I have been fortunate to call B’nai B’rith my work home for almost nine years, and the time has flown by. Throughout my tenure, I have been privileged to attend several “cool” events. Whether it’s visiting Congress or the White House, attending B’nai B’rith programs, or advocating on Capitol Hill, my time here has been marked by opportunities. Unfortunately, one opportunity that has eluded me over the years is attending the opening of a new senior housing property.

For a variety of reasons, over the past 15 years, the B’nai B’rith senior housing program has transitioned from building new properties to preserving our existing housing stock. However, B’nai B’rith Housing, our partners in Boston, have been successful in building new properties and kindly invited me to attend the ribbon-cutting ceremony for Logan Square Residences. According to B’nai B’rith Housing, “This four-story mixed-use building in Hyde Park features 63 affordable housing units for seniors. Residents benefit from on-site programming and service coordination with area agencies that offer wellness, educational, cultural, and social programs. The development includes a commercial space on the ground floor, an outdoor courtyard, a community room, a fitness area, and a library/media center.”

The opening ceremony was well received by attendees and included hearing from honored guests and taking a tour of the property. The sample unit we toured was beautiful, as were the rest of the amenities in the building. The pictures certainly tell the story.

Also, any opening of a new building includes the official cutting of the ribbon—even if it was in the cold rain.

Speakers at the event included B’nai B’rith Housing Executive Director Susan Gittelman; Chief of Housing and Director of the Mayor’s Office of Housing Sheila Dillon; MA Secretary of Housing and Livable Communities Edward Augustus; MA State Rep. Rob Consalvo; Boston City Councilor Enrique Pepén; Boston City Council President & Councilor At-Large Ruthzee Louijeune; Pete Flynn of Red Stone Equity Partners, LLC; B’nai B’rith Housing Board Member David Abromowitz; and Senior Vice President of MassDevelopment Nathan Robinson. Speakers discussed the critical importance affordable housing plays in the lives of seniors and in the community.

Marvin Siflinger serves on the board for B’nai B’rith International and B’nai B’rith Housing. Siflinger has more than 55 years of experience in affordable housing, including being the area manager of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Boston Office, and executive director of the Massachusetts Housing Finance Agency. He previously served as board president for B’nai B’rith Housing, and is a former chair for the B’nai B’rith Center for Senior Services. Siflinger said, “Providing affordable seniors housing in the community is critical, as older adults deserve to age-in-place with dignity and supportive services. I am proud to be part of B’nai B’rith International and B’nai B’rith Housing, which has provided affordable housing to countless seniors.”

Hopefully, this will not be my last ceremony for a new building. While preservation is important, the numbers don’t lie: Our country needs additional affordable senior housing. I commend our friends at B’nai B’rith Housing for creating additional senior housing in the Boston community. For too many people, housing costs interfere with paying for food and healthcare. With properties like Logan Square Residences, tenants can feel comforted in a safe, secure building with supportive services that make their lives just a little easier.

---

Evan Carmen, Esq. is the Legislative Director for Aging Policy at the B’nai B’rith International Center for Senior Services. Click here to read more from Evan Carmen.