On April 16, Urban Edge hosted a ribbon cutting and dedication ceremony for Betty Greene Apartments, our newest affordable housing development in Jackson Square. Surrounded by neighbors, partners, and city leaders, we celebrated this milestone and the creation of 65 new affordable homes that will soon provide stability and opportunity for Boston families.
This beautiful building is more than housing. With high-efficiency, sustainable design and thoughtful amenities — including a community room, bike storage, free internet access, and on-site EV charging stations — Betty Greene Apartments represents what’s possible when we come together to invest in community. It is also Urban Edge’s first Passive House-certified development, setting a new standard for energy-efficient, healthy living.
The building is named in honor of Betty Greene, a tireless housing advocate, former Urban Edge board chair, and longtime Roxbury resident. Betty was deeply involved in campaigns that shaped our neighborhood, including the successful fight against the proposed I-95 expansion in the 1960s. Her legacy of advocacy and care for her neighbors will live on in this development — right across the street from where she raised her family.
As Betty’s son Brian Greene shared at the ceremony: “She would be proud to see her name on this building — 65 new affordable homes, right across the street from where she raised her family and led a life rooted in advocacy and love for this neighborhood.”
At a moment when nearly half of Boston renters are rent-burdened, projects like Betty Greene Apartments make a real difference. This development is a tribute to Betty’s vision and a testament to what strong partnerships and community determination can achieve.
