About Us

Watertown Community Housing, Inc. (WCH) was formed by a group of residents concerned about the town's soaring housing costs. Since our incorporation in 1991, WCH has advocated for the housing needs of the low- to moderate-income residents of our community: the teachers and nurses who can no longer afford to live in town; the seniors pushed out of their homes by increasing costs; the 33% of households that qualify for some form of subsidized housing. It has evolved from a passionate group of activists to an incorporated entity with a small professional staff and a dedicated Board of Directors.

WCH's advocacy efforts have resulted in the establishment of inclusionary zoning in Watertown, and our Home Improvement Program has helped dozens of low- and moderate-income homeowners increase the safety and comfort of their homes. WCH promotes first-time home ownership by providing education and down payment assistance to aspiring homebuyers. In 2002, we rehabilitated four units of housing and sold them to first-time homebuyers for $150,000 each.

In the Fall of 2005, we completed the construction of Marshall Place, ten apartments for low-income seniors that we developed in concert with Cascap Inc., of Cambridge.

WCH is a small organization, in a small town, taking on a big task. We consider our role of creating and promoting affordable housing as a critical element of the broader struggle for more equal distribution of resources, and for sustainable, integrated communities.

Until the early 1980s, Watertown offered enough moderately-priced housing to sustain a stable but diverse population. Young families, town employees, and other middle-income people could afford to rent or purchase homes here; older residents could afford to stay in town after raising their children. In the past decade, however, Watertown has experienced a surge in rental and housing prices, comparable to that of Greater Boston, one of the nation's most expensive places to live.

WCH creates and advocates for affordable, high-quality housing. Our organizing efforts have resulted in the enactment of a municipal inclusionary zoning ordinance and the creation of an Affordable Housing Trust Fund.

Through our First Home program, which provides down payment assistance as well as educational programming, WCH has helped 27 first-time homebuyers realize their dreams of homeownership, providing a total of $655,825 for down payments. WCH works to make homeownership a realistic goal, even in a town where the median home sale price is $420,000.

Through the Home Improvement Program (HIP), WCH directly improves Watertown's housing stock by increasing the safety and value of local homes. Qualifying homeowners receive technical assistance and financing to correct building code violations and remove lead and other hazardous materials. In the last four years, WCH has executed 30 HIP loans, totaling $360,275. Several projects are now in progress.

WCH also strives to identify new housing development opportunities. In 2002, we developed the Quimby Condominiums, four homes that were sold to income-eligible buyers: for $150,000 each. This Fall, we completed the construction of Marshall Place, transforming a former nursing home into ten units of affordable senior housing.

WCH is governed by a volunteer Board of Directors. Our funding comes from private contributions, corporate support, grants, and public sources.

Our funders include: the local HOME Consortium, the Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC), the Massachusetts Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD), and the Town of Watertown.

WCH receives additional support from financial institutions, including Belmont Savings Bank, Cambridge Savings Bank, Citizens Bank, East Cambridge Savings Bank, Watertown Savings Bank, Washington Mutual Bank, and Wells Fargo Home Mortgage.