FSU receives $7M from millionaires tax to create affordable housing for students, faculty

Photo I Framingham State University Linsley Hall at Framingham State University

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New low-cost academic housing will be coming to Framingham State University as the school has received $6.6 million to renovate an underutilized residence hall into apartments for faculty, staff, and graduate students.

Planning to break ground in winter 2026, FSU will convert its Linsley Hall into 32 apartments, including six two-bedroom apartments, six three- bedroom apartments, and 20 studio apartments, according to a Tuesday press release from FSU. The university intends to have the building in use spring 2027, offering both short- and long-term leases.

Funding for the renovations is provided to FSU through the state’s Fair Share amendment, which saw Massachusetts residents vote in November 2022 to earmark a 4% surtax on income above $1 million to support quality and affordable public colleges and universities, according to the amendment’s webpage.

In addition to its availability to FSU’s community, the renovated housing will possibly be offered to other educational institutions, including The Learning Center for the Deaf in Framingham and Framingham Public Schools.

The decision to renovate is FSU’s response to an increasing need observed within the university for accessible, affordable housing.

“Many new faculty and other employees who are transitioning to this area need a temporary place to stay as they look for housing,” FSU President Nancy Niemi said in the release. “This project will allow us to offer them access to newly renovated apartments, available at under-market prices.”

FSU no longer had a use for Linsley Hall, the university’s smallest residence hall, after the school experienced a drop in enrollment from its pre-COVID peak, Dan Magazu, executive director, office of marketing & communications, wrote in an email to WBJ.

Since then, the building has continued to serve as summer housing for students due to it being the only residence hall with air conditioning.

Thus, FSU has allocated a portion of its state funding to install air conditioning at its Larned Hall residence building, enabling the university to accommodate students during the summer months.

The university does not yet have the leasing costs associated with the apartments, Magazu said.

“We are extremely grateful to Senate President Karen Spilka, as well as the members of our local state delegation, for supporting this project,” Niemi said in the release. “It allows us to take a building that was no longer serving the university and convert it into a facility that will not only benefit FSU, but other educational organizations in our region. It’s a big win for Framingham.”

Mica Kanner-Mascolo is a staff writer at Worcester Business Journal, who primarily covers the healthcare and diversity, equity, and inclusion industries.