April 2026 Newsletter

Across Boston, the Mayor’s Office of Housing continues to advance efforts to expand affordability, preserve existing homes, and support strong, connected communities. This month’s updates highlight new housing developments moving forward with state and City support, innovative approaches to designing and delivering housing for Boston families, and continued progress in preserving affordability across neighborhoods. From strategic investments and development milestones to community events and partnerships, this work reflects a continued commitment to ensuring that Boston remains a city where residents of all incomes can find stable housing and thrive.

Boston Acquisition Fund Drives Housing Preservation at Scale

The Boston Acquisition Fund continues to play a critical role in preserving affordable housing and preventing displacement across the city. Over the past year, the fund has closed four acquisition loans and preserved 393 naturally occurring affordable housing (NOAH) units, ensuring long-term affordability for residents across multiple neighborhoods. In total, more than 950 Boston residents are benefiting from stabilized housing through these efforts.

Building on this momentum, the City recently supported the successful closing of 116–118 Whitfield Street, which adds eight family-sized units to Boston’s affordable housing portfolio. Half of the homes are affordable at 60% of Area Median Income and half at 80%, and the property will continue to house a supportive housing program operated by Middlesex Human Services Agency. With this latest acquisition, the City’s Acquisition Opportunity Program has now surpassed 1,400 preserved units since the beginning of the program, marking a significant milestone in ongoing efforts to stabilize housing and prevent displacement.

Learn more here. 

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New Funding Awards Advance Affordable Rental Housing Across Boston

The City of Boston has announced a new round of funding to support the creation and preservation of affordable rental housing across the city. Administered through the Mayor’s Office of Housing in partnership with the Community Preservation Fund and Neighborhood Housing Trust, these awards will support 13 developments across nine neighborhoods, resulting in 892 income-restricted homes. This includes homes for families, older adults, and individuals exiting homelessness, as well as projects that preserve existing housing and create new mixed-use, transit-oriented developments.

By leveraging both state and federal resources, the funding will help advance sustainable, accessible housing while supporting economic activity and community development across Boston. Read the full press release to learn more about the funded projects and their impact across the city.

Learn more here. 

Co-Purchasing Event Brings Community Together

The Housing Innovation Lab (iLab) and Boston Home Center (BHC) hosted a successful co-purchasing potluck, panel discussion, and networking event on March 20 at Spontaneous Celebrations in Jamaica Plain. Co-purchasing (or co-buying) is when two or more people jointly purchase a property and share ownership, debt, and maintenance responsibilities. It is a strategy often used by friends, unmarried partners, or relatives to increase purchasing power, reduce costs, and qualify for financing

The event brought together more than 100 attendees, including current and prospective co-purchasers, real estate professionals, attorneys, and lenders. Participants explored key questions about how to begin the co-purchasing process and structure agreements, with resources available on the City’s Co-Purchasing webpage. The evening provided a valuable opportunity for learning, connection, and collaboration.

Family Housing Design Sprint Generates New Ideas

The iLab recently hosted a family housing development and design sprint, bringing together Boston-based families, developers, and architects to explore new approaches to housing that better meet the needs of Boston families. The collaborative session generated a range of ideas focused on designing housing that works for households of different sizes, life stages, and needs.

By engaging families directly alongside design and development professionals, the event identified practical strategies to make Boston a more accessible and welcoming place for families. A dedicated activity space also allowed children to participate creatively, complementing the broader goal of incorporating family perspectives into the design process.

Mayor Wu Joins 50th Annual Gardeners’ Gathering

Mayor Wu, the GrowBoston team and Urban Agriculture Ambassadors joined The Trustees’ 50th annual Gardeners’ Gathering, held at Northeastern University’s Curry Student Center. The event celebrated Boston’s gardening community with remarks, awards, workshops, and an archival exhibit highlighting 50 years of urban agriculture. The gathering brought together growers of all experience levels and reinforced the importance of community-based green spaces across the city.

State Funding Awards Support Over 270 New Affordable Homes

Recent awards through the State’s High Readiness (housing) funding round will support the creation of more than 270 income-restricted homes across Boston. These investments will deliver new housing in neighborhoods including Chinatown, Dorchester, Roxbury, and Fenway, with a strong focus on energy-efficient and Passive House design standards. Projects funded include:

290 Tremont Street - Chinatown

290 Tremont Street will deliver 111 income-restricted rental homes, including studios and one- to three-bedroom apartments. The development will serve a wide range of incomes, with units set aside for extremely low-income households and formerly homeless residents. The project will also include over 2,000 square feet of ground-floor commercial space, contributing to a vibrant, mixed-use community in Chinatown.

Dot Block Phase II - Dorchester

The Hancock Building at Dot Block Phase II will bring 84 income-restricted homes to Dorchester, serving households from extremely low- to moderate-income levels. The development is part of a larger multi-phase transformation of a former industrial site. Once complete, the full Dot Block project will deliver 488 homes and new commercial space.

Additional Projects Advance Across Boston

Several additional developments are moving forward, including One Waverly Place in Roxbury, which will create 52 new affordable homes and 112 Queensberry Street in Fenway, which will deliver 24 affordable family homes in a neighborhood where such opportunities are limited. In downtown Boston, 150 Milk Street will convert an existing office building into 18 new homes, including income-restricted units, while preserving the building’s historic character and activating the ground floor with commercial space.

Advancing Offsite Construction to Deliver Housing More Efficiently

The City’s Housing Innovation Lab (iLab) participated in a Northeast offsite construction knowledge exchange hosted by MODx, culminating in a regional symposium at Northeastern University focused on scaling new housing solutions.

Offsite construction methods, where building components are manufactured in controlled environments and assembled on-site. These approaches can reduce construction timelines, improve quality control, lower costs, and minimize neighborhood disruption during development. By advancing strategies like these, the City is exploring how innovation can help deliver more housing, more efficiently, while maintaining high standards for design and sustainability.

City of Boston Hosts an Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) Showcase on City Hall Plaza

The Housing Innovation Lab is gearing up to host an "ADU Showcase," where we're bringing a model prefab Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) to City Hall Plaza on May 12th through the 17th. Tours of the ADU will be offered every day from 9 AM - 5 PM, and each day at 12 PM city staff will provide an ADU information session to share details about designing, financing, and permitting an ADU. As part of the Showcase, we’ll host an "ADU Resource Fair" on May 16, where interested community members can interface directly with lenders, architects, and others involved in ADU development. Please visit bit.ly/m/ADUshowcase for additional information. We hope to see you there!