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YWCA to construct affordable housing


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Boston YWCA to construct affordable housing

YWCA.jpg

I found this interesting because I used to live in a one-bedroom apartment on the 14th floor of this 13 storey building.

YWCA to construct affordable housing

127 new units will be added

By Kevin Joy, Globe Correspondent, 3/3/2004

For 75 years, the YWCA Boston has served as an inexpensive haven for travelers or a temporary home for adults in transition. Now, it is looking to attract some more permanent residents, launching an ambitious project to add 127 new units of affordable housing to its headquarters on Clarendon Street.

YWCA representatives and Mayor Thomas M. Menino joined banking and community leaders yesterday to announce the project. The project has secured $52 million in funding, including $2 million in city grants, $1.25 million from the state, and a $20 million loan from Fleet Bank.

Part of the city's support comes from Menino's "Leading the Way" initiative, an effort to provide more options for low- and middle-income families. "Imagine . . . affordability in Back Bay," he said. "That tells a lot about where our city is coming from and how it's getting there."

The neighborhood is widely known for its pricey shops and million-dollar townhouses.

"It is a rarity that we have such a large affordable housing development in the Back Bay; that's what really makes it special," said Charlotte Golar Ritchie, director of the city's Department of Neighborhood Development. "The community welcomed the development."

Construction of the 14-story building, one of the largest residences of its kind in the city, began in January and is scheduled to end next summer. Of the building's 184 units, 79 will be designated for households with incomes between $17,350 and $33,960, with the rent to be determined based on an individual's salary.

Renovations include removing the building's indoor swimming pool and dividing larger apartments to create more single-room occupancy units, though 57 studio, one-bedroom, and two-bedroom units will remain.

Once known as the Pioneer Hotel for Women, the YWCA was the first of its kind in the nation. The building on Clarendon Street became coed in the early 1970s. Residents who live in the single- room occupancy units, which contain a bed, desk, and private bathroom, are provided breakfast and dinner on a dining hall meal plan included in the rent. The rooms are available for daily, weekly, and monthly stays.

The project marks an effort by the YWCA to increase public awareness of its housing options.

From The Boston Globe

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Where did you get that? You can see into my old bedroom window from there! :o

I seem to remember some talk about adding floors as well. When I lived there there was a fear that it would be sold off and redeveloped into luxury condos. I'm glad to see that they are maintaining the affordability.

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