Pictured at The Preserve at Olmsted groundbreaking are, from left, State Rep. Russell Holmes; Jessica Boatright, Mayor’s Office of Housing; Lt. Governor Kim Driscoll; Jerry Rappaport, New Boston Fund; Carol Gladstone, Division of Capital Asset Management and Maintenance; MassHousing Executive Director Chrystal Kornegay; and Sheila Dillon, Mayor's Office of Housing

Construction is underway for The Preserve at Olmsted Green, the final phase of the redevelopment of the Boston State Hospital in Mattapan. MassHousing provided $7.7 million in CommonWealth Builder financing for The Preserve at Olmsted, which will create 80 homeownership units, 63 of which will be affordable to first-time homebuyers.

Read an article about the transformation of Olmsted Green from the Boston Globe.

Two developments highlight CommonWealth Builder's success at creating new, affordable for-sale housing

Morton Station and Saige on Fountain are two new Boston housing developments that received funding from MassHousing's CommonWealth Builder Program (CWB). CWB provides a catalyst to spur the construction of single-family homes and condominiums that are affordable to households with moderate incomes, particularly in communities of color. 

Luis L. and his family (pictured above) – who recently purchased a house in Stoneham – were one of more than 1,100 Massachusetts first-time homebuyers who were able to achieve their dream of homeownership through MassHousing's MassDREAMS program, which provided grants for down payment assistance and closing costs. Read more DREAMS success stories here. 

"Thanks to God and the MassDREAMS program, we were able to realize our family dream of owning a beautiful home." - Luis L. 

MassHousing continues to offer down payment assistance

The Massachusetts Homeowner Assistance Fund (Mass HAF) helps homeowners who are at least three months behind on their mortgage payments due to a COVID hardship. If a homeowner is eligible, Mass HAF will make payments to the homeowner’s mortgage loan servicing company to help bring them current.

After June 30, 2023, Mass HAF will no longer accept new applications. Visit the Mass HAF website to check eligibility and to start an application. Terms and Conditions apply. 

Flat 9 at Whittier in Boston is a transformative redevelopment of the 1950s-era Whittier Street Apartments, a public housing community for more than 200 residents. It was recently the site of a ribbon cutting for Phase 2 and a groundbreaking for Phase 3. Flat 9 at Whittier creates a livable community with outdoor play spaces, a mix of building types, and new streets to re-integrate the site into the broader neighborhood. The redevelopment is being led through a collaboration between Preservation of Affordable Housing (POAH), the Boston Housing Authority (BHA), the City of Boston and Madison Park Development Corporation (MPDC). MassHousing has provided $189 million in financing for the redevelopment.

MassHousing joined Mayor Michelle Wu, Lt. Governor Kim Driscoll and a number of state and local officials and residents to help POAH and Nuestra Comunidad celebrate the opening of The Loop at Mattapan Station. MassHousing provided $36.5 million in financing for the new 135-unit mixed-use development, which was constructed on an underutilized MBTA parking lot located near the Mattapan trolley stop, a bus line and the commuter rail.

- Read the news release

- Read an article about The Loop from the Boston Globe

Pictured from left are Beverly Mayor Michael Cahill, Sen. Joan Lovely, Beacon's Josh Cohen, Lt. Governor Kim Driscoll, DHCD Undersecretary and Agency Board Member Jennifer Maddox, MassHousing's Mark Teden, Harborlight's Andrew DeFranza and Rep. Jerry Parisella. 

Converting old schools to housing is nothing new, but a redevelopment of the former Briscoe School in Beverly is something outside the norm. Beacon Communities and Harborlight Homes are collaborating to transform the building into 85 units of affordable housing for low-income seniors; six live/work studios with an artist occupancy preference; a community performing arts space and many other amenities. Read the whole story here.

In 2022, MassHousing conducted a statewide listening tour in partnership with the Mel King Institute and Builders of Color Coalition that sought to 

• Identify opportunities, disparities and solutions to increase Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC) developer participation in the Massachusetts affordable housing ecosystem 
• Build and engage a network of diverse real estate professionals across the Commonwealth, and 
• Apply an equity-minded lens to the production and preservation of affordable housing. 

The findings from the Listening Tour, as well as recommendations for improvement, have been compiled in the Massachusetts Affordable Housing Emerging Developer Report, which includes data, challenges and opportunities identified through the Emerging Developer Listening Tour and self-identified surveys.

Download the Report | Read a related Boston Business Journal article

MassHousing staff went to Washington D.C. recently to join Housing Finance Agency (HFA) colleagues from around the nation to advocate for affordable housing priorities in Congress. The annual conference is organized by the National Council of State Housing Agencies (NCSHA). Above, left to right are General Counsel Colin McNiece, Executive Director Chrystal Kornegay, VP of Equitable Business Development Tony Richards and Director of Government Affairs Nancy McDonald.

Executive Director Chrystal Kornegay was honored as one of 10 Inspiring Women in Affordable Housing by Affordable Housing Finance Magazine...Kelly Condon has been promoted to the role of MassHousing's Director of Rental Management... Senior Director of Diversity Initiatives Thaddeus Miles was honored as one of Boston's Most Influential Men of Color as part of Get Konnected!'s 15th anniversary celebration. 

Kaitlyn Connors, Assistant Secretary for Capital at the Executive Office of Administration and Finance (ANF) has joined the MassHousing Board as the designee of ANF Secretary Matthew Gorzkowicz. The ANF Secretary is an ex officio member of the MassHousing Board.

MassHousing Executive Director Chrystal Kornegay was among the panelists for a conversation on Building Diversity in Real Estate and Our Communities, part of the Boston Business Journal's Race Equity & Business series. Read a story on the event...Below, VP of Homeownership Programs Mounzer Aylouche (third from left) discussed the state of the Massachusetts real estate market at an event hosted by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.

Senior Director of Finance and Bond Compliance Paul Scola made a presentation to attendees at a recent Smith’s Ratings conference on the topic of ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance) bonds.