Redevelopment plans for Sherman Gardens took a step forward this month with the receipt of $500,000 in MBTA Communities Catalyst Funding from the state’s Office of Housing and Livable Communities.
“For decades, Sherman Gardens has provided a home for Belmont’s seniors and residents with Disabilities,” Gloria Leipzig, chair of the Board of Commissioners for the Belmont Housing Authority, said in a statement. “This funding helps ensure that commitment continues for future generations, with accessible housing that meets modern standards and adds much-needed community spaces to foster social connections among the residents.”
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Built in 1971, Sherman Gardens, one of three properties owned and operated by the Belmont Housing Authority (BHA), is spread across six two-story walk-up buildings in the Waverley Square neighborhood. The other developments include Waverley Oaks and Belmont Village.
The 80-unit state-funded public housing property was one of more than 280 across Massachusetts that Housing Secretary Ed Augustus toured in the summer of 2024. According to BHA literature handed out during the tour, problems included: walk-up buildings that are “outdated and inconvenient for the elderly and disabled populations that it serves;” all units have at least one step up to their entrances; 50% of units are accessed via steep, narrow stairs; unit layouts are undersized, with small door frames and rooms that prevent the use of walkers and wheelchairs.
In partnership with the Cambridge Housing Authority, which is acting as its managing agent and co-developer, BHA has proposed a two-phase project to replace the existing buildings. The first phase will involve the construction of a new 120-unit building with an elevator for seniors and residents with disabilities. The second phase will involve the construction of 20 new affordable family homes.
In an email to The Voice, Leipzig said the goal is to begin construction for Phase 1 in September 2027, contingent on a successful fundraising effort. The total cost for Phase 1, she said, is roughly $73 million.
Funding sources include Community Preservation Funds, Tax Credit Equity, federal and state grants, and awards from Housing Works and the Department of Energy Resources.
“We have already been awarded CPA funds totaling almost $1,000,000, HOME funds of approximately $150,000, ARPA funds of $200,000 and, of course, the Catalyst grant of $500,000,” Leipzig wrote.
A time frame for Phase 2 is still to be determined.
Select Board Chair Matt Taylor said the town was grateful for the Catalyst grant.
“This grant will help create more high-quality, accessible and permanently affordable housing through redeveloping Sherman Gardens, all within close proximity of mass transit, a wide variety of local shops and restaurants, a grocery store, and public green spaces,” he said.
