One of the last developable parcels in Boston’s Chinatown has been transformed into needed affordable housing.
“Chinatown has experienced substantial gentrification over the last several years, contributing to soaring housing costs while also home to some of the lowest incomes in the state,” says Emily Bouton, senior development director at Beacon Communities.
Beacon Communities partnered with the Chinese Consolidated Benevolent Association of New England (CCBA) to create the 85-unit Pok Oi Residences, offering one-, two-, and three-bedroom apartments for households earning between 30% and 80% of the area median income. The development sits at the gateway to Chinatown on the former surface parking lot for Tai Tung Village, an affordable housing community built in 1973 and owned by a subsidiary of CCBA.
The development started to welcome residents in February 2025, with over 4,500 applications received. Residents have access to multiple nearby transit options as well as on-site resident programming and management support. In addition, the building was designed with residents’ health in mind, with special acoustic windows and enhanced filtration/ventilation to reduce exposure to highway noise and improve indoor air quality.
Designed by Bruner/Cott Architects, led by Lawrence Cheng, Pok Oi Residences also pays homage to the neighborhood. The approach prioritizes contextual scale and materials that identify with surrounding buildings and celebrate Chinatown’s cultural identity. Bruner/Cott incorporated an “imperial red” color of the metal skin with a stylized Chinese lattice-pattern sunscreen. Another nod to Chinese culture includes a color palette inspired by the five elements—metal, wood, water, fire, and earth—for each of the residential floors. The lobby also showcases a large mural made from recycled chopsticks.
The development is passive house and Energy Star certified and was built to LEED Gold standards. Sustainability features include high-efficiency mechanical and lighting systems, a cool roof, solar panels, and a high-performance building envelope and windows.
“We are extraordinarily grateful for the vision of CCBA who recognized the community’s need for more affordable housing and the development potential to create that housing on the site,” notes Bouton. “CCBA has been serving the Chinatown community for decades, and this is another example of them executing on their mission and seizing an opportunity to provide affordable housing for those who desperately need it.”
She adds that the development is an example of what private and public partnerships can accomplish to address housing needs.
The Pok Oi Residences was funded by the city’s Neighborhood Housing Trust and Community Preservation Act along with state and federal low-income housing tax credits. Financing partners include the Massachusetts Executive Office of Housing & Livable Communities, the Mayor’s Office of Housing, MassDevelopment, RBC Capital Markets, Massachusetts Housing Partnership, Citizens Bank, and the Massachusetts Affordable Housing Trust. Additional partners include general contractor NEI General Contracting and civil engineer Nitsch Engineering.