Chelsea Chosen To Take Part in State’s Complete Neighborhoods Partnership

Chelsea is among the communities recently selected to participate in a new state program aimed at supporting walkable, affordable neighborhoods near downtowns, transit, and local jobs and daily necessities.

In Chelsea, the $150,000 in funding over the five years of the program will be targeted at the area surrounding the Mystic Mall Silver Line Station and Everett Avenue.

The Complete Neighborhood Partnership is a new state program administered by the Massachusetts Housing Partnership. The Chelsea award will be overseen by the city’s Department of Housing and Community Development. Funding for the program comes from the state’s 2021 economic development bond bill.

Over recent years, the area near the Mystic Mall Silver Line Station and Everett Avenue bordering Everett has experienced market rate development, but lacks a strategic plan to responsibly inform future housing growth and prevent displacement, according to state and city officials.

“The Complete Neighborhoods Partnership is a terrific opportunity for our city to envision equitable, affordable housing and upward economic mobility opportunities near public transit,” said Alex Train, Chelsea’s Director of Housing and Community Development. “We look forward to collaborating with MHP and the community at large to equitably plan for the future of this neighborhood.”

The Housing and Community Development will be looking to advance affordable and mixed-income housing development opportunities in the district on underutilized land, especially on land along Everett Avenue, Third Street, and Carter Street. As part of the effort, the city will perform site planning, architectural design, financial modeling, and general pre-development work on priority sites to unlock a range of affordable housing opportunities.

The project will be closely coordinated with the West Chelsea Economic Development Study, which seeks to create a community driven blueprint for responsible growth in the district ahead of the Silver Line Extension.

“We look forward to working with the City of Chelsea to advance our shared goals of increasing affordable housing and creating walkable neighborhoods that address the Commonwealth’s housing, transportation and climate priorities,” said MHP Director of Community Assistance, Laura Shufelt.

She added that through this program, Chelsea aims to increase a range of affordable housing opportunities, centered on shrinking the racial wealth gap. In particular, this includes initiatives to boost the local homeownership rate, especially for first generation residents of color, as a tool to close the racial wealth gap, while improving the quality and range of choices in affordable housing. In addition, the city plans to preserve existing industrial uses while promoting sustainable and green industrial uses, particularly

along the Beacham/Williams corridor.

Chelsea was recently honored by MHP with one of its Housing Hero Awards for its work keeping residents housed during COVID-19. Chelsea served as a leader during the pandemic when they established an innovative emergency rental assistance program, deployed a robust housing legal services program, created a rapid rehousing system, and designed and established an emergency shelter program to ensure all residents, regardless of immigration status, have a safety net, according to the MHP.

MHP is a state non-profit organization that uses bank funds and other capital sources to support affordable housing. The Complete Neighborhoods Partnership is part of MHP’s Complete

Neighborhoods Initiative, which is supporting state efforts to promote more housing near transit, town centers and jobs. It includes “3A-TA” technical assistance to help MBTA communities comply with the state’s new multifamily zoning requirement.

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