Opening doors to the future
In Greater Boston, there is a vast gap between supply and demand for affordable senior housing that is supportive and community oriented, particularly in communities of color. And unfortunately, it continues to widen as more people age into retirement.
2Life has fearlessly tackled this enormous challenge for nearly 60 years by developing, owning and operating vibrant and inclusive communities that present affordable senior living options. Our level of involvement and depth of commitment mean we make decisions based on what is best for both current residents and those who will live with us decades from now. And we have set the standards for others to follow.
To learn more about existing 2Life properties, use the button below.
Leading the way to make community living affordable for all seniors
2Life currently offers nearly 1,600 affordable, accessible apartments across 11 properties in Brighton, Brookline, Devens, Framingham, and Newton.
New projects are under way in Lynn, Mattapan, Newton, and Waltham.
By 2028, we expect to have nearly 2,400 affordable apartments for seniors across 18 Massachusetts properties.
Projects in development
Leland House
Waltham, MA
2Life is underway with our first community in Waltham, Leland House - 68 affordable apartments in a beautiful new sustainable building that pays homage to the former Leland Home that served Waltham seniors for nearly 130 years. The new Leland House will include a modern, thoughtfully designed Village Center serving as a hub of activity for both residents and neighbors alike. The site is ideally located to allow residents to age in community adjacent to the Waltham Senior Center, providing an amazing opportunity to coordinate programming and services, as well as just steps away from the transit rich and thriving commercial corridor along Main Street
Opus Newton from 2Life Communities
Newton, MA
Expanding on our mission, Opus from 2Life Communities is a new community concept for senior adults “in the middle” — those with too much income to qualify for subsidized housing and who aren’t comfortable with traditional upscale options. The first of 2Life’s Opus communities will be built on the Leventhal-Sidman JCC Campus at Winchester and Nahanton Streets in Newton.
Solimine House
Lynn, MA
2Life Communities is partnering with local developer David Solimine and Lynn-based healthcare provider Element Care PACE (Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly) to redevelop the former Union Hospital property. When complete, this community will include 150 new apartments providing service-enriched housing affordable for seniors; extensive amenity, program, and outdoor spaces, including beautifully landscaped and publicly accessible green spaces; and an on-site PACE center.
Brooke House at Olmsted Village
Mattapan, MA
Brooke House at Olmsted Village, on track to start construction in 2025, will provide 127 affordable, service-enriched apartments for seniors and demonstrate innovative ways to integrate housing with healthcare and childcare services. Located on the grounds of the former Boston State Hospital campus in Mattapan, the new building is a model of universal design, adaptability, resiliency, and sustainability. It will include a new home for the Shattuck Child Care Center, a satellite Harvard Street Neighborhood Health Center, and a publicly accessible ground-floor Village Center that will be home to wellness activities, arts and culture programs, and community events.
Treehouse at Olmsted Village
Mattapan, MA
Opening in 2028, Treehouse at Olmsted Village brings the Treehouse model — nationally recognized for intergenerational community building — to Boston’s Mattapan neighborhood. Together, 2Life Communities and Treehouse Foundation are building a community based on purpose: helping children who have experienced foster care heal from past trauma by living in an enriching, trauma-informed community dedicated to well-being across generations. Living spaces include 12 large affordable apartments for foster/adoptive families, 8 studio apartments for young people (ages 18-22) aging out of foster care, and 46 affordable apartments for seniors.
Fundamental to the Treehouse model is 5,000 square feet of community space for programs and supports for Treehouse residents as well as the larger Boston/Mattapan foster-adoptive community. This includes social gathering areas, play spaces, offices, meeting spaces, a learning center, and a community kitchen. Proximity to the abutting Boston Nature Center enables this valuable resource to be a vital part of the Treehouse experience.
Porter Street Redevelopment
Lynn, MA
In 2023, the Lynn City Council designated 2Life to redevelop the former Thurgood Marshall Middle School property at 19 Porter Street in Lynn into 114 affordable apartments for seniors. This new 2Life community will be Passive House certified and offer vibrant community space, public green space, and health care services in partnership with Element Care PACE.
2Life’s real estate development philosophy
2Life’s real estate development philosophy is rooted in five core principles.
Sharing our approach to advance senior affordable housing for all
Created with support from the Enterprise Rose Architectural Fellowship, “Design Guidelines for Aging in Community” summarizes 2Life’s design practice with recommendations for each type of space, architectural specifications, and a list of sample products. These recommendations are born out of decades of experience as well as recent projects in which we weighed trade-offs and discussed priorities with staff in our resident services, programs, capital projects and maintenance departments.
If you have questions or feedback — or if you’d like to share other age-friendly design strategies — please reach out to a member of our staff.
To download a copy of our design guidelines, use the button below.
Real Estate Development Team
Real Estate Development Committee
2Life’s Real Estate Development Committee is responsible for establishing real estate department policies, overseeing pipeline development, and recommending real estate development budgets, policies, and projects that support the mission, values, and strategic goals of the organization to the 2Life Board of Directors.
| Rob Gifford, Co-Chair | Jeff Sacks |
| Noah Maslan, Co-Chair | Ed Saxe |
| Donald Bloch | Esther Schlorholtz |
| Lydia Chesnick | Bill Shaevel |
| Howard Furman | Harold Tubman |
| Donna Kalikow | Harold Stahler |
| Bernard Kaplan | David Zaltas |
| Jason Korb |