ABOUT US
History
Mission
Veterans Benefits Clearinghouse Development Corporation (VBCDC) was formed in 1987 by Veterans Benefits Clearinghouse, Inc. (VBC), a social service agency that provided services to veterans and their family members from 1987 to 2009. The mission was to move veterans from "Homeless to Homeownership". VBCDC developed the housing and VBC provided the supportive services for the veterans. To date, VBCDC has developed 419 units of affordable/market housing and over 20,000 square feet of office/community space. The housing is composed of affordable rental housing for families and the elderly.
Executive Director
Harold Raymond has been the President/Executive Director of VBCDC since 2009. For the past 30 years Mr. Raymond as owner of Design Development Consultants has been a development consultant for international corporations, for-profit and non-profit organizations, and government agencies. He has assisted them in developing neighborhood master plans, policy research, community centers, school buildings, architectural designs, and real estate development projects. Additionally, he has assisted in building over 4,000 units of affordable/market rate housing, and 200,000 square feet of commercial development with an estimated development value over $500 million.
As a National Technical Assistance Advisor with RTC/FDIC, in association with VBC, he assisted over 200 non profit organizations to purchase 96 properties that created over 1,500 units of affordable housing. He also worked as the Executive Director of Veterans Benefits Clearing House Mortgage Corporation. With the City of Boston Public Facilities Department he was an architect and planner in developing over 250 units of affordable housing and 100,000 square feet in commercial development. He was the Director of Development for Dudley Street Neighborhood Initiative, which implemented the $20 million Dudley Triangle Redevelopment Plan.
Mr. Raymond was an Instructor at the Boston Architectural Center and has lectured at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT). He received a Bachelor of Architecture from NJIT and a Master in City Planning and Master of Science in Architecture Studies from MIT where he specialized in urban planning and real estate development.