiency needs in the
Daniel F. Burns Apartments. Together the two phases are expected to save the
equivalent of 745 metric tons of carbon dioxide per year. The reduction in greenhouse
gas emissions is roughly equivalent to 1,733 barrels of oil burned or 90 households
powered for an entire year.
“Ameresco is pleased to be working with Cambridge Housing Authority to maximize the
value of its energy performance contracting program at Daniel F. Burns Apartments,”
said David J. Anderson, Executive Vice President of Ameresco. “The program’s
recently completed improvements extend the value of energy savings components that
were initiated more than a decade ago. This allows the Authority to invest in new and
improved efficiency and renewable energy technologies by leveraging energy programs
available in the Commonwealth.”
Ameresco’s Public Housing Group focuses exclusively on publicly assisted multi-family
housing facilities of 50 apartments or more, which includes more than 14 million U.S.
households. By leveraging energy performance contracting, a practice pioneered by
Ameresco staff to address what HUD spends on public housing energy bills each year,
the company has helped to reduce utility costs using a performance-oriented approach
that strategically addresses equipment and systems, energy management and resident
education.
With more than 25 years of experience, Ameresco’s affordable housing energy
specialists have executed performance contracts with project capital exceeding $450
million, more than any other North American energy services company in this sector.
As of today, Ameresco’s contracts impact over 125,000 households under performancebased
energy and water services contracts.
About Ameresco, Inc.
Ameresco, Inc. was incorporated in Delaware in April 2000 and is a leading
independent provider of comprehensive energy efficiency and renewable energy
solutions for facilities throughout North America. Ameresco’s solutions include
upgrades to a facility’s energy infrastructure, and the development, construction, and
operation of renewable energy plants. With corporate headquarters located in
Framingham, MA, Ameresco has 56 offices in 29 states and five Canadian provinces.
For more information, visit
www.ameresco.com.
Download the PDF here.
Members of Local 4 of the International Union of Elevator Constructors (IUEC) have been picketing at 116 Norfolk Street and are expected to begin picketing at F.J. Manning Apartments as elevator work begins there this week. The union is protesting the selection of a non-union contractor, United States Elevator, Inc., to do work at the two sites. CHA is respectful of the union’s right to disagree on the employ of US Elevator however we feel it is important to clarify statements about the process CHA used to select the contractor. Please find CHA’s point-by-point response to each allegation made against us with respect to the selection process following this statement.
US Elevator is the only contractor that submitted bids for the elevator work at the two developments. No union contractors or contractors based in Massachusetts submitted bids for the work. In January 2010, the Cambridge Housing Authority invited contractors to bid for elevator modernization work at the two public housing developments. CHA received no bids in response to the initial invitation to bid.
In February 2010, CHA issued revised bid documents. Only one bid was received for each development, both were from United States Elevator, Inc. At that time CHA also received information that raised questions around US Elevator’s ability to work in Massachusetts as well as allegations that deficiencies in our bid documents were the reason no local companies responded to CHA’s bid invitation. In response to the latter allegation, CHA had our bid documents reviewed by an independent engineering firm. The independent consultant rejected the allegation and confirmed the acceptability of the specifications included in our original invitation to bid.
With respect to issues raised about the ability of US Elevator to work in Massachusetts, the Commonwealth’s Department of Industrial Accidents (DIA) issued US Elevator a stop work order related to another job. The order resulted in the firm’s debarment in Massachusetts and prevented US Elevators from immediately moving forward with its CHA contract.
After administrative appeals and court intervention, it was found that the disbarment was erroneous. US Elevator was reimbursed for fines assessed by the Commonwealth, the stop work order was rescinded and US Elevator was removed from the DIA Debarment list.
CHA is a public agency and is required under Chapter 149 of state law to publicly bid all construction work over $25,000. All contractors are required to be pre-qualified by the Commonwealth’s Division of Capital Asset Management (DCAM). At the time of the bid, US Elevator was (and remains) a pre-qualified contractor by DCAM with a rating of 91% out of 100. A score of 80% or higher is required to be eligible to publicly bid in Massachusetts. Additionally, CHA did its own independent reference checks and received satisfactory results. Any issues with US Elevator’s qualifications for the two CHA jobs, or any other jobs in Massachusetts, should be addressed to DCAM.
CHA’s Board of Commissioners awarded a construction contract for each project to US Elevator Corporation with a total budget of $1,093,770. CHA is satisfied that it followed the law, used due diligence and awarded the contract to the lowest responsible bidder in its selection of United States Elevator, Inc. for the work at 116 Norfolk St. and F.J. Manning Apartments.
*This statement is a revised version of CHA’s
April 5, 2011 statement on this same issue.
Please direct any inquiries to:
Joshua R. Meehan
Director of Communications & Policy
P: 617-520-6408
E: jmeehan@cambridge-housing.org
CHA has partnered with The DREAM Program, Inc. to launch a youth mentoring program in CHA’s Putnam Gardens Apartments in the City’s Riverside neighborhood. CHA and DREAM hope the program will create positive, sustainable change for children living in the 119-unit development.
The DREAM program- Directing through Recreation, Education, Adventure, and Mentoring- is a long-term mentoring program, that matches dedicated mentors from local colleges and universities with children living in low-income housing developments. Unlike typical mentoring programs where mentors are matched with individual children, DREAM’s “Village Mentoring” model blends both one-to-one and group mentoring. This helps create positive peer groups within the community to help children withstand negative peer pressures and make healthy decisions. Additionally, by interacting with a large group of local college students, the children have access to a continuously growing network of individuals working to support their future success. DREAM mentors commit to stay with their mentees for the duration of their time in college. This means that each mentor is pledging to provide each child with a stable, consistent relationship, lasting three to four years.
DREAM provides college students with an opportunity to make a positive and lasting impact in children’s lives, and provides children with an opportunity to learn and explore a college campus with a positive college age role model. According to DREAM’s Boston Programs Director Chad Butt, "The relationships that form between mentors and children are the key not only to the success of our children, but to the success of our model. Kids love hanging out with college students and college students love hanging out with kids. It's that simple."
The program operates on a school calendar. Children meet with their mentors once a week during the school year, and are encouraged to remain in DREAM until they graduate from high school. One of the intrinsic challenges of DREAM’s college-based mentoring program is bridging gaps in the summer, when many mentors have commitments away from school and children have much more free time. To bridge this gap the program includes on-site summer programming facilitated by Summer Community Interns, and other special projects including adventure programming, leadership development, and large group trips.
So far DREAM has matched eight children from Putnam Gardens with student mentors from Harvard College. Mentors have already begun recruiting additional Harvard students to allow DREAM to bring more children into the Putnam Gardens program. "It is so exciting to bring DREAM to the children and families of Putnam Gardens and to partner with two amazing institutions, the Cambridge Housing Authority and Harvard College. For DREAM this is the realization of a lot of planning, hard work, and dreaming, and I am so thankful that CHA and the families at Putnam Gardens have chosen to invite us into their community," said DREAM’s Executive Director, Michael C. Loner.
The Cambridge Housing Authority is just as excited that DREAM is bringing its successful mentoring program to Putnam Gardens. “DREAM’s innovative mentoring program matches perfectly with our approach to building inclusive communities and fostering resident advancement. We are especially glad that DREAM is in Putnam Gardens, a site that we haven’t been able to offer services to kids in the past,” said CHA Executive Director Gregory P. Russ. “DREAM’s mentor model allows the kids to meet and interact and build strong relationships with each other and their mentors. We are delighted to have DREAM in Putnam Gardens.”
Members of Local 4 of the International Union of Elevator Constructors (IUEC) have been picketing a Cambridge Housing Authority (CHA) property because a non-union contractor, United States Elevator, Inc., is doing work there. CHA is respectful of the union’s right to disagree on the employ of US Elevator however we feel it is important to advise the public on why we chose US Elevator for elevator work at 116 Norfolk St. and the F.J. Manning Apartments on Franklin Street.
US Elevator is the only contractor that submitted bids for the elevator work at the two developments. No union contractors or contractors based in Massachusetts submitted bids for the work. In January 2010, the Cambridge Housing Authority invited contractors to bid for elevator modernization work at the two public housing developments. CHA received no bids in response to the initial invitation to bid.
In February 2010, CHA issued revised bid documents. Only one bid was received for each development, both were from United States Elevator, Inc. At that time CHA also received information that raised questions around US Elevator’s ability to work in Massachusetts as well as allegations that deficiencies in our bid documents were the reason no local companies responded to CHA’s bid invitation. In response to the latter allegation, CHA had our bid documents reviewed by an independent engineering firm. The independent consultant rejected the allegation and confirmed the acceptability of the specifications included in our original invitation to bid.
With respect to issues raised about the ability of US Elevator to work in Massachusetts, the Commonwealth’s Department of Industrial Accidents (DIA) issued US Elevator a stop work order related to another job. The order resulted in the firm’s debarment in Massachusetts and prevented US Elevators from immediately moving forward with its CHA contract.
After administrative appeals and court intervention, it was found that the disbarment was erroneous. US Elevator was reimbursed for fines assessed by the Commonwealth, the stop work order was rescinded and US Elevator was removed from the DIA Debarment list.
CHA is a public agency and is required under Chapter 149 of state law to publicly bid all construction work over $100,000. All filed contractors are required to be pre-qualified by the Commonwealth’s Division of Capital Asset Management (DCAM). At the time of the bid, US Elevator was (and remains) a pre-qualified contractor by DCAM with a rating of 91% out of 100. A score of 80% or higher is required to be eligible to publicly bid in Massachusetts. Additionally, CHA did its own independent reference checks and received satisfactory results. Any issues with US Elevator’s qualifications for the two CHA jobs, or any other jobs in Massachusetts, should be addressed to DCAM.
CHA’s Board of Commissioners awarded a construction contract for each project to US Elevator Corporation with a total budget of $1,093,770. CHA is satisfied that it followed the law, used due diligence and awarded the contract to the lowest responsible bidder in its selection of United States Elevator, Inc. for the work at 116 Norfolk St. and F.J. Manning Apartments.
Four leading Housing Authority industry groups released a report prominently featuring Cambridge Housing Authority as a model for effective use of ARRA stimulus funds. The report outlines the different housing improvement projects CHA has undertaken as well as the capital and energy efficiency investments CHA has made thanks in part to the almost $29 million in formula and competitive stimulus grants awarded to CHA.
The Council of Large Public Housing Authorities, the Public Housing Authorities Directors Association and the National Association of Housing and Redevelopment Officials released a joint refutation of ABC's hit job on public housing, which aired on "Nightline" in late January.
ABC's attack on Public Housing is especially damaging as Congress is weighing unprecedented cuts to programs serving low-income families, elders and individuals with disabilities.