Mattapan, MA NEI General Contracting, the award-winning affordable housing general contracting firm, has been selected to oversee construction of the new 150 River Street Village senior housing project, which represents a collaboration between Caribbean Integration Community Development (CICD) and the Archdiocese of Boston’s Planning Office for Urban Affairs (POUA). Designed by DMS Design, LLC the project broke ground on March 28^th and a ground breaking ceremony was held on June 12^th.

As demand for affordable housing continues to outstrip supply, projects like River Street Village are essential to helping vulnerable populations like older adults find safe haven. The local community worked closely with the developers and the Archdiocese to ensure the project not only addressed the need for affordable housing but also incorporated features that would make it a place to call home for years to come.

When River Street Village is complete, it will contain 30 one-bedroom units that are affordable for those making anywhere from 30% to 70% of the local median income. There will be an emphasis on community space and a public garden, as well as proximity to public transportation. Other features will include details that help older adults stay connected to each other and to the community, including an indoor community room, living room/common area, and laundry facilities.

The groundbreaking ceremony was attended by numerous dignitaries and affordable housing advocates, including lieutenant. governor Kim Driscoll, bishop Peter Uglietto, Valerie Burton, president of the River Street Civic Association, and CICD director Donald Alexis. Representatives from NEI were on hand as well, including superintendent Cliff Wright who was instrumental in addressing feedback and concerns from abutters in the tight-knit community.

“We’re thrilled to partner with our longtime contractor, NEI, on a project that addresses the affordable housing crisis by providing housing for residents to safely and comfortably age in place, on a long-vacant site in Mattapan,” said Bill Grogan, president of the Planning Office for Urban Affairs. “We believe, above all, that everyone deserves an affordable place to call home. The 150 River St. Village will provide housing for those who are getting priced out of the City of Boston and will allow our residents to age comfortably within their community of existing supports.”

“We are pleased to kick off yet another project that will deliver much-needed housing stock to areas in need, and help older adults find a comfortable dwelling that allows them to remain in the Mattapan community,” said Marisa Somers, project executive, NEI. “This has truly been a collaborative effort to work with CICD, the POUA, and the community at large to get this project off the ground, and we look forward to their continued partnership.”