For four long years, the Adams Court apartment complex in Mattapan sat empty as workers renovated the apartments into suitable housing for a wide-range of people searching for affordable housing. Last month, the Department of Neighborhood Development and the Nuestra Comunidad Development Corporation both gathered to reopen the complex.
The Adams Court apartment complex just reopend last month.
In 2004, both the DND and Nuestra Comunidad (a nonprofit development company based in Roxbury) acquired the Adams Court property and launched an extended rehab of the facilities. Residents and neighbors were excited to see a state and a nonprofit organization take control of the property, as a private developer would have likely followed the trend that most are these days – renovating buildings into condos tailored towards the wealthy.
Improvements to the Adams Court complex included upgrades to electrical, mechanical and fire systems; new insulation and windows; and the updating of kitchens and bathrooms. This all accompanied new construction that went on at the property as well. In all, construction took approximately 52 months.
The project was funded by both government tax credits and Section 8 vouchers, allowing the apartments to be marketed at about $900 per month (for a two bedroom unit) – a price that includes, parking, hot water, and heat. Adams Court is on the lower end in terms of pricing, as apartments with similar utilities packages run on average of $1,300 throughout Mattapan.
In total, Adams Court has 95 apartments, with either one, two, or three bedrooms. Of the 95 units, six are handicapped accessible, eight are designated for members of the state Department of Mental Health, and ten are set aside for former homeless families. Apartments like these are very difficult to find in Mattapan these days, which is why the reopening of Adams Court is seen as such as big moment.
With foreclosures sweeping across the area, Adams Court could be the beginning of numerous affordable housing projects taking place in the Mattapan area. This latest project, has been praised by many, seeing it as a return to the former glory of Adams Court, before the complex fell into massive disrepair. People are also excited to see an organization that is concerned with the overall state of the community in charge of such an important complex.
After the first month of operation, there have been few to no complaints regarding the extensive renovations.
Source: Bay State Banner
Image: Mass. Housing Project
Filed under: Boston, Massachusetts, Renovation, Residential
