Two Jamaica Plain projects aimed at preserving affordable housing in the neighborhood will receive funding from the Mayor’s Office of Housing, the Neighborhood Housing Trust (NHT), and the Community Preservation Fund (CPF).
Last week, Mayor Michelle Wu announced $40 million in new recommended funding from the Mayor’s Office of Housing, the NHT and the CPF to create and preserve over 700 income-restricted units of housing in Jamaica Plain as well as Dorchester, Chinatown, Hyde Park, and Roxbury.
The city will allocate $4,800,000 for The Community Builders’ for transformative redevelopment of the Amory Street Public Housing campus.
The Community builders will create a new income-restricted building on the site of a former Boston Housing Authority’s (BHA) public safety building and garage with 96 units. This phase of development will also create a central common that will serve as an amenity for the entire campus, and will generate 30 new parking spaces.
Another $3,950,000 has been allocated to Jamaica Plain Neighborhood Development Corporation and Traggorth Companies for the Stonley-Brookley Homeownership Development, which will create 45 units of income restricted homes with five units designated for artist live-work use.
Wu said these two proposed projects comply with the Mayor’s Office of Housing standards for zero-emissions buildings and represent transit-oriented green development.
“Now more than ever, having a safe and stable home is critical for the health of our families and communities,” said Wu. “These housing awards represent significant investments in neighborhoods across Boston, making them stronger and more accessible for our residents. I’m grateful to the Neighborhood Housing Trust and the Community Preservation Committee for their leadership and partnership with the community.”
In August 2021, the City of Boston released two Requests for Proposals (RFP) offering funds for affordable housing developments. The Mayor’s Office of Housing, (formerly the Department of Neighborhood Development), the Community Preservation Committee, and the Neighborhood Housing Trust evaluated the proposals and prioritized 14 projects.
These two Jamaica Plain projects will promote the city’s goals to affirmatively further fair housing, and will efficiently utilize City resources and/or land to increase the supply of housing available to low- and moderate-income households.
Wu said to ensure that all units receiving City funding will remain affordable, developers are required to agree to long-term affordability for all income-restricted units. All rental projects are permanently deed-restricted, and all homeownership projects are deed-restricted for 50 years. In addition, developers of rental projects are required to set aside at least 10 percent of their units for homeless households, and projects that offered additional units at lower AMI levels received priority in the evaluation process.
The CPA is recommending more than $14.6 million for the Jamaica Plain projects and the other projects across the city. These projects are part of a larger award that includes affordable housing, historic preservation, and open space projects. The final slate of CPA recommended projects will go to the City Council for review and approval in February.