IBA's supported-living house gets a makeover

IBA's Residencia Betances, one of only a few housing facilities in Boston offering supportive services to formerly homeless, Spanish speaking residents, received a makeover recently, and Inquilinos Boricuas en Acción (IBA) CEO Vanessa Calderón-Rosado celebrated the completed renovation on Thursday, October 27 with city and state housing and social service officials. Opened in 1993, Residencia Betances provides 11 single-occupancy units for formerly homeless residents who are clients of the Department of Mental Health, with round-the-clock, bilingual staff on site to assist residents with medication and health-care appointments, social skills symptom management and meal preparation, and to provide social, employment skills and wellness opportunities. "Residencia Betances is such a meaningful part of Boston's South End, and we are proud to have completed renovations that will enhance the lives of our residents," said Vanessa Calderón-Rosado. "We are grateful to those that have helped make this project happen, and look forward to continuing with more work aimed at providing affordable housing for those in need." The renovation, which received funding from the Department of Housing and Community Development's (DHCD) Housing Preservation Stabilization and Facilities Consolidation program and from the Community Economic Development Assistance Corporation (CEDAC), will provide a more open and client-friendly common area; historic restoration of the brick townhouse's exterior and upgrades in the residents' units.

State representative Aaron Michlewitz, undersecretary of Housing and Community Development Chrystal Kornegay, Laila Bernstein, advisor to the Mayor for the Initiative to End Chronic Homelessness and Community Economic Development Assistance Corporation (CEDAC) director of housing development Sara Barcan joined Vanessa Calderón-Rosado for a ribbon cutting, remarks and a luncheon at the Villa Victoria Center for the Arts. In her remarks, Bernstein noted the Mayor's commitment to ending homelessness and particularly to helping the long-term homeless. She said, "In January 2016, there were 612 chronically homeless individuals and since then we have housed 186 of those individuals. That represents 1,015 years of homelessness because these were the individuals who have been homeless the longest. The proven formula for ending chronic homelessness is permanent, supportive housing." Similarly, Undersecretary Kornegay said, "This is a really important project and a really important constituency for the governor. As many of you know, when the administration took office, we had 1,500 homeless families in hotels and motels and yesterday, we were down to 230. It's because of projects like this and investment in them that we are able to keep moving families through difficult and trying times in their lives."

The project was financed Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD), and the funds for this project come from DHCD's funds, and in part by CEDAC. Calderón-Rosado pointed out, "This project was completed on time and within budget and we are very proud of that accomplishment." She noted that the renovation of the property was conducted without relocation and with the residents in place, making the adherence to budget and timeline all the more noteworthy.