Charles River Center proposes 86-unit inclusive housing campus at East Militia Heights, asks Needham CPC for $3.5 million

The Charles River Center and nonprofit developer Planning Office for Urban Affairs outlined plans on Feb. 12 for an 86-unit affordable, integrated housing development at the Army-owned East Militia Heights site and asked the Needham Community Preservation Committee (CPC) for $3.5 million toward the project.

The project, presented by Anne Marie Badra, president and CEO of the Charles River Center, would include a three-story central building with 68 units, three single-story buildings with six studio apartments each, and a 4,400-square-foot community center intended to be open to the public. “We touch more than 1,500 men and women and families every year,” Badra said, describing the agency’s mission and client base.

Nut graf: Proponents said the development is intended to fill a service gap for adults with developmental disabilities, including autism, who need intermittent staff support rather than 24/7 group-home care. Presenters called the design “inclusive” and said the mix is intended to integrate people with disabilities, staff and other community households on the same site while offering wraparound supports.

Project design and services: The presentation described 86 units for households earning roughly 30–80% of area median income (AMI), including: - Approximately 33 studios and 10 one-bedroom units expected to be supported by the Massachusetts Rental Voucher Program (MRVP); - Seven two-bedroom units proposed for Section 8 voucher support; - About 26 units at 60% AMI and five workforce units at 80% AMI; and - Five on-site apartments intended for Charles River Center staff to assist with after-hours needs and recruitment.

Support services outlined by Badra and her team include health and safety monitoring (nurses on-call), vocational training and job coaching, college navigation, social-skill and peer-support groups, transportation assistance and remote-monitoring technologies being developed in collaboration with MIT. “We’re creating 86 new affordable housing units to attract and retain household earnings at or below 30 to 80% of the area median income,” Badra said.

Sustainability and design: Presenters said all buildings will be all-electric, designed to Passive House standards and sited to allow on-site solar generation. The project team named architect and engineering consultants (TAT, VHB) and said the team is pursuing PHIUS (Passive House Institute US) certification and grant opportunities through the Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources (DER) and Mass Save incentives.

Financing and timeline: The development team estimated a total development cost (TDC) just under $50 million (roughly $31 million in hard costs, about $7 million in soft costs, $7 million in fees and reserves and a $5 million acquisition cost). Planned funding sources cited include federal and state low-income housing tax credit equity (about $20 million), state capital funds (approximately $10 million), DER green incentives (about $1.2 million), a sponsor note of roughly $4.8–$5.0 million, and the $3.5 million request to the Needham CPC.

On schedule, the team said it intends to pursue the Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities (EOHLC) winter funding round (next application cycle) and described a permitting timeline that would include a zoning application (friendly 40B / collaborative approach) with the goal of a zoning board filing in late summer, a construction financing close in early 2027 and occupancy in mid-2028 if the stated funding and approvals are secured.

Outreach and neighbors: The Charles River Center said it has conducted stakeholder outreach since 2022, has mailed more than 200 nearby households, maintains a 6,000-subscriber listserv and plans a project web page, surveys and regular public meetings. Presenters said early neighbor feedback was generally supportive but raised traffic and drainage concerns that the design team will study. State Representative Josh (identified in the meeting as a state representative) attended briefly and voiced support for the project.

Questions and concerns from the CPC: Committee members asked detailed financing questions about utility treatment under MRVP/Section 8, the underwriting assumptions for contract rents versus gross rents, the treatment of five staff units (whether treated as rent-paying units with escrowed reserves or as rent concessions/operating expense), and whether income-averaging for tax credit purposes had been assumed. Committee member Emily said, “I do feel like there’s some areas that haven't been fully explored,” and pressed the team on those financial assumptions and contingencies.

Next steps: Presenters agreed to return with follow-up materials including clarified underwriting for utilities, more detail on the treatment of the staff units, and a schedule for town permitting and project milestones. The CPC did not vote on any funding at the Feb. 12 meeting; the request was entered into the committee’s deliberations for the coming weeks.

Ending: The Charles River Center said it will continue design refinement with town staff and stakeholders and pursue state funding rounds and DER/Mass Save incentives. The CPC scheduled further deliberations in March where members said they expect to review revised budget details and the committee’s available funding before taking a decision.