Massachusetts is now the third most expensive state for rental housing. The 2019 "Out of Reach" report by the National Low Income Housing Coalition concludes that a Massachusetts resident would need to earn $33.81 an hour to afford the fair market rent of a two-bedroom home or apartment without being considered rent-burdened.
In 2019, Nuestra CDC began construction at Bartlett B, a 60-unit building that is part of a five-phased development in Roxbury, Massachusetts, called Bartlett Station. Bartlett Station is a 9% LIHTC new construction project that was eligible for $300,000 of Capital Magnet funds (with a low, 1.5% fixed interest rate) from Community Housing Capital.
Until recently, the Bartlett Station site was an urban wasteland – a vacant, 8.5-acre former bus yard and brownfield site. The new Bartlett Station will be a vibrant district featuring both affordable and market-rate rental and homeownership housing, with a public events plaza, grocery store, shops, and interactive art area. Energy sustainability using green technology will make Bartlett Station a green and creative village that will include 323 new homes, including 129 for-sale homes and 194 apartments plus more than 54,000 SF of retail and commercial space. The homes will serve a target income mix of 60% low income, 15% middle income (up to 120% AMI), and 25% market rate.
More than a decade of planning went into the Bartlett Station development and will help to reduce the real estate affordability crisis in the area. In addition to new housing, the project will have significant livability and economic impact with a large public plaza of shops, art installations, and a year-round public market with an eclectic mix of shops, and various goods from artists, crafts vendors, and farmers. Monthly scheduled performances will round out the family destination along with inviting spaces to socialize and dine out at several local restaurants.
Nuestra Comunidad works to revitalize communities by transforming vacant and abandoned lots and buildings into quality, affordable housing, and commercial space that enable families and businesses to thrive. Since 1981, Nuestra Comunidad has been a leading developer of affordable homes in Roxbury and surrounding neighborhoods, having created or preserved over 800 affordable apartments and nearly 200 units of for-sale homes.