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Rebuilding Roxbury, Massachusetts

Bob visits a rooming house near Boston in Roxbury, Massachusetts. A new concept in housing is being developed here, a grass-roots development corporation called Nuestra Comunidad (�Our Community� in English) is converting a antique abandoned buildings to single-room-occupancy or SRO housing for low-income and homeless people. The buildings are laid out with common living rooms, kitchens and bathrooms. By doing this they convert a building that would normally house six apartments to nineteen rental units.
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Rebuilding Roxbury, Massachusetts

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" We're in Roxbury, one of Boston's oldest neighborhoods and a community in transition. Like many urban areas, Roxbury has its share of abandoned buildings; but, here, there's a unique grassroots effort to reclaim these buildings and renovate them to provide housing for the homeless. It's called SRO. Let's get together with Evelyn Friedman-Vargas, director of Nuestra Comunidad Development Corporation and take a look at this new housing concept. SRO doesn't mean standing room only. In the theater, it means single-room occupancy, right?"

" That's correct."

" But that's nothing new, it's a rooming house."

" That's right. That's exactly the concept."

" And nobody's building rooming houses in the city?"

" No, nobody's building them anymore and, in fact, many have diminished as buildings have been turned into single family home."

" Why do you think it's important to be developing a house like this into a rooming house essentially?"

" Well, one of the main reasons for homelessness is not having this kind of housing for single individuals."

" Right. Tell us about Nuestra Comunidad, our community, in Spanish. That's a nonprofit organization that you work with. What have you done?"

" We've developed 150 units of rental housing. We've reclaimed them. They've been abandoned or in very bad repair."

" Yeah."

" And we've also developed 60 units of housing that we've sold to moderate-income people."

" So, you're bringing lower income and moderate income into the fabric of the neighborhood and you're also restoring some of the antique buildings here. How old is this place?"

" This building is more than 150 years old and it was named after Dr. Daley who practiced here for many years."

" Okay. Now, how do you laid out differently than in apartment house for SRO. "

" Well, let's go in and I'll show you."

" So, this is very contemporary in here. You have to gut the place, right?"

" That's correct Bob. In a building of this size, we're normally able to fit about 6 apartment units, but because we're doing SRO type of housing, we're able to accommodate 19 units."

" 19. How do you do it?"

" We do it by having common living rooms, common baths, and common kitchens."

" Can we take a look at the kitchen?"

" You bet."

" Bob, I'd like you to meet Frank Thomas, our general contractor."

" Hi Frank! How are you?"

" Hello Bob! Nice to meet you."

" My pleasure. Are you from the neighborhood as well?"

" Yes, I am."

" Local contractor, that's great. The cabinets look a little bit low, Frank. Don't they?"

" Yeah Bob. These cabinets are set for handicapped accessibility."

" Oh great. Is the whole building set up for handicapped accessible uses?"

" No, just the very first floor."

" Okay. How many people will use this kitchenette?"

" Four individuals."

" Now, that is comfortable. Could we look at one of the finished rooms?"

" Sure Bob. We're gonna take you upstairs to one or more completed."

" Great. Okay, I'll follow you guys."

" How many of these rooms will you have on this floor?"

" This floor has 6 rooms, 2 full baths, a community kitchen, and a community room."

" A community living room? "

" Community living room. "

" Okay."

" Solid corridors. This is a very respectable size room, Frank."

" Yes, Bob. This is one of the small units. It's approximately 10 x 14 with no windows, acoustical ceiling, large closet."

" And what kind of flooring will you put down?"

" We're gonna be using VCT flooring upon completion."

" Vinyl flooring, and will it be furnished, Evelyn?"

" Yes. We'll have a bed, dresser, a carpet on the floor, a small refrigerator, and a lamp."

" Terrific and, of course, a beautiful view of the downtown Boston Skyline."

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