Frequently Asked Questions:



Who is HRI?



HRI is a local non-profit affordable housing organization that develops and preserves affordable, high-quality rental housing, with robust resident services for individuals and families throughout our portfolio.



We have a strong focus on responsible and sustainable practices through deliberate energy efficiency and material selection practices to both reduce our carbon footprint and to create healthy and comfortable homes for our residents.





What are the ways in which HRI builds energy-efficient and sustainable housing?



HRI focuses on green building infrastructure in a variety of ways. Adding insulation, improving HVAC systems, removing gas hookups, electrifying systems, and improving water efficiency are just some of the methods HRI uses when building for climate resiliency. Many of HRI’s properties use green certification programs like Enterprise Green Communities and is part of the DOE’s Better Climate Challenge, working to make its existing properties use less carbon in their operations. Partnerships with programs like MassCEC’s Triple Decker Challenge allow HRI to take advantage of cutting-edge technology in our retrofits of existing buildings.





What is the history of the mansion located at 1627 Mass Ave?



Originally built in 1862, the historic mansion was the home of Charles Hicks Saunders, who became mayor of Cambridge in 1868. Until 2021, Lesley University used the building as an admissions and visitor services center. The Cambridge Historic Commission has identified this house as an important historic landmark exemplifying the nineteenth-century Mansard style.





How is this site a transit-oriented development?



1627 Mass Ave is located in a transit-rich part of Cambridge. About a 10-minute walk from the Harvard Square MBTA station and a 15 minute walk from Porter Square, the building sits directly on the MBTA Red Line. It is also directly connected to the 74 and 96 bus routes connecting to North Cambridge, Arlington, and Medford. A short walk away, residents can connect to the 74, 75, and 78 buses connecting to West Cambridge, Belmont, and Arlington. Half a mile away, residents and visitors can connect to rapid transit at the MBTA Red Line Subway stop at Harvard Station that connects to key amenity hubs such as Central, Porter, and Davis Squares, commuting nodes Porter and Alewife that connect to Metro West, and the economic hubs of Kendall Square and Downtown Boston to the east.





Where are local amenities located?



1627 is in the vibrant Baldwin neighborhood, with Harvard Square to the south and Porter Square to the north. It has many family friendly amenities close by, including two libraries, the Harvard Museum of Natural History, the Botanic Gardens Children’s Center, and Sacramento Park, which is only a 5 minute walk away. Cambridge Rindge and Latin School is a 15-minute walk from the front door of the building, and Baldwin School is only two blocks from the house.





How can I learn more about the development at 1627 Mass Ave?



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