Mayor Michelle Wu called Jamaica Plain "the place to be" Wednesday, as she joined mayoral challenger Josh Kraft and potential candidate Tom O'Brien at a celebration for "The Lyndia," a new building that developers say is the largest permanent supportive housing development in New England.

The first residents at the five-story, 202-unit property at 3368 Washington Street moved in around November. About half of the 140 units that offer supportive services for people transitioning out of homelessness are filled. Another 62 units are designated for households earning 60 to 80% of the area median income.

Wu arrived at the 165,501-square-foot development — a collaboration between Pine Street Inn and The Community Builders nonprofit — shortly after Kraft on Wednesday morning (March 12). Her newborn daughter, wearing a St. Patrick's Day-themed outfit under a fuzzy onesie, was also on hand.

The mayor was front and center for cameras at a ribbon-cutting ceremony and speaking program marking the development's completion, while Kraft and O'Brien looked on. O'Brien, a real estate developer who sits on Pine Street Inn's Board of Directors, is mulling a mayoral bid, The Boston Globe reported this week. Other attendees included Health and Human Services Secretary Kate Walsh, Undersecretary of Housing Stabilization Chris Thompson, Rep. Samantha Montaño and Boston City Council Ben Weber.

Asked whether the mayoral race is heating up with Wu, Kraft and O'Brien all at the same event, the mayor told reporters, “This is the place to be today.”

“This is the project that represents so much of how we get things done in Boston,” Wu continued. “I'm so proud that our administration has helped to work through all of the twists and turns here, lots of funding complexities, navigating through a challenging set of approval steps, and just making sure that everything that needed to go right could continue to go right.”

Voters in Boston and beyond are looking to government for housing affordability solutions.

Kraft, a nonprofit leader, is campaigning on an opt-in rent control program in which participating landlords who cap their rents would receive real estate tax breaks. Critics argue Kraft's plan deviates from traditional rent control, and Wu has said her challenger is promoting “fake rent control.”

Wu, without directly snubbing Kraft by name, praised Boston's housing chief Sheila Dillon, neighborhood liaisons, and other individuals involved in bringing the new development to fruition.

“So, I'm really proud to celebrate with them today and welcome everyone to understand that this is how we do things. It's not about cutting affordability back in Boston, it's not about giving tax giveaways to developers,” Wu told reporters.

“We need to make sure that housing is affordable and that it actually meets the needs of residents who are here in our city trying to do everything right and just need that extra little foot in the door to be able to live their fullest lives and contribute to our communities."

The Lyndia, named for Pine Street Inn Executive Director Lyndia Downie, is slated to reach full occupancy in June. The development incorporates more than 13,000 square feet of community space, as well as outdoor areas, a library and laundry facilities on each floor.

Downie called the project's completion "thrilling."

"It's been a tough couple of months, as the mayor will tell you, and having something to celebrate who we are as a community, just is amazing to all be here," Downie said.

Reflecting on a supportive housing development in Back Bay, Downie added, “The mayor and I were at the ribbon-cutting ceremony at 140 Clarendon last year, and I said to the mayor, 'I really hope there's going to be more.' And here we are.”

Kraft told reporters that Boston needs to create housing for all residents, including those who qualify for affordable housing.

“There's a lot of regulatory issues, there's a lot of red tape,” Kraft said when asked how he could eliminate barriers to building affordable housing. “And we got to cut through it all because housing is the number one issue in this city.”

Rent control bills have been cast aside for years on Beacon Hill. Kraft declined to answer a News Service question about what support he's secured so far from state lawmakers.

“I'm not focused on that. I'm focused on people in the communities, the voters of Boston," Kraft said. "They want to be listened to. That's where my focus is.”

During the speaking program in front of dozens of housing developers, service providers and community partners, Wu didn't shy away from touting her administration's accomplishments for affordable housing projects.

“We, as you heard, are working every single day to make Boston a home for everyone, and I'm proud to report that we are breaking records in the process,” Wu said. “Our administration has built the most affordable housing in a generation, and every single day, we feel what that impact is.”

Wu propped up The Fairlawn Estates, which consists of 12 apartment buildings and a leasing office, in Mattapan as an example. Wu's office announced Monday the city invested $10 million in federal COVID relief funds to buy the property and convert all 347 market-rate units into permanently affordable housing.

The mayor said it is the largest purchase to date for the city's Acquisition Opportunity Program, which launched in 2016.
“We are already at over 1,000 units acquired through that program — five years ahead of schedule, and we're just going to keep going,” Wu said over audience applause.

The mayor remains in a battle over rising residential property taxes after she was unable to move tax relief legislation through the Legislature that would have temporarily shifted more taxes to commercial owners.