“Not only is this project bringing back needed vacant public housing apartments, but it is also providing a needed service for grandparents raising grandchildren in our city,” said Mayor Menino. “The numbers of grandparents raising their grandchildren is steadily increasing and this program will bring needed affordable housing to these families.”

The 15 two-bedroom apartments consist of twelve townhouse-style units and three single level units, one of which is handicapped accessible. The units were originally thirty-two one-bedroom long-term vacant public housing apartments, which were renovated and reconstructed to suit the needs of grandfamilies. The project also includes a social service component that is being developed to meet the individual needs of the families that will be participating in the program.

“The occurrence of grandparents assuming the responsibility of raising younger generations is steadily on the rise, making housing opportunities such as this more critical than ever,” said Department of Housing and Community Development Director Jane Wallis Gumble. “We are pleased to work in partnership with the City of Boston to help make this important project become a reality.”

The grandfamily units, located on Stratton and Ames streets in the Franklin Field Housing Development in Dorchester, are part of Leading the Way: A Housing Strategy for Boston, which was released by Mayor Menino in 1999. The BHA is making strides in vacancy reduction throughout the city and has brought back approximately 700 apartments since the program started several years ago. For example, in the last two years, 71 units have been reoccupied at the Mary Ellen McCormack Housing Development in South Boston, 136 are back on line at the Cathedral Development in the South End and approximately 69 units at the Bromley-Heath development in Jamaica Plain have been reoccupied. An additional 43 units at Orient Heights in East Boston were recently renovated and rented. They represent the last long-term vacant units at that site.

“We have made great strides in occupying vacant public housing units during the last several years and are very happy to be here today. Part of that effort included these apartments for grandfamilies at Franklin Field Elderly,” said BHA Administrator Sandra Henriquez. “We are very pleased to announce the completion of these additional units of affordable housing for grandfamilies.”

The Franklin Field development has more than 400 apartments for families and elderly/disabled residents. Portions of it are federally funded and portions are funded by the state. The creation of the Grandparents Housing Program at Franklin Field is state funded by the Department of Housing and Community Development at a cost of approximately $2.9 million.

The BHA decided to develop its own Grandparents Housing Program after contributing Section 8 vouchers to the Dorchester Grandfamilies House, which is nearby to Franklin Field. The Dorchester Grandfamilies House was developed by Boston Aging Concerns in collaboration with Boston YWCA and the Women’s Institute for Housing and Economic Development in 1998, and was the first program of its kind in the country. In addition, the BHA recently partnered with Boston Aging Concerns and the Home for Little Wanderers by providing 40 project-based vouchers to create affordable apartments for foster families and grandparents nearby to the BHA’s Grandparents Housing Program. Census 2000 data show more than 4.5 million children living in 2.4 million grandparent-headed households.

Mayor Menino was joined by Jane Gumble, Director of the state Department of Housing and Community Development, and BHA Administrator Sandra Henriquez.