Boston to Top City Libraries With Affordable Housing

By Diana Ionescu, Planetizen 

Three public libraries will be rebuilt or renovated to include hundreds of affordable housing units.

Boston will place affordable housing above three of its public libraries, reports Troy Aidan Sambajon in the Christian Science Monitor.

According to Sambajon, “Boston began exploring the idea of combining housing and libraries in 2018 through a partnership between the city’s Housing Innovation Lab and the Boston Public Library. The initiative identified city-owned parcels that could support both civic space and new homes.” 

Three neighborhods — West End, Uphams Corner, and Chinatown — were selected for the project. In Uphams Corner, the renovated 1904 library will include 33 affordable housing units, available for both rental and ownership. “The homes will include a mix of layouts, including three bedrooms, two bedrooms, and studios, for households earning between 80% and 100% of area median income.” In Chinatown, a long-awaited library branch will include 110 affordable apartments. 

FULL STORY: Writing a new chapter, Boston stacks homes above libraries