Welcome to CLPHA's Press Room
CLPHA experts welcome interview requests from print, radio, television, and online reporters and are happy to provide their insights on issues of public housing and related legislation and policy.
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David Greer
Director of Communications
(202) 550-1381 or dgreer@clpha.org.
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Experts to Present First National Snapshot of Health Partnerships in Public Housing
Free Webinar Aug. 29, 12 PM ET
WASHINGTON (August 28, 2018) - Half of the nation’s public housing authorities (PHAs) are engaged in a resident health initiative, most with a health organization partner according to Health Starts at Home: A National Snapshot of Public Housing Authorities' Health Partnerships, the latest report released by the Council of Large Public Housing Authorities (CLPHA) and the Public and Affordable Housing Research Corporation (PAHRC). The report provides the first national snapshot of PHA efforts to address residents’ health care needs and emphasizes opportunities for collaboration between the health and housing sectors.
Report authors Steve Lucas, MPH, CLPHA Health Research and Policy Manger for the Housing Is Initiative, Keely Stater, PHD, PAHRC Director of Research and Industry Intelligence, and Kelly McElwain, PAHRC Research Analyst III, will present their analysis during a free webinar on August 29, 2018 at 12:00 PM ET.
“Housing and health systems need to work together,” said Lucas, who designed and implemented the original survey that led to the report. “Public housing authorities are significant providers of housing to those in need, offering the health sector scale and expertise. We found that PHAs across the country are engaged in a wide range of partnerships with different health organizations that address various target populations and health priorities. Though there are barriers to housing-health collaboration, such as funding and staffing capacity, these can be overcome with cross-system partnerships that seek to address these needs.”
Lucas published the initial survey findings in an issue of CityScape, a research publication of the U.S Department of Housing and Urban Development. The article, “Connecting Fragmented Systems: Public Housing Authority Partnerships with the Health Sector,” is posted to the HUD User website.
What: Free Webinar: Building PHA Health Initiatives and Cross-Sector Partnerships
When: Wednesday, August 29, 2018, 12:00 PM ET
WEBINAR RECORDING: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E5-jm5eF_YU&t=24s
Webinar Presenters
Steve Lucas, MPH
Health Research and Policy Manager, Housing Is Initiative,
Council of Large Public Housing Authorities
Keely Stater, PhD
Director of Research and Industry Intelligence,
Public and Affordable Housing Research Corporation,
HAI Group's Research Division
Kelly McElwain
Research Analyst III,
Public and Affordable Housing Research Corporation,
HAI Group's Research Division
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About the Council of Large Public Housing Authorities
The Council of Large Public Housing Authorities is a national non-profit organization that works to preserve and improve public and affordable housing through advocacy, research, policy analysis and public education. CLPHA’s 70 members represent virtually every major metropolitan area in the country. Together they manage 40 percent of the nation’s public housing program; administer 26 percent of the Housing Choice Voucher program; and operate a wide array of other housing programs. Learn more at clpha.org and on Twitter @CLPHA.
About Housing Is
CLPHA’s Housing Is Initiative helps establish, broaden, and deepen efforts to align affordable housing, education, and health systems to produce positive, long-term results. We are building a future where systems work together to improve life outcomes for low-income people. Learn more at HousingIs.org and on Twitter @Housing_Is.
CLPHA Opposes Administration Proposal to Increase Rent Burden on Lowest-Income Residents
WASHINGTON (May 14, 2018) - The Council of Large Public Housing Authorities (CLPHA) strongly opposes the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) recently announced proposal to increase rent burdens on low-income residents residing in public housing and assisted housing.
The core of HUD’s rent reform proposal is to shift the burden of chronic federal underfunding of assisted housing to low-income residents who can least afford it. While there are advantages to a proposal that simplifies rent calculations and reduces administrative burdens for public housing authorities (PHAs), this proposal requires that PHAs raise rents in order to benefit from common sense rent simplification. Even with the benefit of housing assistance, many public housing residents are already spending more than 30% of their income on rent. A 2017 HUD study reported that the average Housing Choice Voucher recipient had a rent burden of 37% in 2015. Nationally, we represent PHAs serving residents in the most expensive housing markets in the country, where voucher holders are especially likely to have to incur high rent burdens to gain access to higher opportunity neighborhoods of their choice.
Given existing rent burdens, this proposal raises serious concerns about the negative impact the proposed rent calculations would have on residents. Through changes to 35% of unadjusted income for families and 30% of unadjusted income for the elderly and disabled, many assisted households would see significant rent increases. For example, the Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles (HACLA) estimates that public housing residents would see an average 36% rent increase while Housing Choice Voucher households would experience an average 23% rent increase. With an average annual household income of $21,000 for public housing residents and $16,000 for voucher holders served by HACLA, these increases represent substantial burdens that may interfere with a household’s ability to afford other necessities.
Beyond concerns regarding the fairness of further cost-burdening residents, there is some evidence to suggest that increased rents do not financially benefit PHAs and may have the opposite effect. When the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) implemented a HUD-mandated flat rent increase in 2014, impacted residents experienced an average rent increase of 46%. NYCHA saw their rent collection rate decrease among those impacted by the increase. NYCHA’s experience reflects the reality that increased rent payments only exacerbates affordability issues and puts more residents at risk of delinquency and eviction, resulting in more challenges for PHAs and less predictable revenue.
In addition to our concerns about the impacts of the proposed rent calculations, we note that the timing of these proposed changes are problematic for two reasons. First, some components of the proposal contradict important changes to housing assistance made through the recent federally enacted Housing Opportunity Through Modernization Act (HOTMA) in 2016 by unanimous vote of the House and Senate. HUD has yet to publish implementation regulations for some of the key provisions in the bill. For example, HOTMA increased the deduction of medical expenses for elderly and disabled families and tied the deduction to inflation, while HUD’s proposal eliminates these deductions entirely. A significant number of elderly and disabled households currently use medical deductions, many of whom have substantial medical costs. We question the elimination of this deduction particularly when it is already undergoing a very different set of changes through congressionally-mandated HOTMA.
We also question the timing of these proposed changes given the fact that in 2012, HUD commissioned a four-site demonstration from MDRC to study several rent reform elements included in the proposal, including triennial recertification, elimination of income deductions, and ignorable asset limits. One of the research questions the demonstration is explicitly testing is whether these reforms reduce work disincentives and increase family self-sufficiency among families receiving vouchers. With results expected in 2019, HUD should use insights from the study to inform design of a rent reform model that most effectively promotes self-sufficiency.
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About the Council of Large Public Housing Authorities
CLPHA, headquartered in Washington, D.C., is a non-profit organization working to preserve and improve public and affordable housing through advocacy, research, policy analysis and public education. It represents most of the nation’s largest public housing authorities.
Web tool targets idea-sharing and improves cross-sector
collaboration to help low-income families
April 22, 2021
About the Council of Large Public Housing Authorities
About CLPHA’s Housing Is Initiative |
April 9, 2021
About the Council of Large Public Housing Authorities
About CLPHA’s Housing Is Initiative |
(202) 550-1381
For Immediate Release
March 31, 2021 |
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(Washington, D.C.) March 31, 2021 – Sunia Zaterman, executive director of the Council of Large Public Housing Authorities, released the following statement upon President Biden’s announcement of the American Jobs Plan:
“The Council of Large Public Housing Authorities applauds President Biden’s transformative American Jobs Plan to reimagine and rebuild the American economy by centering housing as key to accomplishing the administration’s top priorities of economic impact, racial equity, and climate change. The $213 billion to produce, preserve, and retrofit more than one million housing units, with $40 billion targeted at the long-neglected public housing capital needs, is the size and scale that can move the needle on improving public housing infrastructure. CLPHA has called for a 10-year road map to recapitalize the public housing portfolio.
“The centrality of public and affordable housing means its impact reaches beyond shelter. It is also critical to other key elements of the American jobs plan including expanding broadband, improving childcare, and increasing health care opportunities. Public housing authorities are the most efficient delivery mechanism for these critical services because of their understanding of local needs, especially the needs of underserved communities of color. Public housing authorities stand ready to implement the bill when it becomes law.
CLPHA will work closely with Congress to ensure that the housing provisions are fully funded and remain central to the bill.”
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About the Council of Large Public Housing Authorities
About CLPHA’s Housing Is Initiative |
Today, CLPHA Executive Director Sunia Zaterman was quoted in Affordable Housing Finance discussing how the shutdown threatens the stability of low-income households. Though HUD has prepared payments for housing vouchers and the public housing operating subsidy through February, Zaterman notes that the “existential threat” for voucher holders looms given the uncertainty of when the shutdown will end. If housing authorities cannot utilize HUD funding after February, there is a risk that that they will not be able to pay landlords and that landlords will subsequently begin to evict voucher-holding tenants.
Zaterman added that as HUD funding remains suspended due to the shutdown, local housing authorities are growing increasingly concerned about how they will maintain properties, make repairs, and pay employees.
CLPHA will continue our advocacy in support of PHAs and will provide members with additional news about the shutdown as we learn it.
In this December 27, 2018 article by Bruce Japsen for Forbes.com, CLPHA Executive Director Sunia Zaterman discusses the importance of cross-sector collaborations between housing and health care to improve life outcomes for low-income families and seniors.
“We’re housers with expertise in the management and operation of affordable housing for low-income families and seniors, but we are not experts in the complexities of health care service delivery,” Zaterman said. “That’s why nearly all of the public housing authorities we surveyed work with a partner to provide health services. Most would do more if they had the funding and resources to commit to their health partnerships.”
Anthony Scott, CEO of Durham Housing Authority (left) and A. Fulton Meachem, President & CEO of Charlotte Housing Authority (right) in Durham, NC.
CLPHA is pleased to see that our members are visiting each other’s communities to share knowledge, ideas, and best practices for preserving and strengthening their public housing portfolios and resident services.
In August, the Charlotte Housing Authority (CHA) hosted the Durham Housing Authority (DHA) and Durham city officials on a bus tour of Charlotte public housing properties. The Durham delegation also met with CHA staff, board members, and residents to discuss how Charlotte is transforming its housing portfolio and resident services through entrepreneurial efforts in real estate development, bond programs, property management, and family self-sufficiency programs. You can watch a video slideshow of the Charlotte & Durham meeting here.
In October, residents, staff, and board members from the Minneapolis Public Housing Authority (MPHA) traveled to Cambridge, MA to meet with Cambridge Housing Authority staff and tour public housing communities. MPHA learned from Cambridge about their ongoing, comprehensive public housing transformation financed through the RAD program, Low-Income Housing Tax Credits, and other funding tools. In a post-trip recap, MPHA said their residents expressed the importance of seeing and hearing for themselves that these programs did not result in displacement. In fact, said MPHA, “CHA residents were often able to simply move units and continue living in their building even as the work proceeded around them.” You can watch a video about MPHA’s trip to Cambridge here.
Representatives from the Minneapolis Public Housing Authority on a bus tour of Cambridge Housing Authority properties.
From WBMA Birmingham:
The city of Birmingham, Birmingham City Schools, and the Housing Authority of the District of Birmingham (HABD) launched the "Every Day Counts" initiative in January as an effort to combat the issue of chronic absenteeism in schools.
This effort came after the 2022-2023 Alabama Department of Education report card showed 23% of Birmingham City Schools students chronically absent. On top of that initial number, 25% of those chronically absent students come from economically disadvantaged homes.
The heart of the "Every Day Counts" initiative is an offer of funds to help subsidize the students' families' housing costs as an incentive for perfect attendance.
The incentive is monetary either towards their rent or their utilities, so we get donations from partners and then we come back, and we offer this as an incentive," said Larry Williams, chief of housing and programs with HABD.
In January, only two public housing households qualified for the drawing, but in February, there were 135 students qualified. Nine families, from nine public housing communities in Birmingham, received $300 to go towards their monthly housing costs.
"We all know that if they are not in school, they are not being educated so this is about really pushing them and getting them excited about learning," said Williams.
The "Every Day Counts" initiative also provides public housing residents additional resources that support regular attendance and improved literacy, like transportation assistance to and from school and homework help. So far, 65 children are receiving homework assistance, and 42 adults are participating in literacy programs.
From Hudson Valley Property Group's press release:
Hudson Valley Property Group (HVPG), a leading, national affordable housing preservation company, today announced that it has completed a $71 million acquisition, preservation and renovation project at Grandview Terrace Apartments, a 283-unit senior housing complex located in the Journal Square Neighborhood of Jersey City, New Jersey.
The upgrades to Grandview Terrace encompass a variety of holistic improvements including building modernization, energy efficiency upgrades, unit renovations and the addition of an enhanced, high-definition monitoring system providing site wide security coverage and ensuring adherence to HVPG's community standards.
"We're elated to unveil the revitalized Grandview Terrace, a collaborative effort with the Jersey City Housing Authority (JCHA) and HUD that will ensure long-term affordability for local seniors that were previously at-risk of losing access to this affordable housing and possibly being displaced," said Jason Bordainick, co-founder and managing partner of Hudson Valley Property Group. "From the comprehensive modernization to the installation of advanced security measures, every aspect of this project reflects our commitment to creating secure, inviting places for our residents to call home."
The renovations within the 283-unit complex totaled $15.2 million (~$53,500 per unit) and include new kitchen cabinetry and countertops; new high-efficiency, stainless steel appliances; high output lighting and water conserving fixtures; and the creation of fully compliant ADA and H/V units. Interior upgrades also included new flooring with subfloor repairs; wall patching and painting; and a new sky lounge for residents with a stretching room, community room, library and computer center with views of New York City.
The initial acquisition and substantial rehabilitation of the Grandview Terrace Apartments was financed with equity from HVPG's second affordable housing fund (HVPF II) and a construction loan from Key Bank. Upon completion of the 16-month construction and preservation project in February 2024, the loan was refinanced under the HUD Section 223(f) program with KeyBank.
To ensure the long-term affordability of the property, HVPG secured a new, 20-year HUD Regulatory Agreement. Additionally, HVPG was able to unlock new rental subsidy for tenants as a result of the previously existing expired HUD 202 restrictions through both project-based and tenant-based Section 8 vouchers. The Jersey City Housing Authority played a critical role in this project and serves as the new contract administrator for all of the HUD Section 8 voucher units. HVPG and JCHA worked in partnership to secure new Section 8 subsidy for 267 low-income households that did not previously receive any rental assistance. This will ensure that income-qualified tenants are protected and will pay no more than 30% of their income in rent. No residents were displaced because of this transaction.
"The JCHA appreciates the opportunity to partner with Hudson Valley Property Group, HUD, the City and the County to preserve and provide quality, safe affordable housing to the senior citizens of Jersey City and Hudson County at Grandview Terrace", said Patricia Ramirez, Director of the Housing Choice Voucher Program of the Jersey City Housing Authority.
From Hudson Valley Property Group's press release:
Hudson Valley Property Group (HVPG), a leading, national affordable housing preservation company, today announced that it has completed a $71 million acquisition, preservation and renovation project at Grandview Terrace Apartments, a 283-unit senior housing complex located in the Journal Square Neighborhood of Jersey City, New Jersey.
The upgrades to Grandview Terrace encompass a variety of holistic improvements including building modernization, energy efficiency upgrades, unit renovations and the addition of an enhanced, high-definition monitoring system providing site wide security coverage and ensuring adherence to HVPG's community standards.
"We're elated to unveil the revitalized Grandview Terrace, a collaborative effort with the Jersey City Housing Authority (JCHA) and HUD that will ensure long-term affordability for local seniors that were previously at-risk of losing access to this affordable housing and possibly being displaced," said Jason Bordainick, co-founder and managing partner of Hudson Valley Property Group. "From the comprehensive modernization to the installation of advanced security measures, every aspect of this project reflects our commitment to creating secure, inviting places for our residents to call home."
The renovations within the 283-unit complex totaled $15.2 million (~$53,500 per unit) and include new kitchen cabinetry and countertops; new high-efficiency, stainless steel appliances; high output lighting and water conserving fixtures; and the creation of fully compliant ADA and H/V units. Interior upgrades also included new flooring with subfloor repairs; wall patching and painting; and a new sky lounge for residents with a stretching room, community room, library and computer center with views of New York City.
The initial acquisition and substantial rehabilitation of the Grandview Terrace Apartments was financed with equity from HVPG's second affordable housing fund (HVPF II) and a construction loan from Key Bank. Upon completion of the 16-month construction and preservation project in February 2024, the loan was refinanced under the HUD Section 223(f) program with KeyBank.
To ensure the long-term affordability of the property, HVPG secured a new, 20-year HUD Regulatory Agreement. Additionally, HVPG was able to unlock new rental subsidy for tenants as a result of the previously existing expired HUD 202 restrictions through both project-based and tenant-based Section 8 vouchers. The Jersey City Housing Authority played a critical role in this project and serves as the new contract administrator for all of the HUD Section 8 voucher units. HVPG and JCHA worked in partnership to secure new Section 8 subsidy for 267 low-income households that did not previously receive any rental assistance. This will ensure that income-qualified tenants are protected and will pay no more than 30% of their income in rent. No residents were displaced because of this transaction.
"The JCHA appreciates the opportunity to partner with Hudson Valley Property Group, HUD, the City and the County to preserve and provide quality, safe affordable housing to the senior citizens of Jersey City and Hudson County at Grandview Terrace", said Patricia Ramirez, Director of the Housing Choice Voucher Program of the Jersey City Housing Authority.
From the Chicago Housing Authority's press release:
The Chicago Housing Authority (CHA) Board of Commissioners approved funding for Phase IC of the Lathrop redevelopment at Tuesday’s Board Meeting. This long-awaited third phase will focus on the Lathrop South campus (south of Diversey Avenue) and will address all remaining vacant buildings on the Lathrop site.
As part of project, Lathrop Community Partners (CHA’s development partner) will rehabilitate seven existing historic buildings on the site, while three existing buildings will be demolished to add an accessible new construction building with an elevator, as well as additional parking and open space. The exterior of the “Powerhouse building” will also be renovated. Altogether, the project will add a total of 309 new or renovated mixed-income apartments to the campus.
These rehabilitated or new apartments come in addition to the 488 apartments that have already been delivered to the site during the award-winning earlier phases of construction, bringing the total number of apartments at Lathrop to 797.
Final closing on funding and construction start are expected for the fourth quarter of 2024, with project completion at the end of 2026.
“Today’s board action brings us one step closer to completing our vision for the new Lathrop: a vibrant and sustainable mixed-income, mixed-use community where all families, including those who live in subsidized housing, feel welcome and can thrive,” said CHA CEO Tracey Scott.
CHA’s Board approved a construction loan of up to $37 million towards the project. The total project cost is approximately $205 million. Lathrop Community Partners includes Related Midwest LLC and Bickerdike Redevelopment Corporation.
From the Boston Housing Authority's website:
Mayor Michelle Wu yesterday celebrated the completion of J.J. Carroll House, a deeply affordable housing development in the Brighton neighborhood built in partnership between 2Life Communities, the Boston Housing Authority, and the City of Boston’s Mayor’s Office of Housing. The project replaces JJ Carroll Apartments, an aging 64-unit Boston Housing Authority public housing site, providing 142 new, modern, energy-efficient homes for seniors and residents with disabilities. JJ Carroll House joins 2Life’s existing 763-apartment Brighton campus.
The redevelopment includes 114 deeply affordable units supported by the Section 8 voucher program, 27 affordable Low-Income Housing Tax Credit units, and one unit for an on-site manager. Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren, Representative Ayanna Pressley, Lieutenant Governor Kim Driscoll, B, Secretary Ed Augustus of the Massachusetts Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities, Secretary Kate Walsh of the Massachusetts Executive Office of Health and Human Services, Boston City Council President Ruthzee Loujeune, Regional Administrator of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Juana Matias, and MassHousing Executive Director Chrystal Kornegay were all on hand for the celebration.
"One of our highest priorities is ensuring that older Bostonians and disabled residents are able to live and thrive in the city they’ve always called home,” said Mayor Michelle Wu. “This redevelopment in Brighton preserves JJ Carroll’s affordability and more than doubles the number of residents deeply rooted in our community. I want to thank all of our partners here for their work to create needed affordable housing across our region."
“I was delighted to celebrate the completion of the newly constructed J.J. Carroll House in Brighton, a beautiful space that will provide essential housing for our seniors and people with disabilities,” said Senator Elizabeth Warren. “I will keep fighting for funding at the federal level to help grow our housing supply and make building more spaces like this one in Massachusetts easier. It will take continued partnership among the federal, state, and local governments and private investments to meet our housing needs in Massachusetts, but we have the leadership and the will to get it done."
“I was honored to celebrate the completion of the J.J. Carroll House, which will help us address the housing crisis in Boston while ensuring care for our elders is made a priority,” said Congresswoman Pressley. “Families need the peace of mind that their loved ones are being taken care of in a safe and nurturing environment, and this redevelopment will help provide just that. Thank you to the 2Life team and the Boston Housing Authority for their collaboration and delivery on this much-needed project for our elders, folks with disabilities, and communities writ large."
"Housing is our state's biggest challenge, and innovative solutions are key to helping solve our housing crisis," said Lt. Governor Driscoll. "This reopening of the J.J. Carroll House shows the impact of public-private partnerships and how we can all work together to bring affordable homes to the people of Massachusetts. We're grateful for their work bringing new, modern, and accessible housing to our state."
J.J. Carroll House illustrates the power of public-private partnerships to address the region’s growing housing crisis and serves as a model of affordable, service-enriched living. The development integrates healthcare and housing, promotes senior living that is community-based and exceeds sustainability standards, all while providing housing that addresses the two biggest threats to healthy aging: loneliness and economic insecurity.
In 2019, the BHA selected 2Life to redevelop J.J. Carroll Apartments. 2Life worked closely with J.J. Carroll residents and BHA on a plan to replace the existing buildings with a new building that is more comfortable, energy efficient, and accessible, including universal design and adaptability features that enable residents to stay in their apartments even as their physical needs change.
“Together, 2Life Communities and BHA and our residents came up with an incredible vision for the future of the JJ Carroll community, and now that vision is realized,” said BHA Administrator Kenzie Bok. “This project fully integrates JJ Carroll into the neighboring 2Life Communities Brighton campus, giving our residents access to a host of programs and supportive services as well as new, efficient, high quality homes that will significantly improve their health and quality of life. It will also more than double the number of units at JJ Carroll, adding critical housing for Brighton’s seniors. This is an example of what we want to do all over Boston: provide more housing to anchor residents in our neighborhoods and allow them to age in place."
“MassHousing was thrilled to help support 2Life Communities and the Boston Housing Authority deliver these new, deeply affordable homes,” said MassHousing Executive Director Chrystal Kornegay. “The new J.J. Carroll House will provide healthy, supportive, service-rich homes to seniors, while incorporating advanced clean energy building technologies. It is a showcase for mission-driven housing development."
All the apartments at J.J. Carroll are affordable to households up to 60 percent of Area Median Income (AMI) with Section 8 project-based vouchers subsidizing 114 apartments so that eligible residents pay only 30 percent of their income toward rent, making those apartments truly affordable to even those with extremely low incomes. A significant number of residents are formerly unhoused individuals.
"It is fitting that we celebrate the completion of the JJ Carroll House. 2 Life, in partnership with the Boston Housing Authority and its residents, has collaboratively forged a community that offers affordable housing, essential services, and vital connections to the wider community," stated Sheila Dillon, Chief of Housing. "Many of Boston’s older residents want to remain in the city, yet the waitlists for existing senior developments are long. This new development will provide a home for 142 senior households, enabling them to not only live but thrive and actively contribute to this vibrant neighborhood of Boston. Congratulations to all involved."
J.J. Carroll House includes a Program of All-Inclusive Care (PACE) center, operated by Lynn-based Element Care, a testament to the role that integrated housing and healthcare plays in successfully supporting aging adults. This comprehensive health and wellness program allows low-income seniors with advanced healthcare needs to receive comprehensive, coordinated care at home and in the community.
“Intentionality is baked into every facet of this project, from its thoughtful design approach to the innovative way we’ve integrated housing and health care to the best-in-class sustainability efforts,” said Amy Schectman, 2Life’s Saul & Gitta Kurlat Chief Executive Officer. “The partnerships with the Boston Housing Authority and Element Care allow us to provide the path to optimal aging via aging in community.”
J.J. Carrol is 2Life’s first certified Passive House building and, when certified, will be the largest multifamily Passive House building in Massachusetts and in the top 10 in the United States and Canada. Core elements include an airtight building envelope, high-quality windows and doors, solar energy, and high-performing ventilation systems to improve indoor air quality and comfort. Passive House is the highest standard for energy efficiency, using the building envelope to better retain warm air in the winter and cool air in the summer.
J.J. Carroll features ample community space along with amenities including fitness centers, art space, a unisex hair salon, a resident-run resale shop, and outdoor space including a community gathering plaza on Chestnut Hill Ave. The building has a connective corridor that allows residents to easily access all of 2Life’s Brighton campus.
“Now, at 71 years young and happily settled here at 2Life, I am ready to live,” said Beverly Gilbert. “I am already meeting new people, am moving around more, and am starting to find new ways to help my community. If 70 is when you start living and being more active, then bring it."
The total cost for the redevelopment is approximately $88.3 million, funded by the Massachusetts Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities, City of Boston Mayor’s Office of Housing, City of Boston Community Preservation Fund, MassHousing, Wells Fargo Bank, Dorfman Capital, Mass Save, and the George B. Henderson Foundation. Dellbrook | JKS served as the general contractor.
“HUD is proud to join our partners in making this innovative and critically important public housing redevelopment possible,” said HUD New England Administrator Juana B. Matias. “This project ensures the continued availability of affordable units for seniors in Boston, provides residents with a strong sense of care and community, and stands as a shining example of how the public and private sectors can work together to preserve, improve and expand public housing."