Norfolk Street opened in 1975 and was one of the first congregate housing programs in Massachusetts. Norfolk Street Congregate Housing is a public-private venture. The Cambridge Housing Authority subsidizes the rents and the Office of Elder Affairs provides funds for social service coordination. The funds are contracted to New Communities Services, Inc. a non-profit 501 c 3 Massachusetts corporation to manage the facility and provide social service coordination to the individual residents. The thirty-seven (37) units are subsidized and each tenant pays 30% of their income for rent. The Social Service Coordinator provides information about appropriate services and support in acquiring and maintaining needed services so as to enhance each resident’s ability to age in place appropriately. In recent years the program has been successful in housing elders and disabled persons who are homeless or who are ready to leave a skilled nursing facility.

Congregate housing is shared living. Norfolk Street Congregate is the renovated convent for St. Mary’s Church located near Central Square on Norfolk Street in Cambridge, MA. There are 37 units on four residential floors. The first floor has high ceilings, a large dining room, sitting room and activity room with a large color television. Each residential unit consists of a lavatory with toilet and sink and about 500 sq. ft. of living space. Residential units a located on four floors and each floor has a spacious kitchen and shower rooms that are shared by residents of that floor.

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 Starting in early 2010 Norfolk Street Congregate Housing underwent building envelope repairs and updates to all the security systems.  The interior hard wood floors were refinished, staircases carpeted, additional hand rails installed and new lever handles were installed on all unit doors.

In the Spring of 2011 a new elevator was installed and the backyard drainage was enhanced.  Plans for plantings in the backyard will be fulfilled in the Spring of 2012.

The Cambridge Housing Authority was successful in qualifying Norfolk Street for the funding that put many laborers to work completing these projects at 116 Norfolk Street.

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For more information or to make a referral to 116 Norfolk Street please call 617-547-3543, ext. 22.