Amid the continuing affordable housing crisis in the US, measures to establish homeownership options for income-restricted families are on the increase. In Boston, the Mayor's Office of Housing recently marked the ceremonial groundbreaking of the Stonley Brookley Homes, a Jamaica Plain-based initiative. The project is designed to provide 45 affordable homeownership opportunities for Bostonian families, according to the press release by the City of Boston.
The October 11, 2023, ceremony saw Sheila Dillon, the Chief of Housing, attend with representatives from community partners MassHousing, the Jamaica Plain Neighborhood Development Corporation (JPNDC), and Causeway Development LLC. To mark the commencement of the construction phase for this project, this collaboration between JPNDC and Causeway Development LLC will create 45 income-restricted homeownership units and 5 artist live-work studios. The four-story building, sprawling nearly 38,000 square feet, will also include 60 bicycle parking spaces, as per the press release.
The Stonley Brookley Homes, a project catering to low and moderate-income households, was made possible through funding from a variety of sources, including the Mayor's Office of Housing, the Community Preservation Act Funding, and the Executive Office of Housing. Also contributing are MassHousing, HUD, the Property and Casualty Initiative, the Life Initiative, and Mass Save incentives.
JPNDC's Chief Executive Officer, Teronda Ellis, voiced her enthusiasm in response to the groundbreaking event. To quickly elaborate, Ellis stated that the development signifies the largest affordable homeownership project in JPNDC’s history.
Anticipating fiscal year 2023, Mayor Wu has increased funding for housing in Boston, pledging $200 million in ARPA funds for various housing-related projects. These strategies include designating $60 million for affordable homeownership development and financial assistance for first-generation homebuyers, and utilizing $57 million to prevent displacement and foster deeply affordable homeownership on city-owned land. Additionally, Mayor Wu's housing security legislative package aims to extend the housing work done in Boston.
