WGBH Basic Black: Transforming the Roxbury community

Community leaders and area residents gathered in Roxbury July 20 to celebrate the completion of "Twenty at Luma," a new development of 20 affordable homes for first time low and moderate income home buyers. I had a chance to tour three of the homes. Anyone who has a chance to buy one is considered very lucky. All the homes have three floors with three or four spacious rooms and two bathrooms. Two-bedroom homes will sell for $135,000 and three bedroom homes for $150,000. That's a steal in this economy!

Ten of the homes are already pre-sold to Orchard Gardens residents, including Ivelise Rivera, the single mother of two featured in the video. The homes are also green efficient and are LEED Silver certified. The homes use recycled building materials, high-effiiency boilers, photo-voltaic panels, low VOC paints and low-flow sinks and lavatories. In addition to the Food Project farm down the street, "Twenty at Luma" is the latest example of environmental justice in the neighborhood.

Rivera said she is happy about her new home and the changes in the community. "The success of this project reflects the positive in our neighborhood and all the potential Roxbury has to offer," she said.

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News & Politics

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• Senator Sonia Chang-Díaz
• Sonia Chang-Díaz
• Chang Díaz
• Massachusetts
• State Senate
• Second Suffolk
• 2nd Suffolk
• WGBH
• Basic Black
• Orchard Gardens
• Ribbon Cutting Ceremony