Frequently Asked Questions about the Mildred C. Hailey Redevelopment
- Who are the developers for Mildred Hailey Phase One redevelopment?
The Centre Street Partners were designated by the Boston Housing Authority (BHA) to redevelop a portion of the Mildred C. Hailey Apartments. We are three Boston-based non-profits: Jamaica Plain Neighborhood Development Corporation (JPNDC), The Community Builders (TCB), and Urban Edge (UE). Like BHA, our organizations each have a decades-long mission to preserve and expand affordable housing and promote community development.
Since 2017, Centre Street Partners has worked with BHA and the Mildred C. Hailey Tenant Organization, along with individual residents and community partners, to develop the redevelopment vision and plan for Phase One.
- What is happening?
The Phase One redevelopment footprint includes seven existing residential buildings—with a total of 253 public housing apartment units—plus the existing Anna Mae Cole Center.
The Phase One redevelopment will replace all 253 existing public housing apartments with equally affordable Section 8 housing, while at the same time constructing a new Anna Mae Cole Center and constructing approximately 420 new housing units restricted at a variety of income tiers including new affordable and moderate-rate units.
- What buildings are included in the redevelopment area?
The seven existing residential buildings include multiple entryway addresses:
295 Centre St, 297 Centre St, 285 Centre St, 287 Centre St, 275 Centre St, 277 Centre St, 279 Centre St265 Centre St, 267 Centre St, 50 Lamartine St, 52 Lamartine St, 960 Parker St, 962 Parker St, 964 Parker St, 24 Heath St, 25 Heath St, 26 Heath St, 27 Heath St, 28 Heath St, 29 Heath St, 30 Heath St, 31 Heath St, 32 Heath St, 33 Heath St, 34 Heath St
- When will I move?
Phase One will take a decade or more to complete, and most families will not be asked to relocate until many years from now. Redevelopment will start at a corner of the site with few existing apartment units, which will allow for limited initial demolition followed by new construction of a proportionally greater number of new replacement apartment. This is a key strategy in our aim to have families move only one time to the greatest extent possible from their current apartments into newly built apartments. Construction of the first buildings will begin in 2022 or 2023, and construction will precede gradually with new buildings approximately every two years.
- Where will I live?
Because the redevelopment involves demolition and new construction, every household in the redevelopment area will need to move at some point. BHA will ensure that all households are moved to apartments that meet all of their household needs in terms of size (number of bedrooms) and other attributes (for example, wheelchair accessibility or other features). To the greatest extent possible, families will only need to move once, from their current apartments into newly built apartments.
Current households will have a priority to stay in the Mildred C. Hailey community or—if temporary relocation is required—a Right to Return to a newly built apartment. The only exceptions would be instances of eviction (for serious lease violations) or if a family voluntarily opts for a permanent relocation to other BHA housing or to move out of BHA housing entirely.
- Will there be changes to the streets that run through the Mildred C. Hailey community?
Yes, new streets will be constructed as part of the redevelopment. Lamartine Street will be extended from Centre Street to Heath Street. Bickford Street will be extended from Parker Street to the new Lamartine Street. The new streets will have traffic calming measures, including three raised pedestrian intersections.
The new Lamartine Street design is intended to reduce cut-through traffic. The new Lamartine Street is designed as one-way from Centre Street to the new Building 4 garage entrance, and then as two-way for the remainder of the street. There will be a divider on Heath Street to limit left-turns from Heath Street onto Lamartine Street, and from Lamartine Street onto Heath Street. See the March 8, 2021 Article 80 slide deck for images of this design.
- Housing affordability is often described in terms of “Area Median Income” or AMI—What is AMI?
Household incomes vary by regions, just as the general cost of living varies from one part of the country to another; and housing affordability must be measured in relation to the regions general level of income. An area’s median income is the middle income for that area: Half of households in the area earn less than the median income, and half of households in the area earn more. In Boston, for example, the Area Median Income for 4-person households in 2020 was $119,000 per year. (New figures will be published for 2021.)
In order to ensure affordability, housing may be restricted to applicants based on their household incomes. For example, when we say that we will restrict an apartment unit to households at 60% AMI, we mean that applicants (at the time of lease signing) cannot earn more than the 60% AMI limit. If a family of four is applying for a 60% AMI apartment in Boston, in order to be eligible at the time of application, the family cannot earn more than $71,400 per year, which is 60% of $119,000 (the Area Median Income in Boston for a family of four).
Income limits vary by household size, and are updated annually as the Area Median Income changes. Below is a chart of AMI limits for Boston as of 2020.
- What will be the rents for the replacement units? What are the different income tiers?
All of the public housing replacement units will be Section 8 units, and Section 8—just like public housing—sets rent at 30% of each household’s income. If a resident loses a job or cuts back on work hours (and income goes down), the resident’s rent will be adjusted accordingly.
The additional new housing (above the 253 replacement units) will also be affordable, but the affordability will be set at a range of income tiers: 50% AMI, 60% AMI, 80% AMI, and up to 120% AMI.
- Where will the new Anna Mae Cole Center be located?
The new Anna Mae Cole Center will be in the first level of Building 1A. We expect Building 1A will be the first to go into construction.
- How long will construction last?
Construction will happen in stages (building by building), and the exact timing will depend on the availability of City and State funding resources. We anticipate that the overall Phase One redevelopment will take more than 10 years, with the first buildings breaking ground in 2022. The team will provide schedule updates to all residents as we near construction on each phase.
Contact: Email: info@haileyapartments.com | Phone: 617-989-9317 |
Website: http://haileyapartments.com
The portion of Mildred C. Hailey Apartments outlined in red is currently the only portion of the site in redevelopment planning. Impacted buildings include 295 Centre, 297 Centre, 285 Centre, 287 Centre, 275 Centre, 277 Centre, 279 Centre, 265 Centre, 267 Centre, 50 Lamartine, 52 Lamartine, 960 Parker, 962 Parker, 964 Parker, 24 Heath, 25 Heath, 26 Heath, 27 Heath, 28 Heath, 29 Heath, 30 Heath, 31 Heath, 32 Heath, 33 Heath, 34 Heath.
For maintenance and repair issues: BHA Management Office, 30 Bickford Street, 617-988-5281
Mildred C. Hailey Apartments 
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