49 6th Street

49 Sixth Street_Former Church and Convent

Preservation of Affordable Housing (POAH), a Boston-based nonprofit, is planning to convert a portion of the Sacred Heart property in East Cambridge into affordable rental housing. The Sacred Heart property currently consists of a school building, convent, rectory, chapel, and church facility. The plan calls for the adaptive reuse of the former convent, school, and rectory buildings into 46 affordable rental apartments, with housing options for a range of resident incomes. As part of the renovation, POAH will restore the structures’ historic facades and interiors. The church and the chapel will continue to be used by the Archdiocese.

The project is being permitted under the provisions of the Affordable Housing Overlay (AHO).


POAH completed the AHO process in July 2022 and is now assembling financing in order to begin construction.

For more information on the project, please visit POAH's project page here.

49 6th Street Public Meetings:

Meeting Date/Time More Information
Planning Board Meeting Tuesday, June 28, 2022 at 7:00 p.m. View the meeting materials.
Planning Board Meeting Tuesday, April 5, 2022 at 6:30 p.m. View the meeting materials.
POAH Community Meeting Wednesday, November 3, 2021 at 6:00 p.m. View the meeting flyer.
POAH Community Meeting Tuesday, July 27, 2021 at 6:00 p.m. View the meeting flyer.

Existing Site: Buildings include the former Sacred Heart Rectory, School and Convent.

Proposed Redevelopment: 46 rental apartments

  • 49 Sixth Street

  • 49 Sixth Street_Street View

  • 49 Sixth Street_Former Church and Convent
  • 49 Sixth Street_ Former Convent