Coalition for a Better Acre’s plan to develop a sober living community at 555 Merrimack Street in Lowell was given a boost by the Commonwealth on Thursday morning.
Sen. Kennedy joined Gov. Charlie Baker, Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito, Housing and Economic Development Secretary Mike Kennealy and Housing and Community Development Undersecretary Jennifer Maddox, as well as other local legislators and officials in Lawrence to announce affordable housing awards or 28 projects in 21 communities across the Commonwealth. These awards will advance the development of 1,526 new rental units, including 1,346 rental units affordable for low- and extremely low-income households.
The Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) and the Baker-Polito Administration awarded $93.3 million in direct subsidy funding and allocated $45.8 million in federal and state housing tax credits that will generate approximately $310 million in equity in support of these projects.
“Here in Massachusetts, we have seen the negative impacts of our housing crisis affect nearly every region. Through our new Housing Choice reforms, new programs, and increased capital investments, the Baker-Polito Administration is helping move great projects forward, more quickly,” said Kennealy. “Solving our housing crisis helps all of our households, enabling our working families to put down roots in communities, stabilize vulnerable families, and provide opportunities for cities and town to grow. We are excited to deploy federal recovery funding to supercharge the pipeline of affordable housing in Massachusetts.”
Coalition for a Better Acre plans to build a three-story building that will include ground floor retail space and 27 apartments – a mix of studio, one-bedroom, and two-bedroom units. The focus of the project is to provide affordable, permanent housing and appropriate programming and support service in partnership with Lowell House, Inc. for people who have been in recovery from a substance abuse disorder for at least one year.
Sen. Kennedy said he was particularly excited to see Coalition for a Better Acre’s latest project recognized by the DHCD because it tackles two pressing societal problems – a lack of affordable housing and support for those in recovery from substance abuse disorders.
“Remaining sober takes a lifetime effort for anyone who has battled addiction, “ said Kennedy. “Having an affordable place to live in a supportive community takes some of that stress away and will allow people to focus on their families, careers, and living their lives to their fullest.”
Studies have shown that people who simply go through a detox program with no continuing support have an 80-90 percent chance of relapsing; those who live in a recovery home without further support have a 30-40 percent relapse rate; those who live long-term sober houses or apartments relapse at a 10-20 percent rate.
All 27 units will be affordable to individuals or households earning less than 60% of the average median income (AMI), with eight units further restricted for individuals or households earning less than 30% of AMI and, in some cases, transitioning from homelessness.
The project will be built to Passive House standards, a design process that results in ultra-low-energy, efficient buildings and a reduced ecological footprint.
The $11million project will replace the former Lowell House, Inc. headquarters at 555 Merrimack St., a dilapidated, low-rise commercial building that sits along the Western Canal.