BOSTON — The city of Boston has acquired 347 market-rate units at Mattapan’s Fairlawn Estates for $10 million to use as affordable housing, Mayor Michelle Wu said Monday.
City officials acquired the units with money from the federal American Rescue Plan Act, Wu said during a press conference at the site on Monday morning. All 347 units at Fairlawn Estates will be converted from market-rate housing to permanently affordable homes.
“For years, Fairlawn Estates has been a pillar in our community that tenants and neighbors have organized and advocated to protect and preserve,” said Wu. “Today’s acquisition is a major step toward protecting our communities and preventing displacement in Mattapan.”
“By securing these homes as permanently affordable, we are continuing our efforts to make Boston a home for everyone and ensuring that families can continue to live and thrive in their neighborhood without the fear of being priced out,” Wu said. “I’m grateful to Related for their partnership on this acquisition and City Life Vida Urbana and the Fairlawn Tenants Association for their years of organizing that made today possible.”
The acquisition is part of the City’s Acquisition Opportunity Program, which helps developers buy and preserve existing affordable housing “and ensure it stays affordable for current households and in perpetuity,” officials said.
The Fairlawn Estates is a collection of 12 apartment buildings and a leasing office located on Fairlawn Avenue, Cummins Highway, and Bismarck Street in Mattapan.
Originally constructed by the Flatley Companies in the 1960s, the property was known for its affordability.
In the last several years following the most recent sale and rebranding of the property as SoMa at the T, residents faced increased rents that resulted in evictions for households unable to keep up with rent hikes, city officials said.
The new owner, Related Affordable, an affiliate of Related Beal, has committed to restricting all 347 units as permanently affordable housing, Wu said Monday.
The conversion of Fairlawn from market-rate to fully deed-restricted affordable residences ensures these residents can remain in their homes and community, city officials said.
“Ensuring that our housing remains affordable is one of the most important steps we can take to stabilize our families and neighborhoods,” Boston’s Chief of Housing Sheila Dillon said in a statement. “This acquisition by Related Affordable means that hundreds of families and older adults will no longer worry that their housing costs will exceed what they can afford. This administration prioritized the use of ARPA to keep our residents safe and for that we are grateful.”
The acquisition was made possible through a combination of funding sources, including city funds, private investment, and loans.
The city’s $10 million investment leveraged nine times that amount in private sources, officials said. Also, the newly-created Boston Acquisition Fund provided an almost $1 million commitment, all of which allowed Related to acquire the property and immediately begin improvements. Over the next several years, additional renovations will focus on making the buildings more energy efficient.
“Today is a victory for the Fairlawn tenants and their unyielding advocacy,” City Council President Ruthzee Louijeune said in a statement. “For the past three years, I have stood alongside them and advocates as we fought to keep Mattapan residents in their homes with dignified living conditions. This purchase is reflective of collective action and what it means to stand up for your community.”
“This $10 million investment is a crucial step in keeping Mattapan affordable and preventing displacement,” state Rep. Brandy Fluker-Reid, D-Mattapan, said in a statement. “Securing these 347 permanently affordable homes is exactly the kind of investment that strengthens communities. From the start, I’ve emphasized that our community knows what it needs—this investment reflects what residents have long advocated for and delivers real solutions to help our neighbors thrive.”
The city’s $10 million investment will ensure that half of the apartments will be reserved for households earning no more than 60% of the Area Median Income, while the other half will be for households earning no more than 80% of AMI, officials said. The agreement with Related also includes protections for existing tenants, limiting rent increases to no more than 2% per year and ongoing support for households with housing vouchers.
In addition to creating affordability for the residents, Related plans to invest $6.4 million in immediate repairs and building upgrades including roof replacements, balcony repairs, and appliance upgrades in all apartments, officials said.
The management company, Winn Management, which has overseen the property for the past six years, will continue to manage the apartments, officials said. The City of Boston will monitor the improvements and require long-term affordability protections to be in place at the time of purchase.
“Affordable housing is core to Related’s DNA, and we are thrilled to provide a more sustainable living solution in such an important, transit-oriented location in Mattapan,” Kimberly Sherman Stamler, president of Related Beal, said in a statement. “We are grateful to the City of Boston, the Mayor’s Office of Housing, and our financing partners for collaborating on this important opportunity that will protect hundreds of residents within the Mattapan community.”
Monday’s acquisition and conversion of market-rate housing to permanently affordable housing at Fairlawn Estates follows years of advocacy and organizing by Fairlawn tenants, City Life/Vida Urbana and neighbors in Mattapan who have called for fair rents and housing stability for city residents.
“After six years of fighting for fair rents and housing stability at Fairlawn, we’re ecstatic to say that we can stay in our homes, and even better, that all 347 units at Fairlawn will now be affordable,” Betty Lewis of the Fairlawn Tenant Association said in a statement.
“The constant stress of facing huge rent increases and eviction weighed on us every day over the past six years, and it wasn’t right – but we want people to know that housing is a human right and we can win the homes we deserve,” Lewis said. “This is a community victory won by neighbors working together.”
This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.
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