LYNN — Catalyst Housing, a permanent and supportive housing joint venture between Harborlight Homes and The Haven Project, is under construction on Munroe Street and recently opened applications for its housing lottery.

Catalyst Housing consists of 24 studio apartments on the third and fourth floors above The Haven Project’s offices on Munroe Street. Each apartment comes furnished with a kitchenette, bed, and an individual bathroom and shower. Each floor also has a community room, shared kitchen space, and laundry. Two of the units – one on each floor – are handicap accessible.

Catalyst will have a separate entrance from the The Haven Project, but each resident can use any of the support services, such as career development and the food pantry. One of the 24 units is reserved for a resident manager, who will oversee the units when Haven Project staff is unavailable.

Assistant Executive Director of The Haven Project, Angelica Perez Baez, said she is most excited to offer permanent, supportive housing to community members and then see them grow.

“This is your space for you to actually get to the point you need to get to be stable long term in life,” Perez Baez said. “It’s going to give you the opportunity to also explore what it is that you want to do, and how you want to establish yourself professionally, personally, and develop a community of people.”

Director of Real Estate Development at Harborlight Homes, Kristin Carlson, said she is most looking forward to seeing residents move in after watching the year-long construction of a project that has been in the works for six years.

Harbolight Homes is an affordable housing developer and manager based in Beverly and is partnering with The Haven Project, a Lynn-based support services provider, for the first time.

Perez Baez and Carlson agreed Catalyst Housing combines the expertise from both organizations to create a unique opportunity for community members.

“The partnership of Harborlight Homes and the Haven Project is essential to responding to this critical need for young adults in crisis,” Harborlight Homes Executive Director Andrew DeFranza said. “The strength of the alliance, in which each organization is leveraging our unique strengths, fortifies this affordable housing project and its strong supportive services. Harborlight is excited to bring this project to fruition after many years of planning, and bring this stable setting to youth in need of essential resources.”

Representatives from The Haven Project and Harborlight Homes said the City of Lynn support the joint-venture project.

“Catalyst Housing represents more than providing shelter for youth experiencing homelessness,” Mayor Jared Nicholson said. “It serves as a lifeline to stability, opportunity, and a brighter future. The application period for this vital housing resource is now open, and we encourage our community to help spread the word.”

“I’m excited to see construction of the Catalyst project coming to a close and these much needed affordable housing units becoming available to our community,” Lynn Principal Planner Aaron Clausen said. “It will provide much needed housing and wrap around services for one of our more vulnerable populations”

The deadline for applications is Wednesday, Jan. 15, 2025 at 4 p.m. and must be submitted in person to Harborlight Homes at 600 Cummings Ctr., STE 270-X, Beverly, or mailed to P.O. Box 507 Beverly, MA 01915 with a postmarked date of Jan. 15, 2025.

Applications are available for pick up at Harborlight Homes, 600 Cummings Ctr., Beverly Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. They are also available as an electrical printable PDF on the website or you can request to receive an application by mail, by emailing [email protected] or calling 978-922-1305.

The lottery for Catalyst Housing in Lynn is currently open, and we are asking for your help in reaching potential applicants. Catalyst Housing features apartments at the 30% AMI, all of which are supported by permanent project-based MRVP vouchers. In partnership with The Haven Project, residents will receive onsite supportive services to address basic needs, employment and job training, health care access, and other essential case management support.

There are preferences in effect for applicants who are homeless, age 18-24, and in need of supportive services. For the lottery period only, there is also a local preference for applicants who live, work, or attend public school in Lynn for some of the units.

The lottery drawing will take place on Monday, Feb. 10, 2025 at 6 p.m. at 61 Munroe St., Lynn, and on Zoom.

To learn more about the property, download an application – available in multiple languages – or share a marketing flyer, community members are encouraged to visit the website, https://harborlighthomes.org/housing-lottery-opportunities/catalyst-housing.