The eight mixed-income homes that constitute the Call Carolina development have been completed, and were celebrated by the Jamaica Plain Neighborhood Development Corporation (JPNDC), Acting Mayor Kim Janey, and the homeowners on October 23.
According to a press release from the city, this project was part of the city’s Neighborhood Housing Initiative (NHI), which “is a project of Housing a Changing City: Boston 2030, the City of Boston’s comprehensive housing plan. The NHI uses vacant land and City of Boston funding to create affordable and mixed-income home ownership opportunities for homebuyers with a range of incomes.”
The Call Carolina project was build on a vacant lot that had been owned by MassDOT, the release states.
“We are thrilled to welcome eight families to our community who would not otherwise be able to put down roots here,” JPNDC’s Chief Executive Officer Teronda Ellis said in a statement. “Affordable homeownership allows people to put their former rent money into equity. It helps keep Jamaica Plain a place where all people have the opportunity to prosper.”
The eight homes were sold to first time homebuyers, six of which were households making at or below $95,000, which is 80 percent of the Area Median Income (AMI) for a family of four, and the other two were households making at or below $119,000, which is 100 percent AMI, the release stated.
Augustina and Federico, along with their two young sons and Augustina’s mother, are one of the families who be living in the new homes.
“It is so exciting to be celebrating this moment with you all here,” Augustina said at the ribbon cutting event on October 23. She said that she has lived in Jamaica Plain for 20 years, and “I have seen this neighborhood grow and change,” but she said “what has always persisted is the sense of community.” She said it is “an honor to remain” in the neighborhood she has lived in for two decades with her family.
“It’s really important to provide a sense of housing stability and security and safety for our family,” Augustina said. She also thanked all of those who helped make this development possible.
Acting Mayor Kim Janey also spoke at the event, saying that the City provided a $500,000 Community Preservation Act (CPA) grant “in addition to all of the work we’ve done to help make this development possible.”
Janey said that projects like this “help us create a stronger community” as well as “close the enormous wealth gap” in the city.
“This is a chance to create generational wealth, to provide financial stability, to stabilize our communities,” she said.
The eight homes boast LEED Silver status as well as Energy Star rated appliances and energy efficient heating systems, according to the release.
After the speaking program at the event, the homebuyers, members of JPNDC, and Acting Mayor Janey cut a large green ribbon together, signifying the opening of the homes for these families.