Downtown Braintree Construction Project Secures State Funding

BRAINTREE, MA — The Watson Place construction project in Braintree is among a number of projects throughout the state to get funding recently.

Massachusetts recently awarded $246 million in direct subsidies and state and federal housing tax credits to build and preserve nearly 1,600 affordable homes throughout Massachusetts.

The state and federal resources include $105 million in direct subsidies, $60 million from federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding, and $81 million in state and federal tax credits.

“Today’s awards set in motion 27 innovative, mixed-use projects that will build and preserve nearly 1,600 affordable units across every region of our state,” said Governor Maura Healey.

“These are the types of projects that our Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities will be driving in close collaboration with local, federal and private sector partners to address our housing crisis.”

In Braintree, Watson Place is a new construction project for families to be built in downtown Braintree, .4 miles from the Weymouth Landing MBTA stop.

The project will feature a pedestrian riverwalk, and the town of Braintree will undertake numerous streetscape improvements near Watson Place, officials said.

Officials said the Department of Housing and Community Development will support the project with federal and state low-income housing tax credits, subsidy funds, and ARPA funds.

When completed, the mixed-income project will include 56 total units serving five income bands, including 30 units restricted for families at less than 60 percent of area median income and additional units restricted at 110 percent and 120 percent of area median income.

Watson Place also will be supported by the town of Braintree, by a state MassWorks award, and by a Congressional earmark for nearby infrastructure improvements.

The project has been designed to meet Enterprise Green Communities standards and Passive House certification standards, officials said.