- Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities
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BOSTON — Today, the Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities announced $31.4 million in Public Housing Innovation Demonstration Program (PHIDP) grants to local housing authorities in Somerville, Sudbury and Worcester. The local housing authorities will replace 191 units of state-aided public housing with modern units along with new subsidies to support the ongoing maintenance of these properties while creating an additional 59 units of new affordable housing.
“It’s essential that we get creative about driving solutions to our housing challenges in Massachusetts. This program supports local housing authorities with improving public housing through new and innovative strategies that work best for their communities,” said Governor Maura Healey. “Combined with our recently passed Affordable Homes Act, we can modernize our housing stock and make it more affordable for residents across the state.”
The PHIDP grant program supports the rehabilitation and redevelopment of public housing, using innovative methods including, but not limited to, mixed-income redevelopment including market-rate production, alternate funding sources with new management or capital structures potentially including affordable housing production, or conversion to federal public housing.
“Public housing is critical to meeting our housing needs here in Massachusetts,” said Lieutenant Governor Driscoll. “These projects have gone above and beyond a replacement, they have added even more affordable housing to the mix, which will create an affordable mixed-income community where everyone can thrive in new units.”
In addition to these awards, the Affordable Homes Act, signed into law by the governor on Aug. 6, authorizes a record $2 billion for the repair, rehabilitation and modernization of the state’s public housing portfolio. Massachusetts has the largest public housing portfolio in the U.S. with more than 43,000 units, but it has been underfunded for decades.
“The Healey-Driscoll Administration is committed to not only creating more housing but preserving our existing affordable housing,” said Housing and Livable Communities Secretary Ed Augustus. “Many of our public housing units are outdated and in disrepair. This funding will help modernize our public housing units and preserve them for the long term. With the Governor’s Affordable Homes Act, we will be able to ensure our public housing are livable communities that people can be proud to live in with dignity.”
The following local housing authorities are receiving the grant awards:
- Somerville Housing Authority: $11,254,000 to support phase 2 of the Clarendon Hills project. All 71 existing state-aided units will be replaced with energy-efficient homes at a 1:1 ratio along with 21 new units available to households earning up to 80 percent AMI.
- Sudbury Housing Authority: $1,200,000 to rebuild four scattered site single family homes with modern and energy efficient 2-family (duplex) units, with four net new units restricted to those earning no more than 80 percent of AMI.
- Worcester Housing Authority: $18,966,553, along with $10,250,000 from a previous public housing grant to support phase 2 of the Curtis Apartments project. Includes the demolition of 116 state-aided public housing units across several buildings. All 116 units will be replaced at a 1:1 ratio along with 34 net new units available to households earning between 60 and 80 percent of AMI.
Statements of Support:
“The WHA is beyond grateful for the investment the Healey-Driscoll Administration and the Executive Officer of Housing and Livable Communities have made in the redevelopment of Curtis Apartments. Working with our development partner Trinity Financial, this innovative project will support and enhance the Commonwealth’s efforts to provide much-needed affordable housing,” said Worcester Housing Authority CEO Alex Corrales. “Housing authorities make it their life’s work to stabilize and improve the lives of those who are most in need, and the Healey-Driscoll Administration has demonstrated its commitment to helping us fulfill that mission.”
“The Somerville Housing Authority extends our heartfelt gratitude to the Executive Office of Housing & Livable Communities for their ongoing support and partnership to bring this transformative project to fruition,” said Diane L. Cohen, executive director of the Somerville Housing Authority.
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