Affordable Housing
The people who make Southie special should be able to afford to live here.
More than 9,800 new residents have moved into our community since 2000, increasing South Boston’s population by 32.7%.
Our new neighbors have increased the overall wealth of our community. Median household income in South Boston increased 131% during that time frame – by far the largest increase of any Boston neighborhood.
These changes do have positive effects, including increased home values and a larger customer base, with more disposable income, to support local businesses. But these changes do not benefit all residents equally, and the need for supportive services and programs has only increased.
Since 2010:
Median rents have increased 28%
1,000 more households receive SNAP benefits (food stamps)
102% more seniors, and 70% more children are living in poverty
Although the increasing number of wealthier residents means a smaller percentage of people are living in poverty, the number of seniors and children living below the poverty level in South Boston has increased.
While there are three large public housing projects owned by the Boston Housing Authority in South Boston, they primarily serve the very lowest income-earners, those making below 30% AMI, and have lengthy waiting lists.
South Boston NDC serves a growing number of low- and middle-income earners who are not eligible for public housing but cannot afford the skyrocketing market-rate housing prices.
As of 2024, we own and manage 171 apartments and three retail spaces across 16 buildings, serving more than 215 tenants, including 79 seniors and 30 veterans.
Our mission is to help South Boston residents find housing they can afford, so they can stay in our neighborhood. To join our waiting list, call our office at 617-268-9610 or use the button below to email us.
Housing Counseling
If you have received a notice to quit, your landlord plans to sell your building, or you are at risk of losing your home, these resources may also be useful to you:
Self-guided eviction help from Greater Boston Legal Services
Understand what a landlord must do to evict you
Know your rights as a tenant
Other Housing Help
We have compiled a list of resources to help people and families in search of affordable housing in and around Boston.
Our Portfolio
O’Connor Way
Senior Homes
Our building at 5 O’Connor Way provides 46 affordable one-bedroom apartments for income-eligible people of at least 62 years of age. In addition, the development includes one manager’s unit, a community room, a laundry room, and a manager’s office. Tenants benefit from an on-site resident manager as well as a senior advocate.
South Boston NDC and Caritas Communities were designated by the Boston Housing Authority as co-developers for this project, which is located on a formerly vacant site adjacent to Mary Ellen McCormack housing development. The building opened in late 2020.
Traditional South Boston
Multi-Family Buildings
One of the most effective tools in preventing displacement of neighborhood residents is to convert traditional market-rate multi-family buildings into permanently affordable homes.
One-third of South Boston NDC’s portfolio is composed of formerly market-rate, multi-family buildings located across the neighborhood. Most recently, we leveraged the City of Boston’s new Acquisition Opportunity Program in 2019 to purchase an occupied 15-unit property which will become majority affordable housing.
In light of South Boston’s extraordinarily competitive housing market, lack of developable land, and the extremely high cost of constructing new homes, acquiring existing buildings allows us to continue increasing the number of affordable homes available to the community.
206 West Broadway Workforce Housing
The 16 units of affordable, transit-oriented workforce housing and cafe space at 206 West Broadway were developed on a formerly city-owned parcel. The building opened in the summer of 2019. This innovative project was designed to address the housing needs of local employees, including those in the nearby hospitality industry, or just starting their careers in Boston, with rents on a sliding scale according to income.
The building is located directly on two bus lines and is just 0.2 miles from the Broadway MBTA station; features cutting-edge heating and cooling systems; indoor, secure bike parking for each unit, and tenants are encouraged to sign a “Car Free Pledge” in exchange for a discounted MBTA pass.
Taylor’s Market: Mixed-Use on West Broadway
In 1997 South Boston NDC renovated a vacant historic site into seven affordable apartments and two commercial spaces which contribute to the vibrant West Broadway business district.
To bring this former neighborhood market building back to productive use, South Boston NDC received assistance from the state-funded Housing Stabilization Fund and a loan from the Massachusetts Historical Commission. Funding through LISC’s Green Retrofit Initiative supported energy efficiency upgrades to Taylor’s Market, as well as several other South Boston NDC buildings.
Today, the ground-floor storefront spaces at Taylor’s Market are home to Sweet Tooth Bakery and Micro Plant Studio.
Patriot Homes for Veterans
Twenty-four affordable homes for Veterans and their families opened in November 2016 in a formerly vacant police station on D Street. Patriot Homes comprises 12 studios, 2 one-bedroom apartments, and 10 two-bedroom apartments at rents affordable to Veterans earning below-median incomes.
Six units are reserved for formerly homeless Veterans, who receive wrap-around services through partner organizations to ensure their tenure at Patriot Homes is stable and successful. All residents also benefit from on-site property management and support services. The property features laundry facilities, a common room, and a patio for residents, and it is just steps away from the #9 bus route and the rapidly expanding West Broadway business district.
West Fourth Street
Senior Homes
In addition to O’Connor Way, South Boston NDC provides housing for seniors in the St. Vincent’s Lower End neighborhood with 18 one-bedroom apartments for ages 55 and older on West Fourth Street.
In 2018, South Boston NDC purchased this occupied rental building from a private, for-profit owner based outside of Boston.
Through a partnership with the South Boston Neighborhood House, West Fourth Street residents now have access to a part-time senior services coordinator who is on-site twice a week to ensure residents receive the services and benefits they need and deserve. Many West Fourth Street tenants are lifelong South Boston residents.