Needham's aging Linden Chambers affordable housing complex will get 76 new units after the state awarded $41 million to the Needham Housing Authority for the long-planned redevelopment.

Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll announced the funding at the Linden Street site on Sept. 3. Construction on Phase 1A is expected to begin in early February 2027, with new apartments potentially ready for occupancy about 20 months later, according to NHA Chair Reg Foster.

The award breaks a logjam nearly two decades in the making. Upgrades to the Linden Street and Chambers Street buildings were first identified as a priority in the town's 2007 Affordable Housing Plan, the Needham Observer reported. The NHA cycled through multiple executive directors and several plan iterations before settling on its Preservation and Redevelopment Initiative in 2021.

What the money covers

The project's overall funding totals about $64.9 million. The state's $41 million share is a complex stack: $21.37 million in federal and state low-income housing tax credits, a $12.54 million grant and $7 million in loans. The remaining $22 million comes from other sources, including nearly $7 million in Community Preservation Act funds approved by Needham Town Meeting. The town also waived permitting fees and made the necessary zoning changes.

Local sources cover 10.4% of the total.

What gets built

Phase 1A will demolish 10 of the 18 Linden Street buildings, which house four studio apartments each. In their place, the NHA and its development partner, AHSC Peabody, will construct the first portion of a four-story apartment building containing 76 units, mostly one-bedroom and some two-bedroom apartments.

The existing studios average about 400 square feet, are not ADA-compliant and have mold and other problems tied to their age. The buildings were constructed between 1959 and 1964. New units will average about 575 square feet, Needham Local reported.

Foster, who has chaired the NHA Board of Commissioners since the governor appointed him in 2014, described the existing apartments in a Sept. 4 interview with Needham Local as "very substandard by today's minimum standards, being tiny studio apartments … They're not handicapped intensive. They all have two-step stoops, and they're generally worn out."

Residents and relocation

The 32 tenants remaining in the Phase 1A buildings will be relocated in January 2027. All current tenants are eligible for relocation assistance and have the right to return once construction is complete. The NHA scheduled a meeting with tenants the week of Thursday, Sept. 10 to discuss the process.

Megan Rockett, a Linden Street resident since 2012 and member of the NHA's resident advisory board, told Needham Local on Sept. 4 that the milestone was "a long time coming." Her building is among the first slated for demolition.

What comes next

Phase 1B will replace the remaining eight Linden buildings and their 32 units with 60 new apartments, bringing the Linden Street total to 136 units and pushing the combined cost above $80 million. The NHA then hopes to secure financing for Phase 2, which would replace the 80 studio units in five Chambers Street buildings with 111 new apartments.

Needham was one of 20 Massachusetts communities to receive housing development funding this cycle, part of $278 million in state and federal financing and tax credits. Driscoll noted the state is short about 222,000 housing units to meet demand.

The NHA's next board meeting is Thursday, Sept. 17 at 5 p.m. at the Linden/Chambers Community Room, 5 Chambers St.