15 units of supportive housing acquired in Allston

Building on her commitment to create affordable housing in Boston, Mayor Kim Janey and Allston Brighton Community Development Corporation yesterday announced the purchase of 15 apartments at 6 Quint Avenue in Allston. This acquisition is an important first step in the effort to create deeply affordable, stable, supportive housing for individuals in recovery. The acquisition of this building was made possible in part with $2 million in funding from the City of Boston’s Department of Neighborhood Development and Community Preservation Act funding. As part of the purchase, the buyer and the City have guaranteed that these apartments will be affordable to residents in perpetuity. 

“The purchase of these 15 affordable homes is important for individuals in recovery who often have difficulty finding housing,” said Mayor Kim Janey. “I am proud that, together with our partners, the City of Boston will help create affordable units for people who are working to overcome substance use disorder.” 

6 Quint Ave. is an existing licensed lodging house with 15 units that will be renovated, with 14 units becoming permanently affordable supportive housing units for extremely low-income individuals recovering from substance use disorder. The remaining apartment will be made available for supportive service staff. These units offer an opportunity for individuals in recovery to live in stable housing.

“We are extremely grateful to the pivotal role the City of Boston has played in helping to make the purchase of this licensed lodging house possible. I can think of no greater example of the positive results that can occur when a neighborhood comes together to create real solutions to serious problems. The coalition of the supportive service community coming together with City officials to make this purchase from a private owner possible exemplifies the strength of our neighborhood,” said John Woods, Executive Director of ABCDC.

A key component of the redevelopment plans for the site was the award of 14 units of Project Based Section 8 Vouchers made available through the Boston Housing Authority (BHA). These vouchers are a crucial component that will create deep affordability for at least 20 years.

The purchase of this development was funded with $1,382,150 from the Department of Neighborhood Development, and $617,850 from the City of Boston’s Community Preservation Act funding. An additional $2 million is being made available from the Massachusetts Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) through its most recent Supportive Housing Round of Funding. $600,000 has been committed to the project by the Davis Company as part of their mitigation efforts for the project recently approved at 1515 Commonwealth Avenue through the BPDA Article 80 Process. BlueHub Capital assisted in helping to secure additional funds. 

This project was also made possible through community collaboration with Allston Brighton PAUSES, The Addiction Treatment Center of New England (Brighton, MA), Granada House Addiction Treatment Facilities and the Charles River Community Health Center.

Renovations of the property are expected to be completed by mid-to-late 2022.

The Department of Neighborhood Development is responsible for housing people experiencing homelessness, developing affordable housing, and ensuring that renters and homeowners can find, maintain, and stay in their homes. As part of the ongoing coronavirus response, the Office of Housing Stability is also conducting tenant’s rights workshops to educate residents about the eviction moratorium and their rights. The Boston Home Center continues to provide down payment assistance to first-time home buyers and home repairs for seniors and low-income residents. The Supportive Housing Division works with various partners around the city to rapidly house individuals who are experiencing homelessness. For more information, please visit the DND website.

Boston Housing Authority (BHA) provides affordable housing to more than 58,000 residents in and around the City of Boston. Residents are assisted through a combination of public housing and federal and state voucher subsidy programs that provide a wide variety of housing opportunities. As the largest public housing authority in New England, the BHA houses close to nine percent of the city's residents. Our mission is to provide stable, quality affordable housing for low and moderate income persons; to deliver these services with integrity and mutual accountability; and to create living environments which serve as catalysts for the transformation from dependency to economic self-sufficiency.

Allston Brighton CDC builds a stronger, more stable community by representing and supporting the interests, engagement, and leadership of Allston Brighton’s diverse communities, institutions, individuals, and families of all incomes. Rapidly rising housing costs disproportionately affect the neighborhood’s most vulnerable residents, creating housing instability and displacement of low- and moderate-income individuals from critical community assets like public transportation, jobs, health care, their families, and more. ABCDC strives to create a vibrant neighborhood where people of many incomes, races, and genders can live and work.

After Boston voters adopted the CPA in November 2016, the City created a Community Preservation Fund. This fund is capitalized primarily by a one percent property tax-based surcharge on residential and business property tax bills that began in July 2017. The City uses this revenue to fund initiatives consistent with statewide CPA guidelines: affordable housing, historic preservation, and open space and public recreation. The funding of any project requires a recommendation from the Community Preservation Committee and the Mayor, and appropriation by the City Council. For more information, please visit the Community Preservation webpage.