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2023 AHEAD Annual Report

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AnnualReport2023

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2023 was a transformative year for AHEAD. We took a deeper look at our programs and worked to instill change inour organization that would provide for a greater impact and service to our communities and constituents. We met and networked with employers and employees all over the North Country and heard their concerns overhousing. After hearing their responses, and using information generously provided by North Country Council, wewere able to add new types of development into our pipeline. While the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit is a greattool, it does not meet the full scope of need for New Hampshire’s North Country and we set out to establish newdevelopment styles such as Shared Equity Housing and Mixed-Use development. We also decided to help withcapacity building in other realms and started working with childcare providers on meeting their needs forincreased space. These new developments will help to bring affordable home ownership, downtownrevitalization, and increased childcare capacity to our communities and act as models moving forward for futureprojects. While we are expanding our development horizons, we also want to be part of a broader solution for the housingcrisis in our region. AHEAD teamed up with the Niel and Louise Tillotson Fund of the New Hampshire CharitableFoundation, as well as other professionals and stakeholders in the region, and began working on a comprehensivesolution to the housing crisis we are facing. This was deeply meaningful work for all involved and the efforts borefruit for several new programs that will help the North Country move the needle on housing in 2024. We also took an introspective look at our engagement with our tenants. As an affordable housing developer andmanager we want to make sure that AHEAD tenants have an excellent experience while living in our properties.We spent the first quarter of 2023 reviewing and inspecting our own practices and procedures and comparingthem to modern and best standards in the field of property management. We then spent quarters 2 and 3restructuring our Property Management division towards a more holistic and hands-on approach which hascreated more jobs at AHEAD and a much better connection between our staff and our tenants. We are alsoworking with other service providers in the region, incredible partners like Tri-County Community ActionProgram, to ensure our tenants are getting the full spectrum of services they need to succeed. We are moreinvolved and engaged in our portfolio and the feedback from tenants is fantastic! At AHEAD, we are excited to see where 2024 takes us. 2023 set the foundation for incredible growth and thepromise for new and great things from AHEAD. We are so excited to share this with you, to serve our communitiestogether, and to move towards a new future for the North Country. Sincerely, Harrison Kanzler, Executive DirectorSusan Retz, Board PresidentLeadership Report

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VisionMissionAHEAD envisionshealthy communitieswhere residents choose tolive, work, invest andgrow.Vision & MissionAHEAD creates pathways tosafe, affordable housingwhich strengthens andrevitalizes ruralcommunities.

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Our BoardAutumn ShultzAHEAD ResidentBen TiltonBuilding Trades TeacherLittleton High SchoolMark McDonaldRetired Veteran/AHEAD ResidentKaela TavaresNorth CountryCouncilBridget FreudenbergerVice President, BangorSavings BankFran Day Admin Asst. Town of LandaffBoard SecretarySusan RetzRetired ArchitectBoard PresidentMark HeslerRetired Business OwnerBoard Vice PresidentMarth McLeodNon-profit ConsultantInterim Treasurer

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Our StaffCarla Allen, Controller/Finance DirectorLawrence Berg, Director of DevelopmentMelissa Blood, Asset ManagerAnna Briggs, Property Manager (Former)Kelly Mason-Carson, Senior Homeownership AdvisorChristine Crespo, Director of Property ManagementLillian Crowley, Property ManagerMari Deblois, Homeownership AdvisorPenny Driscoll, Administrative Assistant (Former)Thomas Ducharme, Maintenance Technician (Former)Karen Fagnant, Homeownership AdvisorJames Fairbanks, Maintenance TechnicianKaren Farquharson, Compliance CoordinatorConnie Haines, Accounting SpecialistEric Hartlen, Maintenance TechnicianJason Hatch, Maintenance TechnicianHarrison Kanzler, Executive DirectorDiane Labbe, Property ManagerTodd Legard, Maintenance TechnicianLoren Locke, Maintenance TechnicianMichelle Luce, Resident Services CoordinatorAmy Lurvey, Homeownership AdvisorKris Mardin, Compliance ManagerSamantha Marshall, Director of Programming & CommunicationsKatie Masters, Administrative Support SpecialistRobert Middleton, Maintenance TechnicianKerry McLain, Resident Services CoordinatorMichael McLain, Maintenance TechnicianAnnette Nelson, Accounts Payable ManagerMegan Nile, Intake Specialist/Case WorkerJoy Noel, Director of Operations (Former)Joseph Pattie, Maintenance Technician (Former)Helen Prishwalko, Maintenance TechnicianKeegan Roberts, Maintenance Technician (Former)Joshua Robinson, Facilities ManagerMarybeth Robinson, Compliance Manager (Former)Caleb Sanville, Maintenance Technician (Former)Lance Tucker, Property ManagerBrittany Washburn, Intake SpecialistChad Zanes, Site Coordinator

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WoodstockWith most predevelopment work complete on our Peeling Village project in Woodstock, NHwe have finally, on our third attempt, secured a reservation of 9% Low Income Housing TaxCredits. These tax credits will provide the bulk of funding for 29 affordable units in theLincoln/Woodstock area. A construction start is expected sometime late-summer 2024. Withconstruction taking approximately 14 months, AHEAD expects to be occupying these units inlate 2025. Developments inProgressThanks to the continued efforts of a few committed Whitefield residents, predevelopment work on the oldShurtleff Pharmacy building in Whitefield also made great strides in 2023. Work completed includespreliminary designs to increase the number of residential units to four, initial structural analysis,environmental and hazardous materials surveys, and a lot line adjustment providing an area for on-site residentparking. AHEAD is now working with a consultant provided through NeighborWorks America and focusingefforts on aligning funding to get this renovation project underway in early 2025 with potential funding comingfrom our partners at Northern Border Regional Commission and the Community Development FinanceAuthority. Bethlehem2023 was a busy year for AHEAD’s real estate development team withthe acquisition of over 70 acres of developable property in Berlin, a 9%Low Income Housing Tax Credit reservation for new affordablehousing in Woodstock, and continued work with residents and theTown of Bethlehem on potential single-family development. AHEAD is also working to address the shortage of available, for-purchase, affordable housingstock in the area. In Bethlehem, we have been working with members of the community tothoughtfully design a single-family development that could eventually have up to 50 new, for-purchase homes. AHEAD is working with potential funders to develop a pilot shared-equityhousing program which would provide this new housing stock to the purchase market ataffordable levels. These new homes would not only help to address the shortage of available forpurchase, and affordable, housing stock, but also address generational poverty by allowing lowerincome families to achieve homeownership, which has been proven to be a leading determinantof generational wealth. Whitefield

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AHEAD STAFFVOLUNTEER IMPACT2023Staff participation7 staff members of AHEAD volunteered their time toorganizations and causes important to them. Hours286 hours were volunteered by AHEAD staffOrganizationsCommunities served13 unique organziations and/or causes were recipents of AHEAD’s staffvolunteers. 16 towns and communities throughout New Hampshire were served byAHEAD volunteersServices performedDelivery Meals on Wheels, cleaning kennels at the animal shelter,donating blood, serving on non-profit boards & committees, helpinglocal food pantries and cooking meals for Veterans are just some of theservices that were performed by AHEAD staff. AHEAD is committed to serving the communities in which we live andwork. One of the ways we do this is through encouraging employees tovolunteer. 2023 launched the AHEAD employee volunteer program. AHEADgives each full-time employee 8 hours of PTO each year to volunteer withthe organization or charity of their choice. Employees who volunteer 25, 50or 100 hours earn rewards and additional incentives.

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Resident ServicesAHEAD’s Resident Servicesprogram is what makes AHEADstand out from other traditionallandlords. AHEAD’s ResidentServices program providessupport to 9 senior properties.Coordinating educationalworkshops, guest speakers,organizing social special eventsand being a resource coordinatorare just some of the tasks ourtrained Resident ServiceCoordinators provide. Michelle Luce Kerry McLainShown here, Resident ServiceCoordinator, Michelle Luce celebrates theholiday season with AHEAD residents.

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PropertyManagementStatistics281 Elderly Residents 174 DisabledResidents117 children reside inAHEAD apartments Average householdincome $16,197$327,365 paid in localproperty taxes1 million spent withlocal contractors andbusinesses

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HomeownershipCenter ImpactsNew homebuyerscreated14Households receivedforeclosurecounseling439Households completed8 hours of homebuyereducation72In homes sales$3,562,033Households completedfinancial literacyworkshops393,874Hours of counseling

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AHEAD FINANCIALS 2023AHEAD FINANCIALS 2023INTEREST CREDITSUBSIDY$65,865GRANTS:NEIGHBORWORKSAMERICA$185,500FEES FOR SERVICES$344,822GRANTS &CONTRIBUTIONS$1,014,224OTHER INCOME$273,707EXPENSESREVENUEREAL ESTATE RENTAL &RELATED INCOME$5,705,968SALARIES & WAGES$2,005,943UTILITIES$1,193,566REPAIRS &MAINTENANCE$1,282,182INTEREST$820,581PROPERTY &OTHER TAXES$327,365PROPERTY &LIABILITYINSURANCE$241,918DEPRECIATION& OTHER $2,860,868

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Words of Appreciation“There are no words of howgrateful we are for yourhelp and AHEAD’sassistance. Thank youdoesn't cut it. You andeveryone involved are ourAngels. Thank you forhelping me and my family.We can now sleep bettertonight knowing our houseis in good standing. This isthe best Christmas miraclewe could ever ask for. Ihope you and Everyonehave a wonderfulHoliday ” - K.P.

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“I want to express my and my wife's gratitudefor the compassionate guidance we arereceiving from Karen during this veryturbulent time in our lives. She responds fully and promptly to anyquestions we have. This is so important to us aswe have never had to traverse such choppywaters prior to COVID.Her upbeat approach is so refreshing!! Theprogram is not only keeping us afloat now but ispaving the way for us to permanently solve thisproblem for us”.Cordially,AC

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www.homesahead.orginfo@homesahead.org603-444-1377262 Cottage St, Littleton, NH 03561