BOSTON – The Baker-Polito Administration announced awards to fund the development, renovation and preservation of affordable rental housing across the Commonwealth. This award round builds on the Administration’s commitment to expanding affordable housing options for Massachusetts families.

“These affordable housing awards reflect our administration’s commitment to a stronger, more prosperous, and more inclusive Commonwealth,” said Governor Charlie Baker. “By increasing affordable housing production, and stabilizing working families, low-income senior citizens and homeless families or those at risk, these housing awards will strengthen communities across Massachusetts.”

Governor Baker, Housing and Economic Development Secretary Jay Ash, Health and Human Services Secretary Marylou Sudders, and Undersecretary of Housing and Community Development Chrystal Kornegay made the housing funding announcement today at 48 Boylston Street in Boston, a historic rehabilitation project for formerly homeless residents sponsored by St. Francis House and the Archdiocese of Boston’s Planning Office for Urban Affairs.

“Our administration is dedicated to improving economic and social outcomes for the residents of Massachusetts,” said Lieutenant Governor Karyn Polito. “By partnering with cities and towns, and the affordable housing development community, we are making targeted, impactful awards that will improve the lives of our state’s most vulnerable residents.”

The 26 projects awarded will create or preserve 1,420 rental units, including 1,334 affordable units, across 16 Massachusetts communities. The Department of Housing and Community Development is awarding over $31 million in state and federal low-income housing tax credits, which will generate over $218 million in equity for these projects. Additionally, the administration is awarding over $59 million in housing subsidy funds, including federal HOME funds and state capital funds, across the 26 projects.

Projects will serve a wide variety of constituents, including individuals and families transitioning out of homelessness, persons with disabilities, and the elderly. Four projects are focused on senior housing, five will provide supportive services to residents and all 26 will include deeply affordable units. Reflecting the Baker-Polito Administration’s commitment to creating more housing units for homeless residents, the administration prioritized applications that included a 10 percent allotment for individuals and families who are, or are at risk of becoming, homeless.

“Affordable housing production serves as a catalyst for broad-based neighborhood revitalization efforts,” said Secretary of Housing and Economic Development Jay Ash. “By connecting working families and at-risk populations to stable, affordable housing, we will ensure that Massachusetts remains a place where people succeed, and businesses flourish.”

“St. Francis House is a perfect example of an organization committed to ending homelessness for individuals and families by providing safe and affordable housing and meeting the full needs of their tenants,” said Secretary of Health and Human Services Marylou Sudders. “These awards will help support vulnerable citizens in the Commonwealth.”

“Working families need income security in order to achieve economic prosperity,”  said Undersecretary of Housing and Community Development Chrystal Kornegay. “Through these affordable housing awards, we are creating new opportunities for families to sink roots into their communities, and thrive.”

The 2016 affordable rental housing award round reflects the Baker-Polito Administration’s ongoing commitment to substantially invest in housing across the Commonwealth. In May, the Administration unveiled a 5-year capital budget plan that includes a $1.1 billion commitment to increasing housing production, an 18 percent funding increase for mixed-income housing production, and affordable housing preservation. In May, the Administration and MassHousing committed $100 million, to support the construction of 1,000 new workforce housing units. Since 2015, the Baker-Polito Administration has provided funding to create and preserve 2,856 units of affordable housing, including 874 deeply affordable units for at-risk populations.

Awardees

Christopher Heights is an assisted living project to be developed in Belchertown by the Grantham Group. Located on the former Belchertown State School site, the project will feature 83 total rental units with services for frail seniors, including 43 affordable units, with 17 units reserved for seniors earning less than 30 percent of area median income (AMI).

132 Chestnut Hill Avenue is a senior housing development in Brighton, sponsored by Jewish Community Housing for the Elderly. When completed, 132 Chestnut Hill Avenue will be home to 61 seniors, all with incomes below 60 percent of AMI, with 22 reserved for seniors with incomes below 30 percent of AMI.

48 Boylston Street is a historic rehabilitation project located in Boston’s Chinatown neighborhood. The sponsor is St. Francis House, Inc., in partnership with the Archdiocese of Boston’s Planning Office for Urban Affairs. The completed project will offer 46 single rooms and small units intended to serve homeless individuals earning less than 60 percent of AMI, with 26 units reserved for individuals earning less than 30 percent of AMI. The project sponsor will offer extensive services for the new residents.

Quincy Tower Apartments is a housing preservation project located in Boston’s Chinatown neighborhood, sponsored by Beacon Communities. The project will offer 161 affordable housing units, including 16 units reserved for households earning less than 30 percent of AMI.

Harmon Apartments is a new construction project located in Dorchester, sponsored by The Boston Home in partnership with Affirmative Investments. The project will be built near the existing Boston Home facility, and will include 36 units for persons with disabilities. Of the 36 units, 30 will be reserved for households earning less than 60 percent of AMI, with 8 units reserved for households earning less than 30 percent of AMI.

Paris Village is a new construction project located in East Boston and sponsored by the East Boston Community Development Corporation. Paris Village will offer 32 units of affordable family housing, with 4 units reserved for households earning less than 30 percent of AMI.

The Residences at Fairmount Station is a new transit-oriented housing project located in Hyde Park and sponsored by the Southwest Boston Community Development Corporation. This project will offer 27 units of affordable family housing, with 6 units reserved for households earning less than 30 percent of AMI.

Walker Park Apartments is a new construction project located in Roxbury and sponsored by Urban Edge Housing Corporation. This project will offer 49 units of affordable family housing, with 8 units reserved for households earning less than 30 percent of AMI.

Wayne at Schuyler is a housing preservation project located in Boston and sponsored by Cruz Development. When completed, this project will offer 74 units of affordable family housing, with 8 units reserved for households earning less than 30 percent of AMI.

Canal Bluffs Phase III is the final phase of a new construction project located on a 17 acre site off Route 28 in Bourne. This phase of Canal Bluffs will offer 44 units of townhouse-style affordable housing, with 7 units affordable to households earning less than 30 percent of AMI.

Chelmsford Woods II is the second phase of a new construction project located in Chelmsford. The sponsors are the Chelmsford Housing Authority and Stratford Capital. Chelmsford Woods II consists of 58 units of affordable family housing for households earning less than 60 percent of AMI, with 6 units affordable to households below 30 percent of AMI.

Village at Lincoln Park Senior is the second affordable housing project to be built on the site of a former amusement park in Dartmouth. Village at Lincoln Park Senior will provide 48 units of affordable senior housing, with 10 units reserved for seniors earning less than 30 percent of AMI.

Goshen Senior Housing is a new construction project located in the town center of Goshen, sponsored by Hilltown Community Development Corporation. The project will offer 10 affordable housing units for seniors, with 3 units reserved for seniors earning less than 30 percent of AMI.

Forest Springs is a new construction project located in Great Barrington and sponsored by Construct, Inc. This project will offer 11 affordable family rental units in three buildings, with 2 units reserved for households earning less than 30 percent of AMI.

The Kennedy Building is a mixed-income historic rehabilitation project located in Hanover and sponsored by the Planning Office for Urban Affairs. This project will offer 37 units of family housing, with 27 units reserved for families earning less than 60 percent of AMI, including 4 units reserved for families earning less than 30 percent of AMI. The remaining 10 units will be workforce housing units.

Tenney Place Phase II is the second phase of a new construction project located in Haverhill and sponsored by Dakota Partners, Inc. Tenney Place II will offer 72 mixed-income housing units: 56 units will be affordable to families earning less than 60 percent of AMI, with 8 units reserved for households earning less than 30 percent of AMI.

Ivory Keys Apartments is a historic rehabilitation project located in Leominster. The project will provide 41 units of affordable housing for families, with 9 units reserved for households earning less than 30 percent of AMI.

Jeweled Crossing is a new construction and rehabilitation project located in North Attleboro. The project will offer 66 affordable units, with 8 units reserved for households earning less than 30 percent of AMI.

New Home Sewing Apartment Complex is the redevelopment of a vacant mill building in Orange. The project will offer 63 affordable family units, with 7 units reserved for households earning less than 30 percent of AMI.

Boston Street Crossing is a rehabilitation project located in Salem and sponsored by Harborlight Community Partners. The project will offer 26 affordable units for formerly homeless individuals. All units will be reserved for households earning less than 30 percent of AMI.

Henry Twiggs Phase II is a scattered-site preservation project located in Springfield and sponsored by Home City Housing. The project will offer 61 units of fully rehabilitated affordable housing, with 16 units reserved for households earning less than 30 percent of AMI.

Maple Commons Apartments is a preservation project located in Springfield and sponsored by First Resource Companies. Maple Commons will offer 173 fully rehabilitated affordable housing units, with 18 units reserved for households earning less than 30 percent of AMI.

St. James Commons Apartments is a preservation project located in Springfield, and sponsored by Valley Real Estate. St. James Commons will offer 42 affordable units for families, with 9 units reserved for families earning than 30 percent of AMI.

The Blanchard School is the redevelopment of a former school in Uxbridge into 25 units of affordable housing, with 5 units reserved for households earning less than 30 percent of AMI.

Noquochoke Village is a new construction project that will provide affordable family housing in Westport. Noquochoke Village will offer 50 total rental units, including 5 market-rate units and 45 affordable units.

Union Hill Rental Housing Initiative II is a preservation project located in Worcester and sponsored by Oak Hill Community Development Corporation. The project will offer 24 rehabilitated housing units affordable to households earning less than 60 percent of AMI, with 5 units reserved for households earning less than 30 percent of AMI.