Empty Since 2004, a 112-Year-Old Church Gets $37.6 Million to Become 55 Affordable Homes

• The Church of the Blessed Sacrament has stood empty since 2004
• A $37.6 million tax-exempt bond is funding its conversion
• It will hold 55 affordable homes, six for formerly unhoused people
• Completion is expected at the end of 2027 or early 2028

A church that has stood empty for more than two decades is being turned into affordable homes. GBH News reported that the conversion of the 112-year-old Church of the Blessed Sacrament on Centre Street in Jamaica Plain, Boston, has received a $37.6 million tax-exempt bond from MassDevelopment, purchased by Citizens.

The church has been vacant since 2004. The Hyde Square Task Force, a local youth and community organisation, bought the property in 2014, and developer Pennrose was selected through a community process in 2021. Construction began in July 2025, with completion expected at the end of 2027 or early 2028.

The building will contain 55 homes: 13 two-bedroom units, 25 one-bedroom units and 17 studios. Six will be reserved for people who have been unhoused. All will be affordable at different income levels: 11 units for households earning up to 30 per cent of the area median income, seven at 50 per cent, 27 at 60 per cent and 10 at 80 per cent. A performance space is also included.

“This project will bring a historically significant structure back online, creating a welcoming home for dozens of families,” said Navjeet Bal, MassDevelopment’s president and chief executive.

The conversion shows how long it can take to give an empty church a second life, and how much money is needed. Two decades passed between the church closing and building work starting. In Jamaica, where many old church buildings stand damaged or underused after Hurricane Melissa, the example points to both the possibility and the cost: turning a sanctuary into homes needs a clear owner, community support and access to long-term finance that most congregations cannot raise alone.

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