By Gazette Staff
Amid a strong neighborhood, government, real estate, and new tenant turnout, on March 12, the ribbon was cut for the opening of the recently completed permanent housing facility and affordable housing units at 3368 Washington Street in Jamaica Plain. The new residential complex, affectionately as well as officially named The Lyndia, is a joint project between The Community Builders, a not-for-profit developer of affordable housing, and The Pine Street Inn, where the building’s namesake, Lyndia Downie, has worked at the Inn for more than 40 years.
The facility is comprised of 62 income – eligible family apartments and 140 permanent supportive units for individuals who formerly have experienced homelessness, making The Lyndia the largest permanent supportive housing development in New England. One in five of the units meets accessibility standards. The gleaming new, well-designed building includes 13,000 square feet of community space, extensive outdoor social space, laundry facilities on every floor, a library and high-speed internet. The bright common spaces and hallways are decorated with more than 25 pieces of original art, all with a connection to Jamaica Plain or Boston at large; a remarkable transformation from the one-story warehouse when purchased by The Pine Street Inn in 1997.
During the speaking program, the key ribbon-cutters Juan and Michael shared their respective journeys from youthful successes, including high school graduations, U.S. Navy enlistment and some college, spiraling downhill through divorce, job losses, alcoholism to the tragedy of homelessness. The audience was told that coping with homelessness and pulling out of it is like climbing Mount Everest. Through the Pine Street Inn programs, both gentlemen have full time employment and a permanent home at The Lyndia. Michael now has the stability to become involved at a local church and volunteer at a food pantry.
Mayor Wu, just back from her U.S. Congress testimony, heralded the success of her administration, with the help of the Commonwealth, working with private entities like the Pine Street Inn and The Community Builders to mitigate the current housing crisis with The Lyndia and projects like it. Senior executives and leadership of The Community Builders, Bart Mitchell and Andy Waxman, along with The Pine Street Inn, Lyndia Downie and Megan Gates, remarked on how their partnership was a case of turning purpose and commitment into action. The expected success of housing the formerly homeless in this new JP facility is based on The Pine Street Inn’s permanent housing retention rate of 96%. City officials present were cited for their tireless work culminating in the opening of the project, from Sheila Dillon, Boston Head of Housing to Kenzie Bok, Administrator & CEO at Boston Housing Authority credited when a City Councilor for helping solve an obstacle involving parking requirements.
The biggest shout outs for the project’s successful completion were to the JP community. Ben Weber, Boston City Councilor, District 6, and Sam Montano, Mass State Representative, 15th Suffolk, shared the podium to provide their histories with the project, with Sam noting his first efforts lobbying for the building began when he was a private community activist. The key JP community organizations thanked for their support, though at times providers of constructive criticism, were Boston Tenant Coalition, City Life Vita Urbana, Egleston Square Main Streets, Egleston Square Neighborhood Association, Green Street Renters Association, Keep IT 100% Egleston, JPYIMBY – Jamaica Plain Yes In My Backyard, and the Jamaica Plain Neighborhood Council. The main concession during the planning process was to lower the total building height by one floor. Other organizations such as the Boston’s Way Home Fund, the Doe Family Foundation and the Yawkey Foundation were recognized for their contributions to funding the ongoing services required for permanent housing facilities like The Lyndia, as the needs for the formerly homeless go beyond the roof over one’s head.