Welcome Home, Boston
Mayor Wu wants to help Bostonians to buy a home and build wealth that will benefit them and their families for generations.
Mayor Wu and the City Council have allotted $58 million in American Rescue Plan (ARPA) funding to do the following:
- Fast track the production of new affordable homes by making 150 parcels of City-owned land available for new homeownership opportunities in Boston’s neighborhoods. We first engaged the community about 70 City-owned lots just north and south of Harambee Park on Blue Hill Avenue where we propose to make these new homes a reality.
- Help more Bostonians become homeowners by teaching them what they need to know to buy a home, repair their credit, and pre-qualify for new City of Boston-backed mortgage products. These new mortgage products will increase the buying power of eligible Bostonians by as much as 10 percent with forgivable grants of up to $100,000.
Phase 1 Public Comment
The Mayor's Office of Housing (MOH) is evaluating the eligible responses to the Welcome Home, Boston Phase 1 RFP received on June 9, 2023.
The RFP offered 20 vacant City-owned parcels located in the Dorchester neighborhood of the City of Boston for development opportunities focused on affordable homeownership.
Please share your thoughts, comments, and questions with the MOH RFP Evaluation Committee.
The deadline for public comments is September 28, 2023.
Upcoming Events
Upcoming EventsBuilding New Homes
The City of Boston is building brand new homes on approximately 150 sites in Boston’s neighborhoods.
New homes to be built will range from single-family homes to duplexes and townhouses, with a few multi-family condominiums. Depending upon the property, qualified buyers are those earning below 80 or 100 percent of Area Median Income.
Map of Sites
These homes will provide new opportunities for Bostonians currently priced out of the market to own their own homes. The homes will foster mixed-income communities. They will also strengthen the fabric of Boston’s neighborhoods by returning empty lots to productive use.
Community Engagement
During the Fall of 2022, MOH engaged with our neighbors about 70 of the 150 parcels that have been identified as potential sites for building new, affordable homes. This first cluster of 70 sites is largely in City Council District 4, just north and south of Talbot Avenue at Blue Hill Avenue. Sales of these newly built properties will create more affordable homeownership opportunities, hopefully for more BIPOC residents.
- Two neighborhood association meetings with State Representative Russell Holmes and City Councilor Brian Worrell to inform stakeholders about the proposed building program and the new homeownership opportunities
- A postcard mailing to over 20,000 residents in the two catchment areas informing them of the program and opportunities, and inviting them to participate in the discussion about what should be built on these sites
- A neighborhood open house where more than 100 residents attended, asked questions, and offered their opinions
- Two sets of office hours with Neighborhood Housing Development and Boston Home Center staff for residents to ask questions about the proposed programs and processes, and to voice their opinions on what should be built
- A neighborhood site walk and discussion
- Focus groups with various stakeholder groups
- An online survey
- A virtual meeting on February 15 to discuss the first Request for Proposals. View the meeting slideshow, the design slideshow and the parcel map.
- 240 were Black
- 44 Hispanic or Latinx
- 205 were from Dorchester, Mattapan or Roxbury
- 53 were 35 and under
- 272 were tenants
- 33 were property owners
The top priorities of survey respondents were deeper levels of affordability, quantity of units, and creation of family-sized units (two-bedroom and larger).
Overall, respondents were excited about the prospect of owning a home in their neighborhood. Some requested that neighborhood residents be given a preference in purchasing the homes. They asked for open space, large units, and better public transit.
Generally, priorities were similar across racial groups. Tenants and property owners had similar priorities. However, tenants ranked neighborhood context fit and parking higher than property owners. Young people were less likely than older respondents to prioritize neighborhood context fit and speed of construction.
In addition to the survey, MOH conducted three focus groups. In each 10 to 15 person group, participants mentioned the desire for homeownership opportunities and a preference for larger units and outdoor space. Participants in all three focus groups noted that parking is a necessity without nearby public transportation.
Help for Homebuyers
The Boston Home Center offers other financial assistance to help you get you the best deal possible when buying a home.
If you don't know where to start, the BHC offers classes that not only teach you what you need to know, but may help you qualify for financial assistance. There are also informational events that are scheduled every other month that can help you understand how to get ready to buy a home.
Do you need to repair your credit? The BHC will help you do that as well.
Homeownership Lotteries
Homes built by the Mayor’s Office of Housing are made available to qualified residents through a lottery program. To qualify, you must meet the following criteria:
- Earn less than the Maximum Household Limits at 100 percent of Area Median Income (AMI)
- Be a first-time homebuyer who has completed an approved homebuyer education course and meets the minimum household size for the offered property
