Construction Begins on the Golda Meir House Expansion
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Media Contact: Allison Daskal Hausman
Newton, MA – November, 19th 2021 – 2Life Communities has begun construction to expand Golda Meir House in Newton and provide opportunities for 68 more households to age in community, nearly two-thirds of which will be extremely low-income seniors.
2Life Communities has been working to make this possible since 2017, when the City of Newton issued a Request for Proposals for a 16,900 square foot site adjacent to Golda Meir House. The additional City land makes possible the expansion of Golda’s vibrant community, one of 2Life’s most popular buildings with nearly 800 households on the waiting list.
To connect new residents to the existing Golda building, the Expansion consists of two additions that connect on every floor, rather than a standalone building, and a new fully-accessible entrance into Golda from an expanded upper parking lot. Together, the Expansion will create 57 one-bedroom and 11 two-bedroom apartments, for a total of 267 apartments on the consolidated Golda Meir House campus. Nine of the 68 apartments are designated for chronically homeless individuals, with supportive services provided by Hearth, Inc. in collaboration with 2Life staff.
“We are thrilled to be able to expand the wonderful Golda community,” said 2Life Communities President and CEO, Amy Schectman. “This is the result of exemplary support on the city, state and federal levels. The Expansion is also one of the first HUD Section 202 projects in the country to close and start construction in over 10 years, Golda’s recently renovated dining room, gym, library, computer center, and beautiful courtyard, in addition to our extraordinary staff, provide vital connection and support to both the current and future community residents.” The Section HUD 202 program provides interest-free capital advances to finance supportive senior housing and provide rent subsidies to make the apartments affordable to very low-income seniors.
The project is the result of extraordinary collaboration. “2Life Communities’ expansion of the Golda Meir House in Newton is a victory for affordable housing advocates and the senior community alike, offering dignity and respect to seniors as they age,” said US Representative, Jake Auchincloss. “I look forward to a continued partnership with 2Life Communities as I champion affordable housing in Congress.”
The City of Newton’s Mayor, Ruthanne Fuller applauded the collaboration that made this possible. “There were many moving pieces, and we are so glad we could help get it over the finish line,” said Fuller. “I’m excited that the expansion of the Golda Meir House means we will have more homes here in Newton for older residents, including extremely low-income seniors, and for chronically homeless individuals. 2Life will surround these residents with supportive services and Golda with a wonderful community. I’m proud that the Community Preservation Act and HOME funds from the City of Newton are supporting this project.”
2Life Communities has also launched a targeted fundraising campaign to support the services that will be integral to the expansion. Core to all 2Life Communities are the programmatic elements to foster community connections. Experience shows that this is a critical foundation for optimal aging. “2Life doesn’t just build buildings, we make sure those buildings meet the social and emotional needs of every resident and provide for real community,” explained Rob Gifford, who co-chairs the campaign with past 2Life Board president Donna Kalikow. "The Golda Campaign is raising $5 million to support this exciting initiative.”
The Golda Expansion project is made possible by the private-public partnership between 2Life, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, MassHousing, Massachusetts Department of Housing and Community Development, the City of Newton, Wells Fargo, the Weinberg Foundation and Farnsworth Trust, to ensure affordability for a range of incomes. For the latest updates on the project, visit 2LifeCommunities.org/GoldaExpansion.
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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, loneliness and economic insecurity among 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.
