78 Affordable Housing Units Preserved With Help From The City of Boston

The City of Boston, the Planning Office for Urban Affairs (the Planning Office) and Fenway Community Development Corporation (Fenway CDC) announced the acquisition and preservation of housing at Our Lady's Guild House (OLGH). This acquisition will allow OLGH to remain a permanent affordable housing option in the Fenway neighborhood. The acquisition was made possible with financial support from the Mayor's Office of Housing (MOH) and the Community Economic Development Assistance Corporation (CEDAC).

"Affordable housing is crucial to building strong and equitable communities, and the Planning Office for Urban Affairs and Fenway Community Development Corporation are taking an important step in preserving and expanding access to affordable housing in the Fenway neighborhood," said Sheila Dillon, Chief of Housing. "Our Lady's Guild House is a unique property that has for decades been a home for low-income residents. We are glad that the City of Boston, with these partners, is able to continue our work towards the goal of ensuring that everyone has access to safe and affordable housing."

The purchase of OLGH is a culmination of a decade's worth of efforts by the City of Boston, the Fenway CDC, and OLGH residents to safeguard affordable housing in the Fenway. The Planning Office for Urban Affairs and Fenway CDC are committed to the extensive rehabilitation and modernization of OLGH, preserving it as permanent affordable housing, while also ensuring the protection of long-term residents' tenancies.

Located just outside of Kenmore Square in the Fenway neighborhood, Our Lady's Guild House is a single resident occupancy-style residential building. Its history traces back to 1946 when the Archdiocese of Boston acquired the property in response to a plea from female parishioners for affordable housing for women. Archbishop Richard Cushing subsequently established Our Lady's Guild House, Inc., as a Massachusetts charity with the mission of providing affordable housing for women in Boston. Since 1947, OLGH has offered safe, affordable housing to female Boston residents, including students and long-term residents. Throughout its history, the Daughters of Mary of the Immaculate Conception, a religious order based in New Britain, Connecticut, have provided significant operational support to OLGH.

“We are delighted to have this opportunity to increase the amount of quality affordable housing available in the Fenway. Fenway CDC has a long history of advocating for and working with Fenway residents to create affordable housing. We look forward to working with the City of Boston, the Commonwealth and mission-aligned quasi-public entities, banks, and investors to make this project a reality,” said Leah Camhi, Executive Director of the Fenway CDC.

“We are grateful that OLGH has been willing to work with us in the acquisition of the property and its preservation as an important affordable housing resource in the City. This acquisition aligns with our mission to respond to the urgent need for affordable housing in the City of Boston, and our moral obligation to ensure that everyone has a roof over their heads,” said Bill Grogan, President of the Planning Office for Urban Affairs. “This work often gets done by creating partnerships, and we look forward to partnering with Fenway CDC and continuing our close relationship with the City to make this preservation a reality.”

“From its inception, Our Lady’s Guild House has been defined by its mission of creating stability and opportunity for women and students in Boston,” said Mother Mary Janice Zduncyzk. “That spirit is inextricably linked to the building, and its future use honors that legacy in a changing Boston marked by a growing housing gap. We look forward to the evolution of 20 Charlesgate West.”

The City of Boston, the Planning Office and Fenway CDC are committed to preserving and enhancing 78 homes for residents of OLGH, along with maintaining shared amenity spaces that have been a key component to the existing community. The Planning Office and Fenway CDC plan to create homes that are affordable, inclusive, accessible, healthy, and sustainable, and that continue to foster a sense of community that has existed at OLGH for decades.

About the Mayor’s Office of Housing (MOH)

The Mayor’s Office of Housing is responsible for housing people experiencing homelessness, creating and preserving affordable housing, and ensuring that renters and homeowners can obtain, maintain, and remain in safe, stable housing. The department develops and implements the City of Boston’s housing creation and homelessness prevention plans and collaborates with local and national partners to find new solutions and build more housing affordable to all, particularly those with lower incomes. For more information, please visit the MOH website.