Master Plan FAQs

Frequently Asked Questions about the Mildred C. Hailey Redevelopment

• Who are the developers for Mildred Hailey redevelopment?

The Centre Street Partners were designated by the Boston Housing Authority (“BHA”) to redevelop a portion of the Mildred C. Hailey Apartments. Centre Street Partners is comprised of three Boston-based non-profits: Jamaica Plain Neighborhood Development Corporation (“JPNDC”), The Community Builders (“TCB”), and Urban Edge (“UE”). Like the BHA, these organizations each have a decades-long mission to preserve and expand affordable housing and promote community development.

• What is happening?

The redevelopment are includes seven existing residential buildings—with a total of 253 public housing apartment units—plus the existing Anna Mae Cole Center. The redevelopment will replace all 253 existing public housing apartments with equally affordable Section 8 housing, construct approximately 420 new housing units restricted at a variety of income tiers including new affordable and moderate-rate units, and a construct new Anna Mae Cole Community Center.

• What buildings are included in the redevelopment area?

The redevelopment area is outlined in orange in the image below:

• When will residents move?

When residents will move depends on which phase of the redevelopment a household lives in.  Each household will receive a series of notices, including a “120-day” notice when a relocation apartment that meets each households’ needs is identified. The redevelopment will take more than a decade to complete. Redevelopment will start at a corner of the site near the Anna Mae Cole Center with few existing apartment units, which will allow for limited initial demolition followed by new construction of a proportionally greater number of new replacement apartments. This is a key strategy  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 2023. Construction will proceed gradually with new buildings approximately every two years.

Construction Phasing

                                                       

• Where will residents live?

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). 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. Residents facing 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 not have a Right to Return to a newly built apartment.

• What relocation assistance and benefits will residents be entitled to?

BHA will fully support all relocating families. That includes personalized counseling and moving assistance conducted by Judy Cohn Relocation Consulting. BHA will cover all reasonable relocation costs, including packing materials and assistance, the cost of moves, and any fees incurred in starting and stopping utilities. BHA will cover the costs of moves out from each family’s original apartment and also moves back into new apartments. If an existing BHA household moves early on their own before relocation begins, they may lose relocation benefits that the household would otherwise be entitled to, including financial assistance and the right to return to a new apartment.

• Will there be changes to the streets that run through the Mildred C. Hailey community?

Yes, new streets will be constructed. Lamartine Street may extend 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. 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.

                                             

• Housing affordability is often described by “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.  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 order to ensure affordability, housing may be restricted to applicants based on their household incomes. Income limits vary by household size, and are updated annually as the Area Median Income changes every year.

• How are the rents set for the replacement units? What are the different income tiers?

All of the public housing replacement units will be Section 8 Project-Based Voucher (“Section 8 PBV”) units with rents set at 30% of each household’s income including additional new housing Section 8 PBV units. If a resident loses a job or cuts back on work hours (and income goes down), the resident’s rent will be adjusted accordingly. All utilities will be included for Section 8 PBV units. The additional new housing (above the 253 replacement units) will also be income-restricted, but the affordability will be set at a range of income tiers including 50% AMI, 60% AMI, 80% AMI, and up to 120% AMI.

• Who will own and manage the newly built housing?

The new housing will be owned by an affiliate of Centre Street Partners (either TCB, JPNDC, or UE) and will be privately managed.

• Where will the new Anna Mae Cole Center be located?

The new Anna Mae Cole Center will be in the first level of the first building to go into construction, 2 Lamartine Street. The Anna Mae Cole Center will be approximately 6,800 square feet, which is roughly the same size as the existing Anna Mae Cole Center, but with more usable space. The new center will feature an open court, multi-purpose rooms, and a kitchen.  To learn more about buildings 2 and 6 Lamartine Street, please refer to the 2 and 6 Lamartine FAQ page.