The City of Boston and Fenway Forward Celebrate the Grand Opening of 43 Hemenway Street

The Mayor’s Office of Housing today joined Fenway Forward, community partners, and residents to celebrate the grand opening of 43 Hemenway Street, a six-unit affordable homeownership development in the Fenway neighborhood. Supported by the funding from the Mayor’s Office of Housing, the project transformed an existing brick row house into six renovated, income-restricted condominiums, expanding opportunities for first-time homebuyers while preserving long-term affordability in the neighborhood.

“The City of Boston was pleased to participate in this important project that will create six new homeownership opportunities for Boston residents,” said Sheila A. Dillon, Chief of Housing. “The Mayor’s Office of Housing assisted Fenway Forward to purchase this existing building and convert it to stable, accessible homes for families within a market that is out of reach to many. The Mayor’s Office of Housing appreciates our partnership with Fenway Forward and their commitment to stabilizing our downtown neighborhoods.”

Positioned in one of Boston's most walkable and transit oriented locations, the first time homebuyers will be a 5-minute walk from the Emerald Necklace park system, Boston Symphony Hall, and grocery store, and the Green Line. 

The restored building includes a mix of studio, one-bedroom, and three-bedroom homes. Each condominium features renovated kitchens and bathrooms, hardwood floors, air conditioning and other improvements while maintaining the historic character of the property. The homes were priced for income-qualified households earning up to 80% and 100% of Area Median Income (AMI).

"These six new homes realize our community's vision for affordable homeownership and will enable first-time homebuyers to thrive in the Fenway," said Fenway Forward Executive Director Steven Farrell. "The transformation of 43 Hemenway Street into permanently affordable, income-restricted homes represents a 33% increase in affordable homeownership opportunities in the neighborhood. We are deeply grateful to our project partners who share our mission of providing homeownership opportunities to all income levels: the Mayor's Office of Housing, Charlesbank Homes Foundation, The Life Initiative, BILH Community Benefits Community Program, Eversource, Samuels & Associates, and Eastern Bank Foundation."

The Boston Home Center provided marketing services and technical assistance to support the developer and first-time homebuyers through the unit sales process. Buyers must be first-time homebuyers, use the property as their primary residence, meet income and asset requirements, complete an approved homebuyer education course before closing, and be Boston residents.

Under Mayor Michelle Wu’s leadership, Boston has expanded income-restricted homeownership opportunities at a record pace, helping more residents put down roots and build long-term wealth in the city. From 2022 through 2025, more than 1,000 income-restricted homeownership units were completed or under construction, the highest number for any four-year period in 27 years of City tracking. In 2025 alone, the City completed 265 new income-restricted homeownership units, the most in more than a decade. These efforts are creating more pathways to affordable homeownership for Boston residents and helping families build greater housing stability and financial security.

Boston has made historic progress toward creating and preserving homes that residents can afford. Since the start of Mayor Wu’s first term, the City has produced or begun construction on more than 18,000 new homes, including thousands of income-restricted units. The Mayor has launched new policies to make it easier, faster, and less expensive to build housing across every neighborhood.  In addition to the production of new housing, Mayor Wu has also directed record levels of investment to expand affordable homeownership and support renters and homeowners who face housing instability.

Through innovative programs like the Housing Accelerator Fund, Welcome Home Boston, and the Housing with Public Assets initiative, the City is finding new ways to create housing on public land, convert vacant buildings into homes, and support residents in building wealth and stability. The Mayor’s focus on climate and health has also made Boston a national leader in green and energy-efficient housing. Together, these efforts are helping to make Boston a city where every resident can have a safe, stable, and affordable home, and where communities can grow stronger for generations to come.