JJ Carroll House, located in the Brighton neighborhood of Boston, illustrates the power of public-private partnerships to address the region’s growing housing crisis & serves as a model of affordable, service-enriched living. The development integrates healthcare & housing, promotes community-based senior living, and exceeds sustainability standards, all while providing housing that addresses the two biggest threats to optimal aging: loneliness & economic insecurity.
The Boston Housing Authority selected 2Life to redevelop its John J. Carroll Apartments in June 2019, following a competitive RFP. 2Life’s proposal included a plan to modernize the existing 64 public housing units & enhance the quality of housing & support services for existing JJ Carroll residents, while simultaneously adding much-needed affordable senior housing with supportive services & onsite health care services. 2Life worked closely with JJ Carroll residents & other stakeholders on a plan to replace the existing outdated buildings with a modern building that is more comfortable, energy efficient, & accessible. All 142 new apartments are affordable to households up to 60% AMI & have universal design & adaptability features aimed to keep residents living independently as their physical needs change. A lively ground floor Village Center includes accessible & flexible common spaces such as a multipurpose room, resale shop for upcycling household goods, neighborhood-oriented retail, & salon.
The new building includes an 11,000 sf PACE center operated by Element Care. PACE is a comprehensive health & wellness program that helps frail extremely low-income seniors meet their health care needs to keep them in their communities instead of going to a nursing home. An enclosed pedestrian bridge creates a year-round accessible connection directly to the rest of 2Life’s Brighton campus, which includes a library, fitness center, computer center, art room, state-of-the-art auditorium, & a wide variety of programs & services.
JJ Carrol is 2Life’s first Passive House building & will be the largest multifamily Passive House in MA & in the top 10 in the U.S. & Canada.
The JJ Carroll redevelopment is an example of design that powerfully engages with both the needs of communities and the constraints of affordable housing development. It sets an example to demonstrate how the needs and desires of many stakeholders can be brought into alignment when vision and leadership are strong.