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Villa Victoria is an affordable housing development with a unique history and organizational structure. The Puerto Rican community that settled in Boston in the 1950s “successfully stared down the bulldozers of urban renewal and organized to gain control over the development of their neighborhood.” Upon gaining control of the area inhabited by Puerto Ricans in the South End from the Boston Redevelopment Authority, the community proceeded to create a novel organizational structure for affordable housing. Instead of focusing on economic development exclusively, neighborhood leaders opted to create two organizations, one focused on property development and the other focused on social development. Since its inception in 1974, these two organizations have proceeded to develop and nurture Villa Victoria.

History of the Parcel 19
During the financial crisis of 1873, the so-called Long Depression, the South End saw a sharp decline in land investment. Moreover the price of the parcels were simply too high, as the architect Donald Freeman explains, “the price of the land had been set at an inordinately high rate to insure a uniformly upper-class population: the city found itself with acres of underdeveloped land on its hands.” To fill the properties the strategy had to change. Consequently, the properties became available to low to moderate-income families, thus paving the way for immigrant settlements.

By the turn of the century, the South End became home to immigrants and the poor. Many of the beautiful row houses became apartments or rooming houses. The first emigrants to reside in the South End were Irish. The other immigrant enclaves that would form throughout the first half of the century were composed of Greek, Syrian, Chinese, Eastern European Jews, West Indians, and Puerto Ricans. Immigrants from each of the groups tended to cluster near each other with little interaction between each of them. Therefore, even though the South End, from the outside may have appeared to be quite diverse and intermingled, the reality was that each culturally defined community kept to itself.

Accordingly, this led to the creation of the Puerto Rican enclave known as Parcel 19. As stated by Matos Rodriguez in his unpublished manuscript, Puerto Ricans were “recruited by New England farm companies for seasonal employment.” Most of the immigration occurred in the 1950s. Like the immigrant settlers preceding them, they tended to live in a particular area populated by people from their home country. Looking for cheap rent, they lived within a space of 20 to 25 acres bounded by West Newton Street, Tremont Street, West Dedham Street, and Washington Street. This area became known as the Spanish section of the South End (refer to figure 6). A well-defined and strongly connected Latino community emerged. Their connection to the place they inhabited was very important for the Puerto Rican community because the residents had made close personal ties that they did not want to lose. Unfortunately, the absentee landlords that owned this plot neglected the area.

The lack of care for the buildings and inexpensive rents attracted unsavory residents to the South End. Over time, the area became home to illegal activities such as, gambling, prostitution, and drug trafficking. Moreover, there was a large homeless population. Instead of attempting to rehabilitate the area, the city neglected the South End until it gained the notorious label of ‘slum’. Before long, the Boston Redevelopment Authority (BRA) prepared to include many parts of the South End in their urban renewal efforts.

Boston wanted to reinvent itself to prevent further decline with the ultimate goal of attracting people back to the city. During the time of Urban Renewal (1950s-1970s), there was major concern that the richer homeowners were leaving the city behind for the suburbs, thus reducing the tax revenue needed to maintain the city. This was the same concern the led to the expansion of Boston in the early 1800s with the addition of the South End and the Back Bay. Only this time instead of adding more land, the areas that were run-down received ‘slum’ designation. This permitted the city to raze and rebuild. A prime example of this was the demolition of the West End in the 1950s. To many in the South End, the West End served as a cautionary tale of what could happen to respectable low and middle-income residents.

One of the areas that the Boston Redevelopment Authority identified as part of the urban renewal project in 1965 was Parcel 19, the predominantly Puerto Rican neighborhood. However, the barrio inhabitants would not allow themselves to be scattered by the urban renewal initiatives. They united and created Villa Victoria, literally victory village.

Creation of Villa Victoria
The first step in creating Villa Victoria was the creation of the Emergency Tenants Council (ETC). In 1967, concerned residents of Parcel 19 started to meet at Saint Stephen’s Church to voice their fears of the impeding urban renewal and build a list of demands to be included in a dialogue with the city. Minutes from the meeting reveal the communities simple concerns: “low rents for low-income families, that we can truly afford to pay, such as $70 for 4 or 5 rooms, a good supply of housing for large families, and stores in or close to the area: grocery and meat market, delicatessen, Laundromat, hardware stores, etc.” Additionally, the inhabitants wanted the urban renewal project to include restoration of neglected apartment buildings and cleanup of local junkyards. The ETC was officially founded in January 28, 1968 when 500 residents in attendance at the church meeting voted to create an organization that would fight for the rights of the community’s poor tenants. The burgeoning organization quickly articulated its mission as follows: “to combat poverty and the deterioration of the community through the participation of the community in the planning and development of low cost housing, with the object of preventing the dispersal of residents, limiting the dislocation caused by Urban Renewal and in general improving the housing conditions of the community residents.” With the founding of this organization, the Boricua community popularized their rallying cry: “No nos mudaremos de la Parcela 19!” (English translation “We shall not be moved from Parcel 19”). The Emergency Tenants Council proceeded to petition the Boston Redevelopment Authority and private landlords for complete sovereignty over development of Parcel 19. Grassroots organization efforts throughout 1968 and 1969 supported the ETC’s efforts. After many demonstrations and rent boycotts the ETC celebrated a small victory when they were able to gain control, from a private landlord, of a property that covered a full block on West Newton Street. This allowed the ETC to demonstrate its capabilities. After gaining ownership of the property, they rehabilitated 106 units for poor families. When the ETC pursued the BRA for development rights of Parcel 19 they were able to refer to these 106 units as an example of what the organization could accomplish. By the time the ETC entered into negotiations for Parcel 19, they had renamed themselves ETC Developers Corporation to become the sponsor developer of the project. Because the BRA wanted to dispel their image “as a tool for the affluent bent on displacing the poor,” they eventually acquiesced to the ETC in 1971, but not without a few stipulations. For example, the ETC would have to raise the funds for the development within 90 days of the award and the Mayor’s office could employ veto power on the main points of the development if they undermined other initiatives within the South End. The creation of what was to become Villa Victoria was underway.

The cultural identity of the community inspired the design of the development. Architect John Sharratt was the principal volunteer for the community plan and design of the buildings. The ETC Developers Corporation was so intent on imbuing the space with a strong sense of Puerto Rican identity that they flew Sharratt to the small town of Aguadilla. They did not even let Sharratt explore San Juan, only the rural parts of the Commonwealth because the leadership of the ETC considered the capital too American. Most of the immigrants were from countryside villages like Aguadilla and Ponce; they wanted to reconnect with the home country and provide the parcel with a sense of cultural permanence. No matter what happened in the future, Villa Victoria would be a symbol of the organizing influence of the Puerto Rican community. As a result, the unique design features such as the bright pastel colors, pitched roofs, and a welcoming plaza came from Puerto Rico (refer to figures 7-9). To satisfy the South End’s aesthetic, however, Sharratt defined an appealing combination between the two. Consequently, Sharratt described the row houses as having a mix of “the South End’s steel rod iron and rails, and the brick bases and the steps, but as you go up the houses façade you turn to plaster and the brighter colors and the pitched roofs as in Puerto Rico,” (refer to figures 10 and 11).

Additionally the units had private backyards in order to provide the families with intimate open spaces. The care and attention to the residents’ and the city’s desires melded together to produce an award winning development. In 1977, the development won Boston Society of Architects ‘Design Excellence’ and ‘Housing and Neighborhood Design’ awards.

The plan for the development was completed in five stages. The first stage was a rehabilitation of townhomes located on Tremont Street and Shawmut Avenue, which yielded seventy-one units. The second stage was the building of Viviendas La Victoria I, which required the clearing of buildings on West Dedham, West Brookline, Tremont Street and Shawmut Avenue; a total of 181 units were made, evenly split between low and moderate income families. The third stage was the Plaza Betances (refer to figure 14) and the 19-story Unity Tower adjacent to the plaza on West Dedham Street, which provided about two hundred subsidized units for the elderly and disabled. The fourth was Casas Borinquen, which involved the rehabilitation of brick townhomes. The fifth and final stage was the building of Viviendas La Victoria II, which provided 163 new units and included the refurbishment of a few traditional South End townhomes on West Dedham and West Newton Streets (refer to figures 12 and 13). According to the ETC Developers Corporation the project was finished in the mid-1970s. It was aptly named Villa Victoria or victory village to commemorate the ETC’s feat. Once completed, the development included 435 dwellings housing about 3,000 low to moderate-income households. The design of the units themselves was welcoming and respectable. The greatest achievement of this development is that it does not look or feel like a ‘project’. All the units have an open kitchen, dining room, modern heating system, bedrooms and bathrooms on the second floor, double-locked doors, and large windows overseeing the street for added safety. There are also single floor units for easy access by senior citizens. As the residents had asked for in the beginning, there were units for large families with multiple bedrooms. The launch of this new neighborhood was a major step towards affordable housing development, but for the community to be successful having beautiful buildings would not be enough.

The ETC, besides creating the ETC Developers Corporation also founded the Inquilinos Boriquas en Accion (IBA), or Puerto Rican Tenants in Action, to address the social needs of the area. The Villa Victoria development was sensitive to both place prosperity and social prosperity. “The collaboration of ETC as a developer, owner and manager and IBA as a resident-controlled community-building agency became a unique and innovative model in the affordable-housing community” by combining both disciplines to help support and elevate the standard of living for residents of Villa Victoria. IBA created social, educational, and artistic programming for neighborhood residents. With the IBA, Villa Victoria is a comprehensive affordable housing experiment in community development. It has been a part of the project for almost 40 years. The next section will explore the effect it has had on today’s Villa Victoria, as well as the enduring qualities of the development.

Villa Victoria Through 2011
Today, Villa Victoria is a poor Latino neighborhood in the middle of Boston’s trendy South End district. It is still coming to terms with the changes the South End has undergone. The design and purpose of the development was to provide a safe community that the residents could retreat to, escaping the illicit activities that used to occupy almost every street corner. Villa Victoria’s IBA has an active Center for the Arts which functions as a quasi embassy teaching people about Latino Culture. The Center celebrates diverse cultures, particularly Latino, and presents it to all interested individuals in the area.

As of now, the affordable housing model employed ensures an anti-gentrified South End. Today, the demographic make-up of Villa Victoria closely resembles the intent of the development (see table below). To live in Villa Victoria the income limit for a family of four is $36,000 and if individuals want to live in the development, they must be making some type of income. Even though the residents are predominately Latino that does not mean they are all Puerto Rican. Notably, there is a contingent of 15% Asian residents. And although there used to be several African American enclaves in the South End, only 12% of residents in Villa Victoria are now African American. This diverse mix of residents will continue to be a part of the fabric of the South End so long as the affordable housing development is there.

Demographics
Demographic Indicator Poverty Level	80% live at or below the national poverty level with an average gross family income of $16,286 Female Head of Household	77% of households are headed by women Racial/Ethnic Background	72% Latino, 15% Asian, 12% African American Primary Household Language	43% Spanish, 9.2% Chinese Age Breakdown	52% are 21 years of age or younger Schooling Completed	47% did not complete high school, 19% only completed high school Disability	23.9% of residents are disabled

Even though crime has reduced significantly, recently there was a tragic murder, which calls into question the safety of the housing development. In early September 2011, a 17 year old resident was shot dead simply for responding in the affirmative when asked if he lived in Villa Victoria. Allegations connect the death to gang violence between Villa Victoria and Mission Hill. A death of this kind had not happened in over 10 years, which made it all the more heinous. Violence of this kind discourages investment and increases fears of the neighborhood, which creates a barrier to connection with the more affluent parts of the South End. Loss of history and apathy are concerns for the mature and established IBA and ETC Developers Corporation. In a case study of the IBA, the Villa Victoria Center for the Arts found that the largest challenge “as the population of the community has changed, [is that] the Center has to be responsive to the change in demographics without forgetting its Puerto Rican heritage.” As a result, a major initiative from the IBA that resulted from their strategic planning process is “the need for preserving this rich history so that the strong community fabric that has developed will remain.” Since their inception, IBA and ETC Developers Corporation have had a positive impact on the Latino community. For example, ETC has developed more than 1,000 housing units all focused on elevating the quality of life for Latinos. IBA has focused its efforts in Villa Victoria through programs in the following disciplines: Education, Arts, Economic Development, and Technology. All these initiatives are helping area tenants become more upwardly mobile. These organizations have modified their focus from political autonomy to the management and improvement of the neighborhood.

Villa Victoria is a model for affordable housing developments for creating social and place prosperity for low to moderate-income communities. The innovative assertion that for place to be successful it requires effective social programming initiatives that engage the resident population is a powerful and positive contribution to defining successful affordable housing projects. The IBA is responsible for the social programming while ETC Developers Corporation focuses on building developments.

Another element that makes it a model for affordable housing initiatives is its new urbanism design. This is an urban planning movement that promotes the creation of walkable, compact, vibrant, mixed-use communities assembled in a more integrated fashion. Villa Victoria displays many new urbanism principles, such as walkability, street connectivity, mix-use buildings, mix housing, quality architecture, and a focus on quality of life (refer to figures 17-19). Plaza Betances is a prime example because of the mixed-use buildings (Villa Victoria’s Market in the first floor and residential on top), welcoming public space, and a focus on density with the Unity Tower. Furthermore, the community has intimate walkable spaces that easily connect to transit on the edges of the development.