State Awards Sisters of Providence Grant for Affordable Elder Housing
This initiative is part of the Sisters of Providence’s 15-year effort to transform the former Brightside for Families and Children from a focus on children, to a campus that addresses the needs of elders.
May 4, 2026 was a special day.
The Sisters of Providence were invited by the Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities to the presentation of the Massachusetts 2026 Supportive Housing Awards in Lynn, Mass. SP President Kathleen Popko, with SP Ministry Corporation CEO and COO, Kim Davis and Anne Chapdelaine, were there to hear the good news – the Sisters of Providence were awarded a $2.4 million grant!
Massachusetts Secretary of Housing and Livable Communities Juana Martias, (second from left), congratulates Sister Kathleen Popko, SP, CEO Kim Davis, and COO Anne Chapdelaine, both of the Sisters of Providence Ministry Corporation.
The SP’s new housing project, temporarily called Hillside: Phase III, will add 24 units of independent, affordable, elder housing to the 26-acre Hillside at Providence campus. This three-story, newly constructed building is designed as a service-enriched facility for people 62 and older and will be developed as a mixed income facility serving households from 30 – 80% of Area Median Income.
This initiative is part of the Sisters of Providence’s 15-year effort to transform the former Brightside for Families and Children from a focus on children, to a campus that addresses the needs of elders.
Outlining the multi-phase effort
Phase I addressed renovation of the 78,000 sq. ft. administration building, now called The de Paul Center. The Center leases space to non-profit organizations, including a floor dedicated to a PACE program (Program for All-Inclusive Care of the Elderly), which opened in March 2014.
Phase II encompassed creation of 34-units of affordable housing elders, called Hillside Residence, plus two units for respite care. This innovative program, completed in 2019, focuses on frail elders at risk of placement in a nursing home; and whose healthcare needs are met through the Mercy LIFE (PACE) program on the same campus.
This integrated program has been highly successful with 47% of the residents still in place after 5 years.
Gound breaking for Hillside: Phase III will occur in late 2026 with a grand opening in 2027.