Our timeline is carefully phased to allow for municipal approvals, community dialogue, and comprehensive interior updates:

Summer–Fall 2026
Design & Engagement: Finalizing schematic designs and hosting community workshops to gather neighbor feedback.

Fall 2026–Spring 2027
Permitting & Licensing: Securing necessary town approvals, including a Select Board Lodging House License and building permits.

Winter-Fall 2027 
Renovation: Completing thoughtfully designed interior and landscaping improvements, culminating in elegant, ADA-accessible kitchens, bathrooms, bedrooms, common areas, staff offices, and landscaped areas, while preserving the historic integrity of the building

Late 2027
Opening: Completing construction and welcoming resident families into the home.

To ensure complete transparency and regulatory compliance, Victory Programs is coordinating regularly with town officials and relevant departments to comply with local requirements. The project requires a Lodging House License from the Brookline Select Board, which will be sought in the Fall/Winter of 2026. Additionally, the project will require a building permit and, due to the historic nature of the building, entail ongoing consultations with the staff to the Historic Commission. Throughout the entire design and development process, Victory Programs is engaging in active consultations with the Town of Brookline’s Planning, Building, Public Health, and other municipal departments

The property at 16 Williams Street is designated to serve as deed-restricted affordable housing for low-income populations. The proposed layout will feature 10 income-restricted bedrooms with shared common amenities. The program is structured to serve households with annual incomes up to 80% of the Area Median Income (AMI), with a primary focus on extremely low-income households earning less than 30% AMI.

Victory Programs’ dedicated facilities department directly manages all ongoing property maintenance, waste removal, and landscaping. We are already taking proactive measures to elevate the property’s curb appeal, and we have initiated immediate pest-control and rodent-remediation protocols to ensure the site is continually maintained to the highest standards.

In conjunction with the MA Department of Children and Families (DCF) and regional partners, Victory Programs’ approach to the program prioritizes the development and wellbeing of children. Importantly, all referrals to the program undergo a thorough assessment by child welfare and family stability specialists at DCF to ensure family cohesion, safety, and wellbeing. 

To be eligible, families must: 1.) successfully complete major milestones in their DCF action plan, resulting in a determination that family reunification is appropriate, with an eye towards child wellbeing; 2.) be experiencing homelessness and 3.) have a head-of-household that is a parenting or expecting mother. To ensure community stability, mothers entering the program have generally completed a minimum of twelve months of structured, residential behavioral health treatment prior to entry

This is a transitional housing program, rather than a permanent residence, designed to empower clients to pursue family, workforce training, employment, and housing goals. Families reside at the home on average for approximately 1.3 years. During this stay, mothers work intensively with our on-site case managers to secure stable, permanent housing, build financial literacy, undergo workforce training or education, obtain employment, transition children into local early development programs, and establish long-term independence.

As a key pillar of a thoughtful, trauma-informed program, the property operates under the leadership of Tammy Simmons-Dixon, a housing and family stability specialist with over 15 years of leadership experience. Tammy will oversee all program operations, which are supported by  professional staff on-site 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. This clinical and operational team typically includes a Program Director, clinicians, case managers, family stability specialists, and housing specialists. 

From an operational perspective, the site will be closely monitored through an on-site security system, life safety systems (i.e. fire alarm, fire suppression), and robust access control systems. Entry and exit will be managed by site personnel, in accordance with strict access control procedures. Only authorized staff, clients, and fully vetted visitors will be allowed on-site. 

As a longstanding organization with a commitment to fostering vibrant communities, Victory Programs takes pride in our properties. In addition to a refined interior setting, the exterior of the site will be professionally managed and maintained by our Facilities Department. On occasion, Victory Programs also partners with corporate volunteer groups to participate in organized beautification projects, such as seasonal landscaping, planting, and other outdoor improvements. These volunteer events are coordinated and supervised by Victory Programs staff and help enhance the property while fostering community engagement.

With the goal of safeguarding the safety and wellbeing of all clients, especially children, VPI permits visitors in rare circumstances. Visitors are limited to external service providers, such as educators providing on-site financial counseling, and family members of clients, such as grandparents. All guests must be thoroughly vetted and authorized to visit the site. Typically, these might be grandparents or related family members. Upon arrival, all guests must present a government-issued ID, sign in, and visits are typically limited to intervals of approximately two hours. All visits are supervised by Victory Program’s staff. Non-resident spouses or unvetted partners are not permitted on-site.

Victory Programs anticipates minimal, if any, parking impacts on the neighborhood. Families residing in our transitional programs rarely own personal vehicles, due to economic barriers, and rely primarily on public transit. Additionally, VPI’s personnel regularly use public transportation, and the organization incentivizes public transit use through subsidized MBTA passes provided as an employee benefit. Three (3) on-site spaces, located in the property’s driveways, will be used by staff, such as Facilities personnel conducting regular maintenance. In general, we anticipate no measurable impact on local street parking or traffic volume.

Accountability is a core pillar of our operations. Neighboring residents will be provided with a direct, 24/7 neighborhood liaison telephone number and email address. Because trained staff are on-site around the clock, any local inquiries, operational questions, or immediate concerns can usually be addressed and resolved by our on-duty program supervisor in real-time.

Our model has a long-standing, proven track record of being an excellent neighbor. In similar residential settings—such as our Portis Family Home in Jamaica Plain—our programs integrate seamlessly into the surrounding neighborhood. We take pride in maintaining beautiful, high-quality properties and active, collaborative relationships with local municipal leaders, schools, and civic associations. Historically, well over 90% of the families who complete our programs transition successfully into permanent, stable housing.

To ensure complete peace of mind, we have established rigorous policies governing the use of exterior space, designated smoking areas, neighborhood cleanliness, and noise. Smoking is restricted entirely to monitored backyard areas away from adjacent properties, and all outdoor rules are firmly enforced by our on-site staff.

Grounded in trauma-informed design principles, Victory Programs is undertaking a comprehensive modernization of the property’s interior to maximize functionality, safety, and code compliance. This includes updates to the interior environment, emergency egresses, fire alarms, electrical, and mechanical systems. To ensure the property is fully welcoming and functional for all residents, Victory Programs will complete targeted upgrades to produce a fully accessible kitchen, laundry facilities, bathrooms, staff office, and first-floor bedrooms. Specifically, the proposed layout will consolidate existing spaces on the first floor to establish two fully ADA-accessible bedrooms.

The program at 16 Williams Street is specifically designed to address local and regional needs. In close coordination with the state’s family housing networks, Victory Programs prioritizes families who have deep roots in Brookline, Boston, and our immediate surrounding municipalities. By focusing our intake on individuals already connected to the Greater Boston area, we ensure this property serves as a vital resource for our local community.

Transparency is a core priority for Victory Programs. Ahead of construction, we are hosting community workshops and open houses throughout the summer and fall. Once work begins, neighbors will have a direct line to our executive leadership—including Chief Operating Officer Alex Train—to quickly resolve any real-time questions regarding site safety or property maintenance.

• Host an In-Kind Drive: Organize your workplace, faith group, or civic association to collect essential household items or assemble Welcome Home Baskets.
• Serve Meals: Help prepare and serve breakfast or lunch to members at our community health hub, the Boston Living Center (BLC) in Back Bay.
• Share a Skill: Pitch a workshop or class for our clients, such as wellness, fitness, art, or job readiness.
• Property Beautification: Partner with our facilities team to assist with outdoor garden and property maintenance.

The most impactful way to support our programs is through financial donations to Victory Programs, which fund our on-site 24/7 staffing, clinical care, and housing search services across our 20+ programs. You can also purchase essential supplies directly from our online registry wishlists—such as our Welcome Home Baskets, Summer, or Dignity lists—which ship items straight to our team. As we get closer to opening our doors, we will share and update specific ways you can directly help and support the 16 Williams Street community.