Ground broken on O'Connor Way Senior Housing Development in South Boston

 Mayor Martin J. Walsh, the Boston Housing Authority (BHA), and the Boston Planning & Development Agency (BPDA) today celebrated the groundbreaking of the O'Connor Way Senior Housing Development. Caritas Communities and the South Boston Neighborhood Development Corporation will co-develop 46 one-bedroom units of affordable housing for adults age 62 and older on donated Boston Housing Authority land.

"This is a great day for the people of South Boston. As the city grows, it's critically important that our older adults and long-time residents have the chance to stay and thrive in the communities where they have lived for much of their lives," said Mayor Walsh. "This development will secure that opportunity for dozens of our residents."

O'Connor Way Senior Housing will be built on a lot that has been vacant for over 50 years adjacent to the Mary Ellen McCormack Development. The development will include 24 units for households at or below 60 percent of Area Median Income (AMI), which is around $45,300 for a single person, and 22 units for households at or below 30 percent of AMI, which is around $22,650 for a single person. There will also be fully accessible units set aside.

The $20.8 million project was funded in part through the Inclusionary Development Program (IDP) contributions from the 150 Seaport Boulevard and Pier 4 development projects on the South Boston Waterfront, and financed by the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit program. Other funders include MassDevelopment, Rockland Trust Corp., and TD Bank.

The property will also include a community room, a laundry room, a management office, and a patio. The building will be sustainable at a LEED Silver certifiable level, and the apartments will be supplemented with onsite property management staff, as well as scheduled support services from the South Boston Neighborhood House. In addition, the BHA is providing 22 project-based vouchers to provide long-term subsidies for very low-income units.

"I am proud to celebrate the groundbreaking of the O'Connor Way Senior Housing Development, which will be the future home for senior residents," said BHA Administrator William McGonagle. "This project takes a vacant lot and transforms it into safe, affordable housing for 46 residents, and will serve the South Boston community for years to come."

"South Boston has a tremendous need for affordable housing for the elderly, especially as high demand puts upward pressure on the cost of rent," said Donna Brown, executive director of South Boston Neighborhood Development Corporation. "O'Connor Way Senior Housing will provide an opportunity for our seniors to continue to live here, in our community, with the resources they need. We are grateful to have had strong support from the City of Boston through the Boston Housing Authority and the Boston Planning & Development Agency, as well as the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, to begin this project."

"We are proud to be a co-developer of this exciting and much needed housing effort," said Mark Winkeller, executive director of Caritas Communities. "This is our third partnership with the South Boston Neighborhood Development Corporation. When O'Connor Way is complete, our partnership will have created 87 units of affordable housing at three South Boston locations."

The construction is expected to generate over 40 full-time jobs by its completion in February 2020.

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 9 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.

The Boston Planning & Development Agency (BPDA) plans and guides inclusive growth in our city - creating opportunities for everyone to live, work and connect. Through our future-focused, city-wide lens, we engage communities, implement new solutions, partner for greater impact and track progress. Our vision and mission are the core components of our organizational strategy. Our vision sets our direction as an organization and our mission defines what we do. Learn more atmeetbpda.bostonplans.org, and follow us on Twitter @BostonPlans.

South Boston NDC is a community development corporation that was founded in 1983 by local residents seeking to revitalize their neighborhood and preserve housing opportunities for low income and working class residents. SBNDC has developed over 250 units of affordable housing in South Boston. 

Caritas Communities, Inc. is a nonprofit organization founded in 1985 by P. Leo Corcoran, a real estate developer with a commitment to providing affordable housing for low-income Massachusetts residents. Caritas began with a single "triple decker" property in the neighborhood of Dorchester and now owns and manages 29 properties with 895 units of affordable housing for residents of Boston and thirteen surrounding communities. Caritas' work is supported by public-private partnerships with the Massachusetts Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) and area cities and towns. Caritas received the Massachusetts Housing and Shelter Alliance "Cornerstone" Award in 2012. For more information, please go to www.caritascommunities.org