2Life Communities breaks ground at Leland House, affordable senior housing development in Waltham
At site of former Leland Home, 68 affordable and accessible senior apartments come to Waltham
Brighton, MA – August 21, 2023 – 2Life Communities, a nonprofit senior living organization, broke ground on Leland House, a 68-apartment, affordable senior supportive housing development located at 21 Newton Street in Waltham, Massachusetts.
Leland House will bring 2Life’s aging in community model to Waltham, combating the pervasive public health crisis of social isolation and loneliness among older adults.
The new development will stand at the site of the former Leland Home, a community serving 38 seniors founded in 1879 that provided personalized residential and nursing care to seniors in Waltham for nearly 140 years, and pay homage to The Leland Home, recognizing the rich history of the building and site.
“Hannah Leland had a mission, and it’s got to continue,” said Waltham Mayor Jeannette A. McCarthy. “There is a shortage of affordable housing, and while luxury housing is built all the time – that is not what we need. This truly affordable housing project is what we need. I want to thank everyone who put this together, you deserve great thanks from the seniors whom I represent.”
“2Life is always seeking new ways and places to demonstrate the power of aging in community,” said Lizbeth Heyer, Vice President and Acting CEO at 2Life Communities. “We are grateful to everyone for helping 2Life transform the Leland Home into the Leland House, and to carry on this incredible vision that Hannah Leland established nearly 140 years ago. We are celebrating 68 all-affordable apartments with incredible services, much like the care that was provided at the Leland Home – in perpetuity in Waltham.”
The three-story development is adjacent to the Waltham Council on Aging located at William F. Stanley Senior Center, allowing residents to access the full breadth of services from both organizations. The 1.5-acre site also provides an opportunity for residents to enjoy time outside with landscaped front and side yards, patios, and gardening beds. The ground floor Village Center includes flexible spaces for fitness and wellness activities, arts and culture programs, space for communal meals, and other community events – the hallmark of all 2Life communities.
“As the population ages over the next three decades, the state will have to address senior housing with a higher priority than ever before – and the Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities is committed to investing in housing to support the unique needs of seniors across the Commonwealth,” said Edward Augustus Jr., Secretary of the Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities. “We need to find ways to allow seniors to stay connected socially, and 2Life’s Leland House project in Waltham will accomplish that.”
“I had a chance to visit 2Life’s Brighton campus earlier this year and see their senior housing model in action–they have provided a clean, healthy, vibrant, and dignified place to live,” the Secretary added. “That is what everybody deserves. Waltham is lucky to welcome the Leland House.”
The development will be 100 percent affordable to senior households with incomes up to 60 percent of the Area Median Income, except for 2 apartments set-aside for on-call, live-in staff. The apartments will meet the highest standards of universal design, particularly in bathrooms and kitchens, to allow residents to remain at Leland House comfortably as they age – regardless of physical ability.
Leland House will be a highly efficient, sustainable, and resilient building designed to Passive House standards – including all electric HVAC and hot water systems and solar photovoltaic panels – bringing improved economic, health, and environmental benefits to our residents while reducing 2Life’s carbon footprint.
Funding for Leland House is provided by the City of Waltham, Massachusetts Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities, Massachusetts Housing Partnership, MassDevelopment, MassHousing, Community Economic Development Assistance Corporation (CEDAC), RBC Capital Markets, Brookline Bank and Mass Save.
About 2Life Communities
2Life Communities, a nonprofit organization founded in 1965, operates on the belief that all seniors should have the opportunity to live a full life of connection and purpose in a dynamic, supportive environment – a model called aging in community, which directly combats the growing public health crisis of social isolation and loneliness amongst older adults. At 2Life Communities, residents can step out the doors of their own apartments and find friendship, community, physical and intellectual stimulation, and a helping hand day or night. Serving a diverse population of over 1,530 older adults, 2Life creates communities with a laser sharp focus on affordability – a tremendous concern in Massachusetts, the state with the 2nd largest gap in the U.S. between seniors’ median income and the cost of living.
Media Contact:
Nate Hillyer
nhillyer@thecastlegrp.com
860-574-5507
