Grand Opening of Morton Station Village in Mattapan Celebrated

The Mayor’s Office of Housing joined Cardinal Seán O’Malley, Secretary of Housing Edward Augustus, the Planning Office for Urban Affairs (POUA), the Caribbean Integration Community Development (CICD), Mass Housing and local elected officials for the grand opening of Morton Station Village, a mixed-income housing development in Mattapan. In 2018, the City of Boston designated the Morton Station Village development team of POUA and CICD as the developers of the former 34,000+ square foot Boston Police District Station that had been vacant for decades. Following a collaborative process between the City of Boston, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, and the community, the property has been transformed into 40 new homes.

“As Boston continues to grow, we want to make sure everyone has a safe place to call home, no matter their income," said Chief of Housing Sheila Dillon. “The New Morton Station Village development is a prime example of how to create income-restricted housing throughout the City of Boston. These 40 beautiful new homes demonstrate what happens when the City and our partners collaborate with residents, and various levels of government to address the pressing need for affordable housing in our neighborhoods.”

"What the community has done here to create these 40 homes is outstanding," said Secretary of Housing and Livable Communities Ed Augustus. "You’ve taken a long-vacant piece of land and brought life back to it. You’ve advanced homeownership here in Mattapan and that not only benefits families today, but will create ripples for generations to come. To solve our housing crisis, we need to build more housing of every type. We need more rental units, and we need more opportunities for homeownership. Morton Station Village is a shining example of all of that in one amazing place."

The four-story building contains 40 units of income-restricted housing to address the diverse housing needs of individuals and families with different income levels. These units consist of 28 rental apartments and 12 homeownership condos for individuals and families with incomes ranging from 30% of the Area Median Income (AMI) to 100% of AMI. The building includes a variety of unit types, with (9) one-bedroom units, (15) two-bedroom units, and (4) three-bedroom units. Notably, six of the two-bedroom units have been designated with an artist preference, reflecting a commitment to fostering a vibrant and diverse community.

“Morton Station Village provides its future residents with safe affordable homes in Mattapan. We gratefully recognize the collaborative efforts of developers, community groups and members, along with our leaders at the City and the State,” said Cardinal Seán O’Malley. “Today’s housing crisis is more than an economic challenge; it is a crisis of equality and human rights for the people who have long been members of local communities and whose ability to remain there is threatened.  We must stay vigilant in assuring their rights to live in new housing in our established communities. In doing so, we will be a stronger Boston.”

The new housing is adjacent to the Fairmount Line’s Morton Station MBTA stop at 872 Morton Street in Mattapan. The new building boasts a fitness center, a bike storage area, and a new community room for residents and artists to enjoy. Morton Station Village will soon include the new Steven P. Odom Serenity Garden. This garden was designed by the Boston Parks Department and funded through the City of Boston's Community Preservation Act. The new park construction will start in the spring of 2024.

“Creating a mixed-income housing development in such a diverse community and neighborhood of Boston, with limited affordable rental and homeownership housing options, is a critical step in serving the underserved and most vulnerable in our community,” said Bill Grogan, President of the Planning Office for Urban Affairs. “We’re grateful to the Commonwealth, the City, and all of our partners who helped make this possible.”

Morton Station Village was developed through a partnership between the POUA and the CICD, a BIPOC-led community development corporation that serves underrepresented BIPOC communities in Greater Boston.The new homeownership unit at Morton Village will empower residents by offering opportunities for wealth building and financial independence, serving as an example of how affordable housing initiatives can promote generational wealth.

"CICD is proud that Morton Village advances Black homeownership in Mattapan,” said Donald Alexis, President of Caribbean Integration Community Development. “While Mattapan has historically had above average rates of homeownership, professionals of color will now have the opportunity to buy into this vibrant and diverse community, further solidifying Black equity. We thank all those who made this vision a reality, from the community members and the city to lenders and investors."

Financing for Morton Station Village includes funding from the Mayor’s Office of Housing, the City of Boston Neighborhood Housing Trust, Community Preservation Act funding, the Massachusetts Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities, MassHousing, the Bank of America, Merrill Lynch, and the Community Economic Development Assistance Corporation.

“The Planning Office for Urban Affairs and the Caribbean Integration Development Corporation have taken a vacant parcel and made 28 brand new rental homes and 12 homes for first-time homebuyers that will allow those 40 households to put down roots in the heart of Mattapan and enjoy housing stability and economic opportunity,” said MassHousing’s CEO Chrystal Kornegay. “Part of the neighborhood’s vision for this project was to include homes for purchase that middle-income residents could afford to allow them to start building wealth through homeownership, and MassHousing was pleased to support that through the Agency’s CommonWealth Builder program.”

The creation of 40 new homes and green space at Morton Village is part of Mayor Wu’s ambitious growth agenda for Boston, which is focused on advancing the City’s resilience, affordability, and equity goals to make Boston the best city in the country to raise a family. The City recently updated its linkage policy that requires commercial developments to allocate funds for affordable housing, and the inclusionary zoning policy has been revamped to streamline the construction of affordable housing. Additionally, the Mayor has signed an Executive Order aimed at expediting the affordable housing creation process.

In Fiscal Year 2023, Mayor Wu has allocated increased resources to address Boston’s housing crisis. Of the $200 million committed to housing in ARPA funds, $60 million is designated for affordable homeownership development and financial assistance for first-generation homebuyers; $57 million for strategic acquisitions to combat displacement and create deeply affordable homeownership on City-owned land; $20 million for a pioneering pilot program for energy retrofits in triple-decker and other multi family homes; $20 million to develop new permanent supportive housing with specialized services; $16 million to sustain low-threshold shelter sites in response to the Mass-Cass humanitarian crisis, and $33 million for upgrades to Boston Housing Authority properties.

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.