Press Release: 10/1/2025

Healey-Driscoll Administration Creating More Affordable Homes on former Boston State Hospital Campus

 



New Development, Olmsted Village, to Include 287 New Rental and Ownership Homes



FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:



10/01/2025



MEDIA CONTACT



Hannah Carrillo, Director of External Affairs



 Phone



Call Hannah Carrillo, Director of External Affairs at (857) 421-9298



 Online



Email Hannah Carrillo, Director of External Affairs at hannah.carrillo@mass.gov



Olmsted Village map view



BOSTON — This week, the Healey-Driscoll Administration closed on the conveyance of a 10-acre parcel on the former Boston State Hospital campus, selling the land to development team Lena New Boston II and 2Life Development Inc., for the development of Olmsted Village- 287 new homes, 86% of which are expected to be made permanently affordable. The redevelopment of the roughly 175-acre campus was legislatively authorized by Chapter 60 of the Acts of 1994 and this 10-acre disposition is also part of the State Land for Homes initiative, which fast-tracks housing development on surplus state-owned land such as this. 



“This closing is an important milestone, initiating redevelopment of one of the final parcels of this 175-acre campus,” said Governor Maura Healey. “The new homes that will be built on this site, alongside amenities such as childcare and community centers, will provide a great place for seniors and young people alike to build their futures.”  



Olmsted Village will consist of three components:




  • Brooke House- featuring a six-story building with 127 units of affordable rental senior housing as well as a community center, medical suite and childcare center on the ground floor.

  • Treehouse- a four-story building with 66 affordable intergenerational units of housing, designed to facilitate mentorship and support between seniors and youth.

  • 94 mixed-income homeownership units. 



“This project will create homes for some of our most vulnerable residents, in addition to dedicated spaces to build community and mutual support,” said Lieutenant Governor Kim Driscoll. “This development, and the redevelopment of this campus at large, demonstrates the power of repurposing public land for the public good, something our administration is committed to continuing to expand upon.”   



In addition to the new homes that will be built, the development team is also providing funding in support of local community groups that benefit the surrounding area and must provide a contribution to the Boston State Community Trust Fund. Finally, the site will include amenities such as:




  • An intermodal pathway to connect the community from Harvard Street to the Boston Nature Center

  • A 14-person shuttle for residents

  • Two community centers on site

  • A childcare facility 



"Olmsted Village continues to build a true community on the former Boston State Hospital campus while returning long-vacant public land to the local tax rolls,” said Ed Augustus, secretary of the Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities. “With 2Life Development’s integrated design, community center, medical suite and on-site childcare within easy reach of permanently affordable homes, this intergenerational model brings seniors and families together. The Commonwealth is proud to support this next chapter at the Boston State Hospital campus.”



“Access to housing is fundamental for good health and equity outcomes.” said Secretary of Health and Human Services Kiame Mahaniah. “I am grateful that Governor Healey is thinking creatively and leaving no stone unturned when it comes to creating affordable housing for the people of Massachusetts.”



“The transformation of the former Boston State Hospital exemplifies our approach of ensuring that every state asset is being used to meet the modern needs of Massachusetts's residents," said Administration and Finance Secretary Matthew J. Gorzkowicz. "We are proud to take this next step in the BSH redevelopment, and to continue creating much-needed housing through our State Land for Homes initiative."   



“Olmsted Village represents the latest milestone in the long-term redevelopment of this campus, which has realized the three parallel goals of housing production, community revitalization, and complementary neighborhood benefits,” said DCAMM Commissioner Adam Baacke. “I am proud of DCAMM’s role in facilitating this project into these final stages of redevelopment.”  



The former Boston State Hospital was closed in 1980 and has since been redeveloped into a lively mix of uses, including new rental and ownership housing, Mass Audubon’s Boston Nature Center, UMass Chan Medical School’s Mass Biologics, Brooke Charter Schools, Hearth Senior Housing, among others.   



“This land purchase represents a tremendous milestone in creating Olmsted Village, a hub of community benefits including housing that is deeply affordable for seniors and families, community-based childcare and healthcare, and local wealth generation through mixed income home ownership and job creation. It takes tremendous vision and commitment for complex projects like this to move from vision to reality,” said Lizbeth Heyer, President of 2Life Communities and Jerry Rappaport of the New Boston Fund. “We are deeply grateful to the Healey-Driscoll Administration, Commissioner Baake, and our entire legislative delegation for their leadership in making this state land available for Olmsted Village, as well as for their support of the projects that will follow. Building on the tremendous vision of the Boston State Community Advisory Council and the broader community and the momentum created by the Olmsted Green development over the last fifteen years, we are proud to be part of the Mattapan community and leading this landmark project."



Following today’s milestone, the development team will move forward with construction, anticipated to commence in early 2026. 



The Healey-Driscoll Administration has made housing a top priority, starting with the creation of the Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities in 2023. Since then, the Administration has initiated a comprehensive approach that includes passage of the $5 billion Affordable Homes Act, implementation of the MBTA Communities Law, creation of the Momentum Fund, the new State Land for Homes initiative to jumpstart housing production on state land, sizable increases in housing tax credits and subsidies and the elimination of renter-paid broker’s fees.As a result, more than 90,000 new homes have been built or are in development since Governor Healey took office. Most recently, the administration proposed reforms to the MEPA permitting process to guarantee environmental protections while ensuring that priority housing projects are not held back by excessive delay and red tape. These reforms will shorten the permit approval timeline for priority housing developments from one year to just 30 days.