49 6th Street

49 Sixth Street_Former Church and Convent

Preservation of Affordable Housing (POAH), a Boston-based nonprofit, is planning to convert a portion of the Sacred Heart property in East Cambridge into affordable rental housing. They will be partnering with Urban Spaces, a private residential developer, during the project’s initial development phase. Urban Spaces currently controls the site through a long term ground lease with the Archdiocese but will be transferring control to POAH when construction begins.

The plan calls for the adaptive reuse of the former convent, school and rectory buildings into 46 affordable rental apartments, with housing options for a range of resident incomes. As part of the renovation, POAH will restore the structures’ historic facades and interiors.  

POAH proposes to renovate the former Sacred Heart Rectory, School and Convent buildings under the provisions of the Affordable Housing Overlay (AHO).

POAH completed the AHO process in July 2022 and is now assembling financing in order to begin construction.

For more information on the project, please visit POAH's project page here.

49 6th Street Public Meetings:

Meeting Date/Time More Information
Planning Board Meeting Tuesday, June 28, 2022 at 7:00 p.m. View the meeting materials.
Planning Board Meeting Tuesday, April 5, 2022 at 6:30 p.m. View the meeting materials.
POAH Community Meeting Wednesday, November 3, 2021 at 6:00 p.m. View the meeting flyer.
POAH Community Meeting Tuesday, July 27, 2021 at 6:00 p.m. View the meeting flyer.

Existing Site: Buildings include the former Sacred Heart Rectory, School and Convent.

Proposed Redevelopment: 46 rental apartments

  • 49 Sixth Street

  • 49 Sixth Street_Street View

  • 49 Sixth Street_Former Church and Convent
  • 49 Sixth Street_ Former Convent