Shown above: Upper Valley business owners Nando Jaramillo (Moon and Stars) and Mel and Damaris Hall (Global Village Foods).
Helping Black, Indigenous, and People of Color put down roots in the Upper Valley
Project start: Spring 2024
Funders: Mascoma Bank, ThinkVT GROW, private donor
Vital Communities staff contact: Miranda Dupre, BIPOC Community Navigator, miranda@vitalcommunities.org, 802-291-9100 x102
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Project Description
The purpose of the BIPOC Home & Business Ownership Project is to advance home ownership, business ownership, and a sense of belonging in the Upper Valley for BIPOC community members – existing, new, and those yet to come. The Project will collaborate with community members and stakeholders to address their identified needs such as housing, entrepreneurship opportunities, and social support. The Project will accomplish this by taking a comprehensive and community-centered approach to its work, encompassing the following:
- Serving as a central point of contact for BIPOC community members
- Curating resources of information and support to assist in settling and establishing community
- Cultivating relationships with local stakeholders, and remaining informed and up to date on their work
- Identifying opportunities tailored to the needs of BIPOC community members
- Establishing meaningful relationships with BIPOC community members
- Facilitating connections between BIPOC community members and existing networks/groups to foster a sense of belonging and community
- Amplifying BIPOC community members’ stories/experiences by sharing them among stakeholders and through Vital Communities channels
- Identifying wants and needs of BIPOC community members and finding the resources to fulfill them
- Creating the conditions for BIPOC folks to feel supported and thrive within workplaces/institutions in the Upper Valley
- Supplying local businesses and new entrepreneurs with resources to build capacity, create their own businesses, and/or explore non-traditional ways of ownership and resource sharing
- Partnering with local businesses, both big and small, to implement DEI policies and practices to support and retain BIPOC employees
- Working with local realtors and lending officers to ensure they have the cultural competency and sensitivity to work with BIPOC folks moving to the area, as well as supplying them with DEI support as necessary
- Hosting events that bring together stakeholders and community members to address big picture issues related to housing, entrepreneurship, and social support for Upper Valley BIPOC community
- Engaging with community partners, local businesses, realtors, developers, lenders, local government agencies, and residents to form relationships and develop cross-sector solutions
About the partners
The project is a collaboration between Vital Communities, Mascoma Bank, and Upper Valley community members Conicia “CJ” Jackson of Lyme and Julius Turner of Lebanon.
CJ Jackson serves on the board of Livable Real Estate Cooperative, a new group pursuing a do-it-themselves approach to creating accessible, affordable, comfortable, safe, and sustainable housing.
Julius Turner serves on the board of Twin Pines Housing, a 33-year-old organization dedicated to increasing access to quality housing and supportive services for the Upper Valley community.
“If we truly believe in providing the feeling of belonging, a feeling of being happy and comfortable as part of the Upper Valley, then it begins with building welcoming and accepting relationships with other members of the community,” said Turner. “This effort would have prevented several of my BIPOC friends from leaving the Upper Valley due to the inability to own a home, expand their existing business or just feeling welcomed and accepted by others in the community.”
Mascoma Bank has been an important partner in area housing efforts, including through the Vital Communities Corporate Council, Housing Advisory Committee, and annual Housing Solutions Breakfast, and as a support of the Upper Valley Loan Fund, which is building permanently affordable housing.
Why and how the project was initiated
The Upper Valley needs to attract and retain workers and full-time residents to keep its economy vibrant. However, many are discouraged by the difficulty of finding a home and building a sense of community.
This is particularly true for BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) community members who – due to the historic marginalization of BIPOC and the Upper Valley’s history as a predominantly White area – face unique difficulties in maneuvering the job market, securing housing, establishing businesses, accessing cultural goods, and, above all, experiencing a sense of inclusion and belonging.
The project was born in the summer of 2023 when CJ and Julius approached Mascoma Bank and Vital Communities to establish a partnership to provide concrete assistance in homeownership and business ownership to new, existing, and prospective BIPOC community members. The design of the Navigator position was directly informed by BIPOC experiences in relocating to the Upper Valley. From declining job offers because of insufficient housing options to leaving the region after a short time due to a lack of support and community, their experiences demonstrated the critical need for this role in the Upper Valley community.
