Draft:The Ausonia

The Ausonia

185 Fulton Street, Boston, MA, 02109

The Ausonia Apartments is a housing complex operated by the Boston Housing Authority which provides 99 one and two bedroom apartments for the elderly and disabled residents of the building. Most residents only have to pay 30 percent of their income as rent.  It is located at 185 Fulton Street, in the waterfront district of Boston’s historic North End, amazingly convenient for access to historic Boston as well as city hall and downtown.  The tenants association at Ausonia is active in strengthening the community at Ausonia and bringing the residents together.

Of the 99 apartments in the building, 93 are one-bedrooms and 6 are two-bedrooms. The cost of the rent of each apartment is either set up so that residents pay 30 percent of their income towards rent, prorated rent, or a predetermined flat rent. So although residents are provided with housing, it is not an entirely free system for those people who are eligible. However, people who are on Social Security are eligible to live in this building.

The Ausonia provides amenities such as a telephone intercom security system, an emergency call system, on-site health screening and educational programs, adult foster care program providing personal care and other services to program eligible residents nearby, North End resident on-street parking program, air conditioned community rooms, a TV room and library, three terraces overlooking Boston Harbor and the historic North End, a coffee hour organized by the Ausonia Tenant’s Organization, and a courtyard. Furthermore, the location of this building places its residents right in the heart of downtown Boston, making it possible for its residents to take advantage of the area around them and to stay engaged with the Boston area even as they age.

Description and history

The red brick Ausonia Apartments was originally built in the 1970s, and was designed by the architect Carmen Garufo, a longtime resident of the North End. The project was sponsored by the Ausonia Council, Knights of Columbus, before being given to the Boston Housing Authority to manage. The building opened to residents in 1978.

In 2016, the community was shocked when a person was violently stabbed in the Ausonia around 1:30pm in the afternoon on December 20th. The victim was quickly rushed to the hospital. The victim was later identified as Bobby Pirelli, who was a resident of the building and in his mid-50s. He was reported as having multiple stab wounds and was in critical condition when he was transferred to Massachusetts General Hospital. The suspect in the case is a man named Anthony Spinelli, who is from Leominster and is 44 years old. He was charged with armed assault with intent to murder when he was apprehended in Revere. Spinelli claims to have a troubled past, and to have been molested as a teenager by the Penn State football coach, Jerry Sandusky. Spinelli and Pirelli appear to have known each other, and it was reported that Bobby Pirelli and Anthony Spinelli got into a fight which led to Bobby Pirelli’s injuries. Bobby Pirelli was expected to recover.

In 2018, the wireless services provider Starry launched their program Starry Connect at the Ausonia, bringing free internet services to its residents and expanding the services offered by the BHA. Starry will wire all of the public areas of the complex with 200 megabit speed free wifi.  Some residents will likely be able to use the service inside of their apartments as well.  The program is designed to bring internet access to people who might not otherwise be able to afford it.  Starry intends to bring Wifi not just to Ausonia but to all 58,000 residents who live in apartments run by the Boston Housing Authority as part of Starry Connect.

On March 20, 2019, Mayor Martin Walsh and the Women’s Employment Resource Group visited the Ausonia Apartments to celebrate Women’s History Month.

In March 2023, $1.75 million in federal funds were allocated via the earmark process by Senator Edward Markey and Congressman Stephen Lynch to renovate the Ausonia Apartments. The Ausonia Apartments received two separate federal grants. A grant of $1 million dollars is put towards increasing the climate resiliency of the apartment complex, via renovations to improve air quality and decrease the cost of energy usage. A second grant of $750,000 will be used to renovate the 100 apartment units in the building.

Mayor Michelle Wu claimed that, ““These changes add up to safer, healthier and more affordable housing that improves not only the quality of the spaces, but the quality of life for all those who call them home.”” Senator Ed Markey also commented on the funding, saying, “As Boston contends with encroaching seas, coastal flooding, scorching summers, we know the climate crisis is not on our doorsteps, it’s in our homes. Our [residents] must be sheltered from the storm; we need bold partnerships and decisive action across all levels of government to meet the climate challenge.” Additionally, State Representative Aaron Mischlewitz said, “We are in a housing crisis here in this state, and it is critical that every dollar we can get, that we can reach for, we get, and we invest into housing here in Massachusetts. We talk a lot about the different kinds of housing, but we cannot forget about public housing. That’s the issue that kind of gets lost in the conversation because it’s sometimes not as sexy to talk about, but public housing is the backbone of our housing. Making sure that everyone has a decent roof over their heads is important for us to provide.”

The President of the Ausonia Tenant Task Force, Cheryl Iftikar, also commented on the federal funding allocated to the Ausonia, saying, “We’re very excited to see our homes get fixed up. The building really needs to be upgraded, but this is an investment in more than just a building. It’s an investment in us, and in our home. I’ve lived at Ausonia for seven years and in the North End my entire life. These efforts will make life better for seniors here in the North End.”