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The City of Boston Celebrates the Grand Opening of 150 River Street Village

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Chief of Housing Sheila A. Dillon today joined Secretary of the Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities Juana Matias, the Planning Office for Urban Affairs (POUA), Caribbean Integration Community Development (CICD), local leaders, and residents to celebrate the grand opening of 150 River Street Village, a new 30-unit income-restricted housing development for older adults in Mattapan.

The completion of 150 River Street Village marks the transformation of a long-vacant nursing home on a City-owned parcel into affordable housing designed to support Boston's older residents aging in place.

"Boston is strongest when longtime residents can stay rooted in the communities they know and love," said Mayor Michelle Wu. "We're focused on creating the housing and affordability that Boston needs to keep older adults stably housed in the places they love and have helped build for years. Making Boston a home for everyone means helping seniors age in place with dignity, close to lifelong friends and family. I look forward to seeing 150 River Street Village become that reality for so many residents."

"Today, the City is proud to join the Mattapan community and our development partners in marking the completion of 150 River Street Village," said Chief of Housing Sheila Dillon. "As Boston's population continues to age, developments such as this play a critical role in ensuring residents can remain safely and stably housed within the communities they have long contributed to and helped strengthen. This project is the result of years of collaboration with neighborhood stakeholders and reflects the City's ongoing commitment to advancing high-quality housing that meets the evolving needs of Boston residents."

Located at 150 River Street, the site was transferred to the Mayor's Office of Housing through the City's Tax Title Division. Following an extensive community engagement process led in partnership with the River Street Civic Association, POUA and CICD were selected as co-developers. The completed development now provides housing for households earning between 30% and 70% of Area Median Income.

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"The cost of housing is one of the biggest drivers of economic insecurity for older adults, and the Healey-Driscoll Administration is committed to supporting projects that create and preserve housing that's accessible and affordable to older adults," said Juana Matias, Secretary of Housing and Livable Communities. "150 River Street is a smart solution that combines affordability with supportive services, ensuring that aging adults in Mattapan have a new and vibrant community to call home."

Designed with older adults in mind, the building includes accessible units and thoughtfully designed outdoor spaces, including a new community garden along River Street, supported in part by Community Preservation Act funding, and a preserved wilderness area with existing trees and vegetation at the rear of the site for residents and the broader community to enjoy. The property also includes a front porch connected to a community room and a patio off the shared living room with views toward the Neponset River and surrounding natural landscape. Located just a few blocks from the Central Avenue MBTA trolley stop, residents also have convenient access to the Neponset River Trail. Maloney Properties will provide on-site resident services, including a resident service coordinator who will connect residents with resources and support independent living.

"Amidst the current housing crisis, with roughly half of all renters in Greater Boston spending more than 30 percent of their income on rent, creating new, affordable homes where people can live with dignity and respect is more important than ever," said Bill Grogan, President of the Planning Office for Urban Affairs. "It's important to provide affordable housing to a variety of populations, including the senior population that River Street Village serves, which allows those getting priced out of the City to comfortably age in place, in homes they can afford."

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"River Street Village opens at a critical moment as rising costs continue to squeeze our most vulnerable residents," said Donald Alexis, president of Caribbean Integration Community Development. "After years of grassroots planning, we are proud to celebrate these 30 affordable homes for Mattapan's elders. This development meets a critical need and reflects our commitment to housing that supports health, dignity, and stability."

"Older adults deserve the opportunity to age with dignity in the communities they helped build," said Emily Shea, Boston's Age Strong Commissioner. "150 River Street Village provides safe, affordable housing with the supportive services and accessibility features that help older residents remain connected, independent, and engaged in their neighborhood. This development is an important investment in the well-being of Boston's older adults."

Funding for 150 River Street Village includes support from the City of Boston's Linkage program, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, the Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities, MassHousing, Community Economic Development Assistance Corporation, MassDevelopment, Red Stone Equity Partners, Eastern Bank, and the Affordable Housing Trust Fund. The project also received Section 202 funding to support both development and ongoing operations.

Since taking office, Mayor Michelle Wu's administration has made senior housing and aging in place a central part of Boston's housing strategy by supporting the creation or preservation of 1,273 affordable homes for older adults across the city. Major projects include The Pryde in Hyde Park, which transformed the former Barton Rogers School into 74 mixed-income apartments for older adults, Grace Apartments in East Boston with 42 affordable homes for older adults, and 9 Leyland Street in Dorchester, which added 43 affordable housing units for older adults. The administration has also launched new housing stability initiatives like the SHORE-UP pilot program to help low-income older adults avoid displacement and eviction, while investing in improvements to Boston Housing Authority properties serving elderly residents. Together, these efforts reflect the City's commitment to ensuring that Boston's older adults can remain safely and affordably housed in the neighborhoods they helped build.

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