40 Low-income Men and Women in Four Vastly Improved Bay Village Buildings

WHAT: A ribbon cutting and joyful celebration of the major renovations of the homes of 40 low-income women and men at 7-11 Cortes St. in Boston owned and managed by Caritas Communities. The residences in four buildings in the Bay Village neighborhood of Boston have been transformed from single-room-occupancy units into 40 individual studios, with private bathrooms, and 32 with kitchens as well. Tours of the units after a short speaking program.

WHEN: Noon, Tomorrow, Wednesday, May 17, 2017.

WHERE: 7-11 Cortes St., in the Bay Village neighborhood of Boston, MA 02116. (Local parking lots and metered spaces are limited. The Green Line MBTA station nearby is Arlington Street.)

WHO: Chrystal Kornegay, Undersecretary, Massachusetts Department of Housing and Community Development; State Rep. Aaron Michlewitz, 3d Suffolk District; Sheila Dillon, Chief of Housing and Director, Department of Neighborhood Development; William McGonagle, Executive Director of the Boston Housing Authority, Suzanne Kenney, Executive Director of Project Place; a resident of Caritas Communities’ Cortes Street properties; Sarah Herlihy, President of the Bay Village Neighborhood Association; Mark Winkeller, Executive Director of Caritas Communities; and Boston friends and neighbors.

BACKGROUND

Major upgrades during months of work on 7 Cortes St. and 11-15 Cortes St., in Boston’s Bay Village, are completed. The 40 residents, all Boston Housing Authority Priority One placements, are in their new homes. All of the residents in Caritas Communities’ four brownstone buildings arrived straight from homelessness.

Under Caritas Communities’ leadership, the buildings have been transformedfrom single-room-occupancy units to 32 residential units with private baths and kitchens and eight rooms with private baths and shared kitchens.

These vital places of refuge were taken down to the studs and now feature beautifully updated common rooms and shared common kitchens.

“This extensive rehabilitation effort was a team effort with Project Place and support from the Massachusetts Department of Housing and Community Development, the City of Boston Department of Neighborhood Development, and the Boston Housing Authority,” said Mark Winkeller, Executive Director of Caritas Communities. “We have created modern homes for 40 people in a great Boston neighborhood.”

Scope of the Work

The rooms were gutted, creating 40 rental units. The scope of the work included new windows, mechanicals, heating and air-conditioning units, life safety systems, and roof, along with exterior brick pointing. All rooms are fully furnished.

Building History

Originally built in approximately 1875 and located in the Bay Village certified historic district, the Cortes Street properties were last renovated in 1992. The properties include four townhouses, three of which are interconnected. All units benefit from a project-based Section 8 contract administered by the Boston Housing Authority.

ABOUT CARITAS COMMUNITIES

Caritas Communities, Inc. is a nonprofit organization founded in 1985 by P. Leo Corcoran, a real estate developer with a commitment to providing affordable housing for low-income Massachusetts residents. Caritas began with a single “triple decker” property in the neighborhood of Dorchester and now owns and manages 29 properties with 895 units of affordable housing for residents of Boston and thirteen surrounding communities. Caritas’ work is supported by public-private partnerships with the Massachusetts Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) and area cities and towns. Caritas received the Massachusetts Housing and Shelter Alliance “Cornerstone” Award in 2012. For more information, please go to www.caritascommunities.org .