SENIOR SAFETY: Concord Fire Department and Housing Authority Work Together to Secure Grants for Installing Sprinklers in Senior Housing

CONCORD — The Concord Housing Authority and Concord Fire Department worked together to secure state and local grant funding to significantly improve safety for more than 50 low-income elderly and disabled individuals in the Housing Authority’s Everett Gardens property. 

The project is believed to be one of the first of its kind in Massachusetts.

In July of 2025, the 100-unit Gabriel House assisted living facility in Fall River caught fire, leaving 10 residents dead and over 30 residents injured. Six firefighters were also injured while battling the blaze.

In the wake of that fire — the deadliest in Massachusetts in more than four decades — the Concord Housing Authority (CHA) and Concord Fire Department began conversations about how to improve safety for residents in Concord Housing Authority properties. Those conversations focused on adding a sprinkler system to the 52-unit Everett Gardens and Everett Gardens Extension complex, which provides housing to low-income elderly residents and individuals with disabilities. The estimated cost of the idea was over $1 million, though. 

While searching for possible funding sources, the CHA was invited by Chair Keith Bergman to apply for a grant from the Concord Municipal Affordable Housing Trust (CMAHT). In October, CMAHT generously approved a $300,000 grant for the project, using Community Preservation Act funds that were appropriated to CMAHT by Concord Town Meeting. 

Obtaining the CMAHT grant enabled the CHA and Concord Fire to subsequently apply for an even larger grant from the Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities’ (EOHLC) High Leverage Asset Preservation Program (HILAPP), which offers up to $2.50 in matching funds for every dollar of local grant funding obtained by organizations. Last month, HILAPP approved a $750,000 grant for the project. 

The HILAPP funding means the Concord Housing Authority now has enough grant funding to complete the project, which is estimated to take about two years. The CHA is now in the process of hiring a civil engineer to lead the project.

Fire sprinkler systems are crucial for saving lives, protecting property and providing environmental benefits by quickly controlling or extinguishing fires in their early stages. A fire sprinkler system will not only significantly reduce the risk of injury in a fire at Everett Gardens, it will significantly reduce property damage by containing or extinguishing any fires before they can spread. 

“We see this project as a critical life-safety investment for our elderly and disabled residents,” said CHA Executive Director Jennifer Polito. “With support from the Concord Municipal Affordable Housing Trust and the EOHLC HILAPP, we are bringing this 52‑unit Chapter 667 development up to modern fire protection standards, significantly reducing the risk of injury and property damage while preserving much-needed affordable housing in Concord for low- and moderate-income households.”

“In the wake of the tragic fire at a Fall River assisted living facility last year, the Concord Fire Department is very pleased with this award and this project,” said Lt. David J. Nichols, the Concord Fire Department’s Fire Prevention Inspector. “Our senior and disabled community members are the most vulnerable segment of the population with respect to their ability to escape a fire in a building.  A working sprinkler system goes a long way to slow or stop the spread of fire, giving occupants valuable time to get out, and our firefighters valuable time to help them get out.”

“The Concord Municipal Affordable Housing Trust is proud to support the Concord Housing Authority’s Retrofit Fire Sprinkler Project for the 52 existing units at Everett Gardens,” said CMAHT Chair Keith Bergman. “Because Concord Town Meeting voters had approved the transfer of Community Preservation funds to the Trust’s fund, the Trust could act quickly to approve the Concord Housing Authority’s request for $300,000, which allowed Housing Authority to apply promptly for $750,000 under EOHLC’s HILAPP program.”

“This HILAPP award reflects our commitment to resident safety and strong partnerships with local communities,” said Avalon McLaren, Director of Project Management at EOHLC. “By matching the Concord Municipal Affordable Housing Trust’s $300,000 investment, we are ensuring the Everett Gardens community receives a critical fire suppression system — an essential life-safety improvement that protects lives, strengthens the building, and supports residents’ ability to age safely in place. Thank you to the CMAHT, the Town of Concord and Concord Housing Authority for their partnership in this critical project.”

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