About ACDC:

Mission Statement

The Asian Community Development Corporation, a community-based organization, is committed to high standards of performance and integrity in serving the Asian American community of Greater Boston, with an emphasis on preserving and revitalizing Boston's Chinatown.

The Corporation develops physical community assets, including affordable housing for rental and ownership; promotes economic development; fosters leadership development; builds capacity within the community and advocates on behalf of the community.

Program Overview

Sustainable Community-Based Affordable Housing Development

ACDC has built over $100 Million in mixed-income affordable housing development in the past 20 years.  We have accomplished this in one of the poorest neighborhoods in Boston, and in one of the hottest markets in the nation by forging partnerships with experienced, socially-conscious for-profit developers.  We recently completed a 251-unit, mixed use and mixed income project with Edward A. Fish, Associates with a total development cost of $89 million.  We are currently working on a 315-unit smart growth, green building project with New Boston Development Partners on Parcel 24 at the head of the Rose Kennedy Greenway.  At ACDC, we work directly with the community to build a common vision for beautiful, fair, sustainable development in Chinatown.

Comprehensive Home Ownership Education and Financial Literacy

We operate New England’s only home-ownership education program consistently targeting low and moderate income Chinese-speaking homebuyers.  ACDC has graduated over 400  people from our home ownership courses and one-one-one counseling in Mandarin and Cantonese, and have assisted over 30 families in buying their first homes.  In the coming year, we are integrating financial literacy education into our curriculum, and expanding the number of languages we offer.

Youth Development

Asian Voices of Organized Youth for Community Empowerment (A-VOYCE) supports young people in projects that provide leadership development and skill building, while raising awareness of critical community issues and Asian American culture.  Youth guide historical walking tours of Chinatown and produce a weekly community radio show– both avenues for them to learn more about their community and express themselves through storytelling.  Youth develop communication, critical thinking, public speaking, research, writing and marketing skills, while filling a gap by educating the general public about their community.

Preserving our Past to Build a Better Future

The Chinatown Heritage Project celebrates and promotes the multifaceted history, culture, and community that makes Boston's Chinatown so unique and vibrant. Through a series of innovative programs, the project aims to increase cross-cultural understanding, contribute to Chinatown's economic prosperity, and offer contemporary residents new mediums for self-expression. The Project includes efforts such as A Chinatown Banquet, a series of 45 short video documentaries about the neighborhood; The Chinatown Heritage Trail, an audio walking tour focusing on history and contemporary issues facing the community; and the Chinatown Walking Tour Collective, a community-centered offering of educational guided walking tours for large groups.  ACDC is a lead partner in the Chinatown Heritage Project, working in collaboration with the Chinese Historical Society of New England, and Chinatown Main Streets.

Linguistic Access Through New Technology

Linguistic and cultural barriers hinder non-English speaking individuals – particularly new immigrants – from gaining access to essential  social services and resources.  ACDC has teamed up with MIT’s Community Innovations Lab to develop Speakeasy– an integrated telephone and web service which will link  limited-English proficiency individuals to multilingual “Guides.”  These volunteers will offer interpretation services between individuals and city service agencies, community organizations and local businesses via cell phone.