Community Development Corporation of South Berkshire

What Community Development Corporation of South Berkshire does

Community Development Corporation of South Berkshire (CDCSB) is a nonprofit community development corporation founded in 1988 and headquartered at 453 Stockbridge Road, Great Barrington, Massachusetts. It develops, owns, and partners on affordable and workforce housing in South Berkshire County, with a current portfolio exceeding 126 units across five properties: Hillside Avenue (10 units, completed 2009), Bentley Apartments (45 units, 100 Bridge Street brownfield redevelopment), Windrush Commons (49 units, completed spring 2023 at ~$17M development cost), Sumner Block (6 NOAH units, acquired June 2023), and The Thornewood (16 furnished workforce units, opened 2024). Beyond housing, CDCSB runs a small business technical assistance program for entrepreneurs in the southern Berkshires and administers the Massachusetts Community Investment Tax Credit (CITC) for donors.

The organization operates with a small staff of 1-10 employees and no proprietary technology platform; its "product" is physical real estate developed through a co-development and partner-managed operating model. Property management is outsourced to three regional partners (Hearthway, Berkshire Property Managers, Parke Place Properties), and project development relies on a deep network of co-developers, architects, contractors, and municipal and state partners (Town of Great Barrington, Great Barrington Affordable Housing Trust, MassDevelopment, MA DHCD, CEDAC, Rural LISC, plus regional lenders Berkshire Bank, NBT Bank, Pittsfield Cooperative Bank, and Lee Bank).

Revenue is generated through four streams: donations and contributions (leveraged by the MA CITC 50% state tax rebate), government and foundation grants (HUD, EPA, MA DHCD, MassDevelopment, CEDAC, Fitzpatrick Trust, Feigenbaum Foundation, United Way), development fees from co-developed projects, and rental income from owned housing units (Thornewood at $900+ per month, Bentley Apartments at $709-$844 per month, income-restricted). Go-to-market is community-led: rolling housing applications through property management partners, direct donor outreach via newsletter and social channels, and direct recruitment of small business consultants. The organization is privately held (no parent company, no subsidiaries, no public listing) and operates as a Massachusetts nonprofit.

Name

Community Development Corporation of South Berkshire

Legal name

Community Development Corporation of South Berkshire

Website

https://cdcsb.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1988

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Community Development Corporation of South Berkshire is a Massachusetts nonprofit founded in 1988 that develops, owns, and partners on affordable and workforce housing in South Berkshire County, managing over 126 units across five properties and running a small business technical assistance program.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Great Barrington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Contributions: Individual, business, and nonprofit donations including the Massachusetts Community Investment Tax Credit (CITC) program providing 50% state tax rebate for donations of $1,000 or more.
2. Government and Foundation Grants: Funding from government agencies and foundations including HUD, EPA, Massachusetts DHCD, MassDevelopment, CEDAC, and various charitable foundations for affordable housing development.
3. Development Fees: Fees earned from development and co-development of affordable housing properties.
4. Rental Income: Revenue from workforce and affordable housing units including Thornewood monthly fees ($900+) and Bentley/Affordable apartment rentals.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

CDCSB develops, owns, co-develops and stewards affordable and workforce rental housing in South Berkshire County, Massachusetts, operating five properties with more than 126 units (The Thornewood, Windrush Commons, Sumner Block, Bentley Apartments, and Hillside Avenue). It also runs a Small Business Technical Assistance program for local entrepreneurs and serves as an eligible donee for the Massachusetts Community Investment Tax Credit (CITC), enabling donors to receive a 50% state tax credit on qualifying contributions.

Product overview

CDCSB operates as a community development organization offering affordable housing properties and small business assistance programs in South Berkshire, Massachusetts. The portfolio consists of five distinct housing properties: The Thornewood (16 furnished workforce units), Windrush Commons (49 affordable units), Sumner Block (6 NOAH units), Bentley Apartments (45 units on brownfield site), and Hillside Avenue (10 Energy Star certified units). Total portfolio exceeds 126 affordable housing units. Services include small business technical assistance and administration of Massachusetts Community Investment Tax Credits. Properties are managed by partner organizations including Berkshire Property Managers, Hearthway, and Parke Place Properties.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• The Thornewood Workforce housing property at 453 Stockbridge Road, Great Barrington, offering 16 furnished units with private ensuite bathrooms for 1-2 adults on a month-to-month basis. Monthly fees start at $900, including utilities and high-speed internet. Managed by Berkshire Property Managers. Priority access for Great Barrington workers.
• Windrush Commons 49-unit affordable housing complex at 910 South Main Street in downtown Great Barrington, offering 1-, 2-, and 3-bedroom flat and duplex-styled apartments with a community room, laundry facilities, parking, and ADA accessibility. Development cost approximately $17 million. Managed by Hearthway.
• Sumner Block Historic mixed-use Second Empire building at 306-310 Main Street in Great Barrington containing six rental apartments classified as Naturally Occurring Affordable Housing (NOAH) units. Acquired June 2023. Managed by Parke Place Properties in Monterey.
• Bentley Apartments 45-unit affordable housing complex on Bentley Road in downtown Great Barrington, part of the 100 Bridge Street redevelopment on an 8-acre brownfield site, and integrated with a 2-acre public Riverfront Park on the Housatonic. One-bedroom units at $709/month and two-bedroom units at $844/month. Development cost $17.5 million. Managed by Hearthway. Includes ADA-accessible units.
• Hillside Avenue Ten affordable rental units across three buildings on Hillside Avenue in Great Barrington, including one-, two-, and three-bedroom units with one ADA-accessible unit. All units are Energy Star certified. Development cost $2.3 million. Completed 2009. Managed by Berkshire Property Managers.
• Small Business Technical Assistance Program providing technical assistance and consulting support to small business owners in the southern Berkshires. CDCSB currently recruits Small Business Consultants to staff the program, with inquiries handled via direct email outreach ([email protected]). Open to local entrepreneurs in southern Berkshire County.
• Massachusetts Community Investment Tax Credit (CITC) Administration Massachusetts state tax incentive program administered through CDCSB that provides a 50% state tax rebate on donations of $1,000 or more—effectively $500 back per $1,000 donated. Available to individuals, businesses, nonprofits, and out-of-state residents who donate to CDCSB.

Named customers6 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• MACDC (Massachusetts Association of Community Development Corporations)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStatewide association of CDCs providing advocacy, networking, and technical assistance for community development corporations.
• Hearthway (formerly Berkshire Housing Development Corporation)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-developer and property manager for Windrush Commons and Bentley Apartments. Regional housing organization providing development expertise and property management.
• Way Finders, Inc.minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborator on Windrush Commons development bringing additional development expertise.
• Allegrone Construction, Inc.minorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerGeneral contractor providing construction services for Windrush Commons development.
• Berkshire Property ManagerscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorProperty management company managing Thornewood workforce housing and Hillside Avenue properties, handling tenant applications and relations.
• Parke Place PropertiesminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorProperty management company in Monterey managing Sumner Block affordable housing.
• Town of Great BarringtoncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMunicipal government partner for Bentley Apartments 100 Bridge Street redevelopment. Provided land, infrastructure funding, and regulatory approvals for brownfield redevelopment.
• Great Barrington Land ConservancyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal land conservation organization collaborating on Bentley Apartments riverfront development and park creation.
• Saloomey Construction Inc.minorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerGeneral contractor for Bentley Apartments construction.
• Construct, Inc.minorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerHousing development organization providing development support for Hillside Avenue project.
• Southern Berkshire Housing CoalitionminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal housing coalition providing support for Hillside Avenue development.
• Berkshire Regional Transit AuthorityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal transit authority providing public transportation access near Thornewood and other CDCSB properties.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC): National community development financial institution and a current CDCSB partner through its Rural LISC program. Provides capital, technical assistance, and policy support to CDCs nationwide, operating a similar but vastly larger affordable housing and community development mission.
• NeighborWorks America: National network of more than 250 nonprofit affordable housing and community development organizations. CDCSB operates in a comparable nonprofit CDC model, though NeighborWorks is a much larger, federally supported umbrella organization.
• Enterprise Community Partners: National nonprofit that develops and preserves affordable housing across the U.S. Comparable in mission and LIHTC-driven development model, but operates at far greater scale and geographic breadth than CDCSB.
• Habitat for Humanity International: Global nonprofit affordable housing organization. Comparable in mission to provide affordable housing for low-income households, though Habitat's homeownership/for-sale model and global footprint differ from CDCSB's rental focus.

Others

• Community Economic Development Assistance Corporation (CEDAC): Massachusetts statewide nonprofit that provides financing and technical assistance for affordable housing and community development. A core financial partner to CDCSB on Windrush Commons and Bentley Apartments; comparable in mission, though primarily a financier rather than direct developer.

Direct peers

• The Life Initiative: Financing partner for CDCSB's Windrush Commons. A community development financial institution active in affordable housing lending in the Northeast, with directly comparable nonprofit/impact-aligned housing investment activity.
• Housing Ministries of New England: Religious-affiliated nonprofit housing organization providing financing for CDCSB's Windrush Commons. Operates as a faith-based affordable housing developer in New England, with directly comparable nonprofit housing development activities.
• Way Finders: Massachusetts-based nonprofit affordable housing developer and service provider that collaborated on Windrush Commons. Comparable as a regional CDC-style organization developing LIHTC-financed multifamily affordable housing.
• Hearthway (formerly Berkshire Housing Development Corporation): Regional affordable housing developer and property manager headquartered in Pittsfield, MA. Co-develops and manages multiple CDCSB properties (Windrush Commons, Bentley Apartments), making it a directly comparable affordable housing peer operating in the same Berkshire market.
• Construct, Inc. Western Massachusetts housing development organization that provided development support for CDCSB's Hillside Avenue project. Operates as a regional affordable housing developer serving similar small-town and rural communities.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/CDC_SBERKSHIRE
• Facebookfacebook.com/cdcsb
• Instagraminstagram.com/CDC_SouthBerkshire
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/community-development-corporation-of-south-berkshire

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Community Development Corporation of South Berkshire