A housing development for seniors in Chinatown is receiving $3.2 million in federal funding to make the building more energy efficient and climate resilient.
Department of Housing and Urban Development Acting Secretary Adrianne Todman visited Mei Wah Village today to unveil the gift with Mayor Michelle Wu, and said that addressing the housing crisis should focus on preserving existing buildings in addition to creating new inventory.
“She [Wu] and I know that if we’re going to move forward in making sure people have affordable housing, we can’t just build — we have to keep the housing that we need. Otherwise, we’re moving backwards,” Todman told GBH News.
The investment is part of the “Green and Resilient Retrofit Program” in President’s Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act. HUD announced Wednesday that properties across 23 states received funds, including properties for low-income seniors and low-income people with disabilities. It will fund building upgrades with a goal of helping reduce pollution, and making communities more resilient to the impacts of climate change. St. Botolph Terrace in Boston also received funding.
Mei Wah Village is a senior housing development in Chinatown subsidized by HUD with 41 affordable units. Assistant Manager Avan Huang said that the funds will be used on improvements like new windows, improving ventilation and addressing a pest problem.
“We need the money,” Huang said.
While touring the building with Todman and meeting residents, Wu explained that Boston’s Chinatown is unique in that it has remained residential, and is a cultural hub for the Chinese community across New England.
“Especially in a city where we have a significant and growing population of seniors who are increasingly looking for ways to maintain their independence and mobility and age in place, it is buildings and communities like this that can provide a lot of the opportunities to continue thriving and contributing to our community,” Wu told GBH news.
Wu noted that the Chinatown community has historically been subject to pollution due to its proximity to the highway.
“So having healthy ventilation, green improvements, clean air in the building makes all the difference in the world,” she said.
