Central House

Central House

In 2011, the YMCA of Central Square sold the Central House to Caritas Communities. The Central House provides 128 units of deeply affordable SRO housing for men in the heart of Central Square, close to jobs, services and transportation. Caritas Communities is an experienced developer and manager of SRO housing. Caritas Communities oversaw the renovation of the property, including restoration of the historic façade, upgrades to common areas, addition of new windows and bathrooms, and updated electrical and HVAC systems. 

The Central House provides single-room occupancy housing for men through various service providers, as well as "street" units that are available to any income-qualified applicant. The goal of the Central House and Caritas Communities is to prevent homelessness and provide stable housing.

Construction was completed and all units have been occupied.  A ribbon-cutting ceremony was held in June 2012. 

The project received a Cambridge Historical Commission Historic Preservation Award in 2013.

This project contains 128 single-room occupancy units, with shared bathrooms and common areas.

Building area:                  30,816 square feet

Units:                             128 single-room occupancy

Parking:                         None 

Funders:                          

  • Cambridge Affordable Housing Trust
  • Massachusetts Department of Housing and Community Development
  • Massachusetts Affordable Housing Trust
  • 4% Low Income Housing Tax Credits
  • Boston Private Bank and Trust  
  • MassDevelopment
  • Cambridge Historical Commission

          

  • Central House
  • Central House
  • Central House
Central House is owned and operated by Caritas Communities. If you are interested in applying for housing at Central House, please refer to CHA’s information on SROs at: https://cambridge-housing.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/SRO-Program-2023.pdf. For more information on how to apply, please visit CHA’s website: https://cambridge-housing.org/applicants/.

If you are interested in other affordable rental or homeownership opportunities, please click here to learn about other City programs.