Mayor Michelle Wu joined the Hyde Square Task Force in Jamaica Plain at the site of the former Blessed Sacrament Church to announce $67 million in new recommended funding to create and preserve more than 800 income-restricted units of housing in eight Boston neighborhoods.
Three of the 17 projects selected to receive funding are located in Jamaica Plain. All of the proposed projects meet the city's standards for zero-emissions buildings and represent transit-oriented, green development.
The three JP projects include:
- Pennrose Development and the Hyde Square Task Force will redevelop the former Blessed Sacrament Church with $6,250,000 in funding. The development team will create 55 mixed-income units of rental housing and a new performance space for the Hyde Square Task Force Creative Arts Program.
- The Jamaica Plain Neighborhood Development Corporation will redevelop the Boston Housing Authority's Mildred Hailey Housing’s Phase 2 with $5,200,000 in funding. This phase includes demolition and abatement of two existing buildings to create a new 6-story, 100% income-restricted, 65-unit building, consisting of 23 public housing replacement units and 42 new units of income-restricted housing restricted at 60% of area media income (AMI) or below.
- Urban Edge Community Development Corporation will redevelop the Boston Housing Authority's (BHA) Mildred Hailey Housing Phase 3 with $4,000,000 in funding. The development project includes demolition and abatement of the existing building to create a new six-story building with 60 units of income-restricted rental housing with 22 of the units being BHA housing replacement units, in addition, 38 of the new income-restricted housing units are restricted at 60% of AMI or below.
“These housing awards represent significant investments in making our communities stronger and more affordable, ensuring that Boston remains a place that current residents, families and future generations can call home," said Wu.
The funding is coming from the Mayor’s Office of Housing, the Community Preservation Fund, and the Neighborhood Housing Trust (NHT).
In 2022, the city announced they wanted proposals for project to offer funds for affordable housing developments. Projects where BIPOC individuals and entities represented 25% or more of the development team leadership received a high preference for the funding awards, according to a press release. Applicants were also required to provide information on "how services offered in multifamily buildings will help support the economic mobility of residents who will live in income-restricted housing units."
All of the projects are required to follow the Zero Emissions Building (ZEB) requirements outlined in the MOH Design Standards, and developers were required to submit and adhere to a Net Zero Strategy as part of the design submission.