On Tuesday afternoon, The Neighborhood Developers (TND) and Roca unveiled the completion of Lewis Latimer Place, a four-unit supportive housing development situated on Shawmut Street at the site where Lewis Latimer was born.
Four two-bedroom homes have been constructed on what was previously a vacant lot, made possible through support from the City of Chelsea and various funding partners. Young pregnant and parenting families facing at-risk or high-risk circumstances will soon inhabit these newly built apartments. Located near downtown Chelsea’s many resources, Lewis Latimer Place offers residents affordable, energy-efficient and healthy housing options.
Ann Houston, Director of TND, explained the project’s origins: “fblikebutton_button” It’s hard enough to change risky behaviors and then to be a parent when you don’t have a home makes it so much harder. We thought about what we needed and looked at what would work and the Lewis Latimer home was born. This is four units and that’s a small drop in the bucket, but please see this as the first of many locations providing these types of housing and supports. “fblikebutton_button”
In 1848, Lewis Latimer was born in a structure that once stood at this location. As the son of a runaway slave, Latimer drew the plans for Alexander Graham Bell’s telephone patent and created a carbon filament that made electric lights more durable and economical. The plaque honoring Latimer, developed in collaboration with Chelsea’s Lewis H. Latimer Society—led by City Councillor Leo Robinson and his brother Ron Robinson—will be unveiled at the ribbon cutting.
Ron Robinson expressed the significance of the moment: “fblikebutton_button” This is a big day for us. We’ve been at it 18 years now to try to get something in Chelsea named for Lewis Latimer. We wanted to build a legacy and it’s forming now. Hopefully, three blocks up the street will be the Lewis Latimer Park…When we first started, there wasn’t a lot of information about him – a paragraph here or a museum there. We are now part of an organization united all along the eastern seaboard. We found this organization to use Latimer as a role model for young people to show that you can accomplish anything and overcome any obstacle with education. “fblikebutton_button”
This initiative joins TND and Roca in a collaborative partnership that combines affordable housing with services designed to meet family needs. Roca, a nationally recognized provider, has assisted over 20,000 young people in changing their lives. The organization brings its expertise in employment programming, parenting supports, life skills development, stage-based education, and interpersonal relationship work to serve residents.
According to Molly Baldwin, Founder and CEO of Roca: “fblikebutton_button” This is an exciting day. We are honored to collaborate with TND, the City of Chelsea and the funders on this great project. Supporting young people, one cluster of apartments at a time, will promise that our community helps young parents and families move towards stable and happy lives. “fblikebutton_button”
Timberline Construction Corporation and Horne + Johnson / StepONE architects comprised the project team responsible for Lewis Latimer Place.
Funding and support came from multiple sources including the City of Chelsea, the Massachusetts Department of Housing and Community Development, the Massachusetts Housing Investment Corporation, Boston Private Bank, Community Economic Development Assistance Corporation, North Suburban Consortium, MassDevelopment, MassHousing, and Charlesbank Homes.