Hano Homes is a ten-duplex townhome-style building, providing 20 units of affordable housing located on Hano Street in Allston. The property contains 10 two-bed and 10 three-bed units. The building was originally built in 1888 by book manufacturer Samuel Hano as housing for his workers.

This building was purchased by ABCDC in 1988 and was converted into affordable housing using an early form of the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) Program as well as several other public resources. The property went through the LIHTC Program again in 2003 when a substantial renovation project was undertaken. Hano Homes sits in the middle of a rapidly gentrifying area. Today, numerous high-end development projects in the area mean that Hano Homes is an island of affordability in an otherwise highly expensive area.

In July of 2024, construction on the Deep Energy Retrofit (DER) began at the site. The DER at Hano Homes will achieve significant energy savings (70% reduction in energy usage!) and will achieve Passive House certification. In addition, the Hano Homes DER is a part of Rocky Mountain Institute’s 1,000 Apartment Challenge to decarbonize affordable housing in MA. Through this rehab, Hano Homes will become fossil-fuel free. Energy-related upgrades will include a new all-electric HVAC system, heat pump hot water, a new super-insulated exterior shell, and rooftop solar PV panels.

Through this project, ABCDC hopes to act as a model to show how medium-sized affordable housing projects can achieve significant energy and emissions reductions. This is part of our larger effort to decarbonize our entire affordable housing portfolio by 2040!