We develop new climate resilient buildings with sustainable features for Cambridge residents.

We develop new climate resilient buildings with sustainable features for mixed income Cambridge residents.

HRI is a community development corporation founded in 1972 by a group of concerned residents who recognized the need to stabilize their community. With an initial focus on homeownership, HRI strived to support mixed income communities, rich in ethnic and racial diversity. HRI shifted its focus from homeownership to include rental properties in the 1990s, as a means of creating new opportunities for families who could not access Cambridge’s housing market post-rent control.

Today, HRI continues further its mission by developing and preserving affordable, high-quality rental housing and empowering residents through services and programming.

HRI fulfills our mission through:

  • Development of new, climate resilient buildings and rehabilitation existing properties to increase sustainability features.

    Sustainability

  • A rich menu of Resident Services Programs and assistance for limited income Cambridge homeowners through our Home Improvement Program.

    Home Improvement Program

  • Commitment to stewardship of properties in our care through asset management.

    Our Properties

HRI In the News

Featured
Leslie’s Story and the Power of HRI’s Home Improvement Program
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Decarbonization Through Renovation

HRI’s portfolio includes 113 unique properties, including many smaller, scattered-site buildings built before World War II. Renovations offer the opportunity to reduce carbon output and reliance on fossil fuels, and to improve indoor air quality for residents of our buildings.

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Investing in Solar Energy

Since 2021, HRI has partnered with Resonant Energy to install solar PV arrays at properties we own. As part of this effort, HRI reviewed our 113-building portfolio to identify unused roof space for solar PV systems. We installed 21 arrays in 2023, and by the end of 2024, we anticipate that more than half of HRI buildings will have arrays on their rooftops. Our $3.9 million investment in solar technology will create 855 kW of solar PV energy annually for HRI’s portfolio. This is equivalent to the energy used by 133 homes powered by other energy sources in one year. The energy generated by our new solar panels will allow HRI to offset electricity usage from the grid, and will help reduce our properties’ electric bills.

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