Our Properties

7 Summer St

 

 We officially acquired our first property in the summer of 2022. This project, funded by the City of Somerville, the Somerville Affordable Housing Trust Fund, and Winter Hill Bank, brings five permanently affordable homes to Somerville’s Union Square Neighborhood. The newly constructed condominium building sits atop land that will be stewarded in perpetuity by the Somerville Community Land Trust.

In spring of 2023, we welcomed our first five families! We are working hard to acquire our next property and continue making progress toward our goal of providing affordable homeownership opportunities to low- and moderate-income Somerville residents.

 

12 Pleasant Ave

Acquired in January 2024, this multifamily rental building includes six 2-bedroom apartments that were already home to six households. We are thrilled to share tenancies have been preserved!  

The City of Somerville Office of Housing Stability provided financial support to the Community Action Agency of Somerville (CAAS)  to unionize tenants at 12 Pleasant Ave. after tenants informed CAAS that the property was to be sold. With support from CAAS, tenants successfully remained in their homes while the SCLT coordinated with the City of Somerville Housing Division to secure financing through the Affordable Housing Trust Fund and purchase the building. The SCLT is proud to establish strong, honest and committed relationships with all of its residents and has laid the groundwork to accomplish this. To quote a current tenant:

CAAS have been excellent advocates for the tenant's union and effectively supported us in our negotiations with the prior landlord. SCLT has been very communicative and transparent throughout the sale process. I believe that SCLT's acquisition of the building is a "best case scenario" for us tenants. I am excited about SCLT's plans to make the building permanently affordable and look forward to working with them.

297 Medford Street

Somerville CLT is in the process of acquiring 297 Medford Street in partnership with Just A Start to construct a 100% affordable rental development with ~50 new apartments in the Gilman Square neighborhood of Somerville by leveraging the City of Somerville’s Affordable Housing Overlay. We have an entered into a Purchase & Sale Agreement with the sellers and are currently in an environmental due diligence phase due to the site’s prior use as an auto-body shop that partially collapsed and was demolished in 2021. Click here to read a joint press release.

Click here to read a join press release regarding this project.

SCLT and Just A Start must seek a zoning map amendment to change the site’s designation from Mid-Rise 3 to Mid-Rise 4 to bring this project at a scale large enough to move the project forward. At the current zoning, financial limitations prevent the site from hosting a affordable housing development.

Click here for a slide deck regarding this project proposal and the zoning change that was presented at a March 5, 2025 community meeting at the Somerville Public Library.

The Land Use Committee will first consider this zoning map amendment on Thursday March 20, 2025 at 6:30PM and the meeting will include public comments. Join the Zoom meeting with this link and here to view the agenda .

You can help us create sorely needed affordable housing by supporting this zoning map amendment by: