By JILLIAN BROSOFSKY
Waltham Times Contributing Writer
When Lynn Goldstein-Gargulio’s husband moved to a nursing home, she felt lonely in her apartment at Waltham’s Briar Glen Village. She had neighbors, but she sensed that something was missing.
That was until she moved into Leland House, the new 68-unit, three-story affordable housing complex for adults over the age of 62. Since moving in just over a month ago, Goldstein-Gargulio, who moved to Waltham three years ago from New York by way of Kentucky, has formed new friendships with the staff and her neighbors.
“You feel like you’ve known them forever,” she said.
Leland House, located at 21 Newton St., welcomed the first group of residents last month after receiving 636 applications for the available units. Because its waitlist remains long, Myra Marshall, executive director of Leland House and Golda Meir House in Newton, advises interested candidates to add their names soon.
“Don’t wait to apply until you are desperate,” she said.
Of the 68 units, there are 66 one-bedroom and two two-bedroom apartments. There are 24 subsidized units, where residents pay 30% of their income for rent, and 42 units with a flat monthly rent.
Two apartments are designated for site representatives who live at Leland House and respond to emergencies throughout the building at night and during off hours and holidays.
The rent for a one-bedroom unit is $1,250, where residents are eligible if their annual income falls between $33,000 and $68,520. The rent for a two-bedroom unit is $1,400, with eligible residents making between $37,000 and $78,360. Utilities are included for all residents, as are the programs and services provided by the staff.
The building is across the street from a bus line and a nine-minute walk to the downtown MBTA train station on Carter Street. Residents can also take advantage of the William F. Stanley Senior Center located next door, at 488 Main St.
Leland House replaces Leland Home, a rest home for seniors in Waltham that dated back to 1892.
In 2023, three years after Leland Home’s 2020 closure, 2Life Communities, an organization that develops and manages affordable senior housing buildings in Greater Boston, began construction of the new building.
Leland Home was no longer working for older adults in the area, said Ithzel Polanco-Cabadas, the real estate project manager who oversaw construction and design of Leland House. The team wanted to honor the history of the original Leland Home by keeping some of the windows and fireplace mantles, as well as the front door and many pieces of art, but it needed an upgrade — and it got one.
Senior housing that grows with its residents
Leland House’s lobby is big and bright, replacing Leland Home’s narrow front hall with seating areas to encourage conversation among residents. The design impressed Goldstein-Gargulio as well as her 10-year-old grandson. Goldstein-Gargulio remembers the first time he walked into the building. He yelled, “Nanny, this is so cool,” Goldstein-Gargulio said.
All the hallways have benches or chairs for residents who want or need them, and they’re wide enough for two wheelchairs. They also include outlets that are hooked up to generators, just in case, Polanco-Cabadas said.
“Since we’re building a senior community, we’re thinking about resiliency and natural disasters,” she said.
The units are up to passive house standards, meaning they are built with a focus “on the dramatic reduction of energy use for space heating and cooling.” The staff at Leland House also plans to add solar panels to the roof.
As the building adapts to the environment, the units also adapt to the needs of the residents. Each unit has a 5-foot radius in the kitchen in case a resident needs to use a wheelchair or walker, now or in the future. They also have removable drawers and cabinets to customize the space to the needs of residents as they age.
Staff can provide new grab bars and take out the lip on the shower if residents need more support in the bathroom.
Each unit also has multiple emergency pull cords and is connected to a two-way intercom system.
Community in Leland House
Past the lobby, the building includes a library, classroom, patio, wellness room, game room and more. The extensive common space was made possible, in part, due to support from the city.
In August 2021 the Waltham City Council voted to provide $6 million from the Community Preservation Act to fund the construction of this “village center,” a gathering space for community members, as well as city residents who do not live in the building.
Because many of the common space walls fold up to create a single large room, Leland House will be able to host the community at its larger events, concerts and lectures.
“Flexibility of space is really important, and I think we’ve maximized that here,” said Marshall.
The City of Waltham is a strong force within Leland House, as Marshall was able to hire many Waltham residents for roles throughout the building, and 66% of residents at Leland House moved to the complex from elsewhere in Waltham.
It was no accident that Goldstein-Gargulio found a community at Leland House. It’s all by design, according to Marshall.
“This is not just an apartment building. It’s a community and people can partake of that … as much or as little as they want. Whatever is most comfortable and meaningful,” said Marshall.
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