Today, city and state officials joined Caritas Communities, Inc., to cut the ribbon on newly renovated homes for 40 low-income men and women. Located on Cortes Street in Boston’s Bay Village area, the affordable apartments are owned and managed by Caritas Communities and are subsidized through 40 Project-Based Section 8 Vouchers from the Boston Housing Authority.
 
The Cortes St. homes were originally built in approximately 1875 and located in a certified historic district of Boston. The property includes 4 townhouses, 3 of which are interconnected, and was last renovated in 1992.
 
The buildings have since been transformed from single-room-occupancy only units to 12 studio apartments with private baths and kitchens and 28 single-room occupancy units with private baths and shared kitchens.
 
The buildings were completely gutted and modernized, including new windows, mechanical, HVAC, life safety systems, and roofing, along with exterior pointing. All rooms are fully furnished and now feature beautifully updated common rooms and shared common kitchens.
 
“Now as a result of the renovations,” Mark Winkeller, Executive Director of Caritas Communities stated, “the units are updated for the first time in many years and each tenant has their own private bathroom.”
The affordable apartments are conveniently located within minutes of the Financial District, Back Bay, public transportation, shopping, healthcare centers, places of worship and public recreation facilities, which makes life much easier for the tenants.  The units also have modern amenities including elevators, laundry facilities, 24 hour maintenance, and an on-site house manager.
 
“The Boston Housing Authority is pleased to be part of the team to provide these updated, more private residences in the heart of downtown for low income individuals who would otherwise not be able to live here,” said BHA Administrator Bill McGonagle.
 
Joining Winkeller at the event were partners Sheila Dillon, Boston’s Chief of Housing and Director of the Department of Neighborhood Development; Crystal Kornegay, Undersecretary of the Massachusetts Department of Housing and Community Development; and Bill McGonagle, Administrator of the Boston Housing Authority.
 
About Caritas Communities, Inc.

Caritas Communities, Inc. is a nonprofit organization founded in 1985 by P. Leo Corcoran, a real estate developer with a commitment to providing affordable housing for low-income Massachusetts residents. Caritas began with a single “triple decker” property in the neighborhood of Dorchester and now owns and manages 29 properties with 895 units of affordable housing for residents of Boston and thirteen surrounding communities. Caritas’ work is supported by public-private partnerships with the Massachusetts Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) and area cities and towns. Caritas received the Massachusetts Housing and Shelter Alliance “Cornerstone” Award in 2012.  For more information, please go to www.caritascommunities.org .

About Boston Authority (BHA)

Boston Housing Authority (BHA) provides affordable housing to more than 58,000 residents in and around the City of Boston. Residents are assisted through a combination of public housing and federal and state voucher subsidy programs that provide a wide variety of housing opportunities. As the largest public housing authority in New England, the BHA houses close to 9 percent of the city's residents.

Our mission is to provide stable, quality affordable housing for low and moderate income persons; to deliver these services with integrity and mutual accountability; and to create living environments which serve as catalysts for the transformation from dependency to economic self-sufficiency.