City Of Boston Celebrates Construction Start On Final Parcels Of Welcome Home, Boston Phase I

The Erie/Glenway development marks a milestone in the City's effort to expand affordable homeownership

Mayor Michelle Wu today announced that the City of Boston has officially started construction on the final parcels of development for Welcome Home, Boston (WHB) Phase I, marking a major milestone in the City's effort to expand affordable homeownership opportunities for Boston residents. The closing of the African Community Economic Development of New England's (ACEDONE) Erie/Glenway project marks the completion of all Phase I transactions, and all teams are now in construction.

With all 13 parcels in Phase I now under construction, the initiative is actively building 72 new affordable homes across Dorchester neighborhoods. The Erie/Glenway project, which broke ground in mid-November, will deliver nine new homes across three buildings. Other developments by Boston Communities, Dorchester Design Collaborative, and Norfolk Design & Construction are each in various stages of construction and will be completed in 2026.

"The Wu Administration has made increasing homeownership rates in Boston a reality," said Sheila A. Dillon, Chief of Housing. "Through affordable housing development, downpayment assistance, and lower-interest mortgage products, we're helping residents own a piece of the city they love, while also ensuring our programs serve both BIPOC families and development teams."

Launched during Mayor Wu's 2023 State of the City address, Welcome Home, Boston aims to close the racial wealth gap by increasing homeownership opportunities for Boston residents while supporting developers of color and small local builders.

Phase II of the initiative is now underway, with the first project at the VIBE/MCMI team's Ballou and Selden Street development in Mattapan set to begin construction. That project will deliver 18 new homes across five City-owned parcels. Additional closings for Phase II are scheduled through winter 2025-2026, bringing 72 more homes to neighborhoods in Roxbury, Dorchester, and Mattapan.

Development teams in Phases I and II include Dorchester Design Collaborative, Codman Square Neighborhood Development Corporation, Boston Neighborhood Community Land Trust, African Community Economic Development of New England (ACEDONE), and others. By providing developers with City-owned land, capital, and technical support, the City is creating more affordable homes and building community wealth.

This summer, Mayor Wu announced Welcome Home, Boston Phase III, making 11 additional City-owned parcels available for redevelopment into more than 30 new homes for first-time, middle-income homebuyers in Hyde Park, Roslindale, Dorchester, and Roxbury. Developers were encouraged to utilize efficient, cost-effective, and sustainable construction methods that align with Boston's carbon neutrality and resilience goals. Following the RFP deadline in October, the City received 11 eligible proposals, which will be presented to community members in December.

"MassHousing is excited for the first-time homebuyers who will purchase a home affordably and be able to put down roots in the city with all the benefits of owning their own homes," said MassHousing CEO Chrystal Kornegay. "We share the city's commitment in confronting the housing challenges facing our residents and are thrilled for the future owners of these new homes who will be able to start building wealth they may someday pass on to the new generations."

The Welcome Home, Boston program builds on the work of the Boston Home Center, which offers homebuyer education, downpayment and closing cost assistance, and the One+Boston mortgage program to help first-time homebuyers build stability and wealth.

Under Mayor Michelle Wu's leadership, Boston has made historic progress toward creating and preserving homes that residents can afford. Since the start of her first term, the City has produced or begun construction on more than 18,000 new homes, including thousands of income-restricted units, and has launched new policies to make it easier, faster, and less expensive to build housing across every neighborhood. Mayor Wu has directed record levels of investment to prevent displacement, expand affordable homeownership, and support renters and homeowners who face housing instability.

Through innovative programs like the Housing Accelerator Fund, Welcome Home Boston, and the Housing with Public Assets initiative, the City is finding new ways to create housing on public land, convert vacant buildings into homes, and support residents in building wealth and stability. The Mayor's focus on climate and health has also made Boston a national leader in green and energy-efficient housing. Together, these efforts are helping to make Boston a city where every resident can have a safe, stable, and affordable home, and where communities can grow stronger for generations to come.

• Published by: Housing