Boston turning abandoned office space into housing

 Nice News -   It’s no secret that many offices emptied during the pandemic — and have stayed empty ever since. Rather than letting these spaces remain vacant, Boston has launched a program to turn underutilized downtown office buildings into much-needed affordable housing, and the first residents have already moved in.
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Initiated in 2023 by Mayor Michelle Wu, the program provides a tax deduction of up to 75% for up to 29 years as an incentive for developers to convert office spaces into residential units that meet both energy efficiency and affordability standards. Earlier this month, the initiative welcomed the inaugural tenants into its first building, where five floors of offices were converted into 15 apartments.
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This building is just the beginning: There are more than 800 units either under construction or in the pipeline. The vision is to transform a total of 1 million square feet by the end of next year in a bid to not only provide new affordable homes for over a thousand new residents, but also boost foot traffic and support the local economy.
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“Every new home matters,” the mayor said in a recent video about the program. “Every new family moving into Boston and getting involved in our community makes a huge difference.”