Baker-Polito Administration Celebrates New Supportive Housing in Boston with City Officials, Pine Street Inn and Beacon Communities

December 9th:

Conversion of former YWCA will provide 210 new housing units with supportive services; includes rehab of historic façade, and Lyric Stage

BOSTON — Today, Governor Charlie Baker and Boston Mayor Michelle Wu joined Beacon Communities, Pine Street Inn, Housing and Economic Development Secretary Mike Kennealy, Housing and Community Development Undersecretary Jennifer Maddox, MassHousing Executive Director Chrystal Kornegay, and other state and local officials for a ceremonial groundbreaking of a project to convert a former hotel located at 140 Clarendon Street in the Back Bay into 210 new units of permanent supportive housing for formerly homeless individuals.
 
“This project is a great example of public and private partners coming together

to deliver a unique asset to the neighborhood by maintaining a cultural institution and providing a solution to homelessness: housing with services for our most vulnerable neighbors,” said Governor Charlie Baker. “We are pleased to support Beacon Communities and Pine Street Inn on this dynamic project that will benefit hundreds and we are eager to continue working with local partners to create new housing and pursue innovative projects across the state to meet the diverse needs of our Commonwealth.”
 
“We are proud to support the development of supportive housing in every part of the state, which pairs housing with wraparound services to help families and individuals succeed,” said Lt. Governor Karyn Polito. “Today’s project is part of a greater effort to support innovative housing models, like hotel conversions, to support long-term stability of all our residents.”
 
“Housing stability must be the foundation of our recovery,” said Michelle Mayor Wu. “Today’s groundbreaking shows what’s possible when we collaborate across different sectors and levels of government to create much-needed affordable housing in our neighborhoods. We are so glad that this project will provide housing and services for some of our most vulnerable residents.”

In addition to the creation of supportive housing units, Beacon Communities and Mount Vernon Company will undertake external and internal renovations of 140 Clarendon Street, site of the historic YWCA.  Included among the 210 units of affordable rental housing, will be 111 “Housing First” units, which will be reserved for individuals currently experiencing homelessness, who will be offered extensive support services.  All residents will be supported through a unique partnership between Pine Street Inn and Beacon’s Community Engagement Team and the development will provide amenities and services on-site, including: wellness office, computer and internet access and training center, fitness center, case management, counseling and mental health services, and other services. The partnership will also maintain tenancies of the YWCA, Lyric Stage Company of Boston, Snowden International School, and current local businesses.
 
“Affordable housing development is a team sport, and the cooperation and dedication to make this project happen is an incredible testament to the strong affordable housing ecosystem in Massachusetts,” said Housing and Economic Development Secretary Mike Kennealy. “Today’s project is the result of creative strategies to provide vital services to the most vulnerable among us and I’m excited we can support this innovative approach that furthers our efforts to combat homelessness and address our lack of affordable, supportive housing that is needed to help people succeed across Massachusetts.”
 
This project is supported by a combination of local, state, and federal funds. DHCD allocated state and federal tax credits creating roughly $60 million in equity, and nearly $6 million in direct subsidies. MassHousing is providing a $37.2 million permanent loan, a $20.3 million bridge loan, and $500,000 in CMF financing for a total of $58 million in financing. Additional support comes through financing in partnership with Bank of America and BlueHub Capital.
 
In October, Lt. Governor Karyn Polito, Secretary Kennealy and Undersecretary Maddox celebrated the groundbreaking of renovations of Brockton’s Rodeway Inn, which will become 69 units of SRO-housing for homeless individuals. Both projects are receiving funds under a new DHCD effort to help transform former hotels or motels into SRO housing for individuals experiencing homelessness with wraparound social and supportive services.
 
“DHCD and our partners are committed to helping households across the income spectrum attain stable, quality housing, and our investments since 2015 have supported the preservation and development of more than 20,000 affordable housing units,” said Housing and Community Development Undersecretary Jennifer Maddox. “This collaboration between Pine Street Inn and Beacon Communities will help us further our shared goal: to make homelessness rare, brief, and non-recurring for our most vulnerable neighbors.”
 
"MassHousing is excited about the 210 households who will soon have quality, affordable rental homes in the heart of the Back Bay," said MassHousing Executive Director Chrystal Kornegay. "This collaborative effort between Beacon Communities and all the project partners will not only breathe new life into this historic building, but will create housing stability for all those who will call 140 Clarendon home."
 
The City of Boston’s Department of Neighborhood Development is providing $8 million in direct subsidies, and the Boston Housing Authority (BHA) is providing 210 Project-Based Vouchers (PBV) to support tenancy of low-income households in every unit. Project-based vouchers represent more than $6 million in annual subsidy to ensure long-term stability for low-income households.
 
“They say that it takes a village, and that is certainly the case at 140 Clarendon Street. This project combines federal subsidies provided by BHA, services, and management provided by community-based nonprofits, and development funding provided by the state, the City of Boston, and the private sector. It’s an incredible group of partners,” said BHA Administrator Kate Bennett. “Most importantly, this redevelopment effort will give hundreds of families a safe and affordable place to live in the Back Bay neighborhood.”
 
“We have truly appreciated the collaboration of our public and private partners keeping the focus on advancing the City and State’s housing policies with thoughtful and creative problem-solving to help us bring this project together,” said Dara Kovel, Beacon CEO. “We are so excited about our partnership with Pine Street Inn, which is the first of its kind on this scale.”
 
“The Pine Street Inn is thrilled to be partnering with Beacon Communities to provide permanent housing for over one hundred households experiencing chronic homelessness,” said Pine Street Inn President Lyndia Downie. “This partnership is a huge step forward in our efforts to provide every person with shelter, ensure they receive the services they need, and ultimately end homelessness in Boston.”
 
“This partnership is ideal for all parties involved,” said YW CEO Beth Chandler. “The preservation of the cultural uses and creation of affordable housing will honor the YW’s legacy of empowering people, and we at YW can continue living out our mission from our historic home.”