Central House

Central House

In 2011, the YMCA of Central Square sold the Central House to Caritas Communities. Located at 820 Massachusetts Avenue, the Central House provides 128 units of deeply affordable SRO housing for men in the heart of Central Square, close to jobs, services and transportation. Caritas Communities is an experienced developer and manager of SRO housing. Caritas Communities oversaw the renovation of the property, including restoration of the historic façade, upgrades to common areas, addition of new windows and bathrooms, and updated electrical and HVAC systems. 

The Central House provides single-room occupancy housing for men through various service providers, as well as "street" units that are available to any income-qualified applicant. The goal of the Central House and Caritas Communities is to prevent homelessness and provide stable housing.

For more information, please visit Caritas Communities' project page here.

Construction was completed in Summer 2012. No further updates will be made to this project page. 

The property includes: 

  • 128 single-room occupancy rental units with shared bathrooms and common areas, all of which are affordable in perpetuity

  • Laundry in building

  • On-site supportive services 

  • Central House
  • Central House
  • Central House
Central House is owned and operated by Caritas Communities. If you are interested in applying for housing at Central House, please refer to CHA’s information on SROs at: https://cambridge-housing.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/SRO-Program-2023.pdf. For more information on how to apply, please visit CHA’s website: https://cambridge-housing.org/applicants/.

If you are interested in other affordable rental or homeownership opportunities, please click here to learn about other City programs.