Latest Updates from the Mayor's Office of Housing: December 1, 2023
Read the latest updates from the Mayor's Office of Housing.
GRAND OPENING CELEBRATION FOR MORTON STATION VILLAGE IN MATTAPAN
On November 3, the Chief of Housing Sheila Dillon, Director of Neighborhood Development Jessica Boatright, Cardinal Seán O’Malley, Secretary of Housing Edward Augustus, City Councilor Ruthzee Louijeune, State Representative Russell Holmes and other local officials celebrated the grand opening of Morton Station Village, a mixed-income housing development in Mattapan.
The project, developed by the Planning Office for Urban Affairs (POUA) and Caribbean Integration Community Development (CICD), transformed a vacant, over 34,000 square foot former Boston Police District Station into 40 new homes. The Office of Housing worked with the neighborhood association to ensure that the development meets the needs of the community in addition to the individuals who will reside there. The four-story building includes 28 rental apartments and 12 homeownership condos, catering to individuals and families with incomes ranging from 30 to 100 percent of the Area Median Income. Six two-bedroom units are designated for artists.
Adjacent to the Fairmount Line’s Morton Station MBTA stop, the development features a fitness center, bike storage, and a community room, with plans for the Steven P. Odom Serenity Garden to be constructed in 2024. Financing for Morton Station Village included funding from the Mayor’s Office of Housing, the City of Boston Neighborhood Housing Trust and Community Preservation Act funding.
THE HOUSING INNOVATION LAB RELEASES RFP FOR “FUTURE DECKERS”
Mayor Michelle Wu, in collaboration with the Mayor’s Housing Innovation Lab (iLab) and the Boston Society for Architecture (BSA), has announced the release of the "Co-Creating Boston’s Future-Decker" Request for Proposals (RFP).
This initiative invites development teams to submit proposals for multi-family housing on city-owned lots in Dorchester and Mattapan, addressing the unmet need for "missing middle" housing, ranging from six to 15 units.
The RFP emphasizes innovative design, construction methods, and materials, building on insights from Boston's triple-decker housing model. Five key themes—adaptability, living together, sustainability, materials, and affordability—emerged from the RFI, guiding the ideal development proposals. The deadline for RFP submissions is February 14, 2024, and the iLab and BSA plan to showcase and gather feedback on the proposals in early 2024, ultimately selecting a winning development team.
MOH PREPARES TO HELP THE HOMELESS IN COLD WEATHER
A network of 20 Boston homeless shelter providers, street outreach agencies and mental health providers, and City of Boston Boston EMS and Boston Police Department first responders are coordinating efforts to ensure that safe shelter, transportation and outreach are conducted throughout the cold weather season. The Boston Public Health Commission and Mayor's Office of Housing staff will work to coordinate and support providers throughout the winter.
In the event of extreme cold, the City will utilize all available beds and will make additional space available in seating and dining areas to allow people to stay indoors. Day centers for the homeless will extend hours, opening early and coordinating safe transportation from their programs to shelters.
Street outreach programs will provide extended coverage hours and send out mobile teams to warn unsheltered individuals about potentially dangerous cold weather and offer transportation to shelter when they can.
THE LANDLORD INCENTIVE PROGRAM HOLIDAY CAMPAIGN LAUNCHES
Boston's Home for the Holidays campaign seeks to support landlords who rent to Bostonians moving out of homelessness by matching households who have rental assistance vouchers with available units.
The program provides landlords with signing bonuses, up to two months rent, as well as offers stability to prospective tenants with rental subsidies and supportive services who are ready for a place to call home.
MOH WELCOMES INCLUSIONARY DEVELOPMENT POLICY STAFF FROM BPDA
The Office of Housing has welcomed staff from the Boston Planning & Development Agency (BPDA) Inclusionary Development Policy (IDP) Compliance team. All of the responsibilities for the IDP process will now reside in one department with MOH overseeing the process from approving marketing plans, to running the lotteries, to verifying new applicants and ongoing compliance. We welcome the new team members who will be integral in ensuring that the income restricted program is transparent, efficient and fair. The dedication and expertise these members bring from their previous roles will be invaluable to the MOH team.
THE BOSTON HOME CENTER AND OFFICE OF HOUSING STABILITY HAVE MOVED
The Boston Home Center and the Office of Housing Stability have moved to 2 Center Plaza. Their doors will be open from 9 AM to 5 PM, Monday through Friday. If you have any questions or need assistance you can call 617-635-4200 for Housing Stability or 617-635-4663 for the Home Center.
FEATURED INCOME-RESTRICTED PROPERTY: 2-10 MAVERICK SQUARE IN EAST BOSTON
2-10 Maverick Square, a 25-unit residential apartment building in East Boston, is now accepting lottery applications. The six-story development will feature two retail spaces on the first floor.
2-10 Maverick Square offers a mix of studio, one-bedroom and two-bedroom rental units, three which are designated as income-restricted. Two one-bedroom units and one two-bedroom unit are available to renters earning at or below 70 percent of the Area Median Income. The two-bedroom unit is built out for persons with mobility impairments.
The building is located in the heart of East Boston's Maverick Square near many dining options. It is in close proximity to the East Boston Neighborhood Health Center, LoPresti Park, Paris Street Community Center, Shaw's grocery store, CVS Pharmacy, and the East Boston Greenway. The property is located near Interstate 93, Interstate 90, and Route 1 and is 160 feet from the MBTA's Blue Line at Maverick Station.
Units feature air conditioning, in-unit laundry, and dishwashers. The building features an elevator, bicycle storage, an indoor community space as well as a outdoor communal space. Cats and dogs are allowed, please talk to the property about size and breed restrictions.
A virtual information meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, December 12th at 10am. The deadline to submit a lottery application is December 20, 2023.
