South Boston NDC receives funding for McDevitt Senior Homes

South Boston Neighborhood Development Corporation was awarded $5,145,000 from the Mayor’s Office of Housing and the Community Preservation Fund for its McDevitt Senior Homes project.

The announcement of 17 new affordable housing projects across eight neighborhoods was made by Mayor Michelle Wu at the Blessed Sacrament Church in Jamaica Plain Thursday morning. The $67 million total outlay will help build 802 units of affordable housing.

“South Boston NDC is grateful for funding support from the City of Boston, which will allow us to create affordable senior housing for our most vulnerable residents,” said Donna Brown, Executive Director of South Boston NDC. “Funding for McDevitt Senior Homes will enable elderly residents to age in community, with the supportive services they need. We applaud the city’s commitment to providing critical resources to address our housing needs.”

The Paraclete Board of Directors voted to enter into a purchase and sale agreement with South Boston NDC for the former St. Augustine’s convent. The Paraclete, which ceased after-school programming in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic, will use the proceeds from the sale to establish a fund for scholarships to support local youth, continuing its dedication to the educational advancement of children in the South Boston neighborhood.

The McDevitt Senior Homes project includes the creation of 35 units of affordable housing for very low-income seniors and one unit for a resident manager. The design will repurpose the five-story existing building and preserve unique features such as the front yard, entrance way, facade, and 5th-floor solarium, while expanding the building with a 12,985-square-foot addition in the rear yard.

“Affordable housing is the foundation that everything else needs to be built upon,” said Mayor Wu, noting that treasured community spaces are being maintained and even expanded in uses that match the needs of communities.

“We are partnering with the community and using every tool that the city has to urgently address Boston’s housing crisis,” said Mayor Wu. “These housing awards represent significant investments in making our communities stronger and more affordable, ensuring that Boston remains a place that current residents, families, and future generations can call home. I’m grateful to the Neighborhood Housing Trust and the Community Preservation Committee for their leadership and as we continue our work to build a Boston for everyone.”

Sheila Dillon, Chief of Housing, said this portfolio of projects includes both rental and homeownership opportunities, family, senior housing, and supportive housing. “All of these developments will benefit and strengthen our residents, our communities, and our city.”