Affordable Housing Development Competition 2020 Winners Announced

Post date
July 7, 2020

Press release per Federal Home Loan Bank of Boston with notes from CHAPA

The Federal Home Loan Bank Boston has announced the winners of the 2020 Affordable Housing Development Competition. CHAPA is proud to be a sponsor of the Competition, just completing its 20th consecutive season. 

As we endeavor to manage our public health and rebuild our economy during COVID-19, the need for affordable housing in New England has never been greater and remains a high regional priority. Affordability often eludes many populations including low- and middle-income earners such as teachers, first responders, health care workers, and service industry workers.

The Affordable Housing Development Competition continues to focus a new generation of thinkers on the interconnections between housing, health care, and economic opportunity. By matching graduate students with professionals, the competition provides the opportunity to combine classroom experience with real-world practice in affordable housing development. 

For the 20th Annual Affordable Housing Development Competition, five teams submitted design solutions for sites in Roxbury, Brighton, Natick, Somerville, and Brockton. These developments will be key to assuring that all residents have a place to call home. 

Wilson Gardens, a proposal to develop a 48-unit affordable multigenerational housing development for veterans in Natick received the first-place prize in the 20th Annual Affordable Housing Development Competition. The winning proposal, Wilson Gardens, was presented by a student team from Harvard University and MIT in collaboration with Metro West Collaborative Development, Elkus Manfredi Architects, and a finance mentor from Eastern Bank. 

Greenline Gardens, a transit-oriented development in Somerville with 53 units of affordable and workforce housing, presented in collaboration with the Preservation of Affordable Housing secured second place. Alyce Corner, a downtown Brockton redevelopment site with 94 affordable units, designed in conjunction with development partner NeighborWorks Housing Solutions, took third place. 

To read the full development proposals, please visit the Federal Home Loan BankBoston website.