Jordan never imagined owning a home. For years, it simply wasn't something he saw as possible. "I classified myself as someone who never wanted to own a home," he says. "But that was because I didn't know what it meant, not because I didn't want to." 

At 37, Jordan is now the owner of an artist-designated condo at Brookley Flats, JPNDC's newest development in Jamaica Plain. 

As a man who proudly self-identifies as Black, gay, and living with a psychiatric disability, his road to stability was never straightforward. Raised by a single parent in a rural West Coast community, his early life was shaped by frequent moves and uncertainty.  

When he came to Boston in 2006 to attend Northeastern University, he immersed himself in African American Studies and Political Science. He later worked in education and school administration. Around ten years ago, he began taking his creative work seriously, combining spoken word, visual art, data, and virtual reality to explore identity, empathy, and social change.  

Homeownership didn't seem within reach. He applied to affordable housing opportunities without expecting much. So, when he learned he was number two in the lottery for an artist-designated unit at Brookley Flats, everything in his life shifted almost instantly. 

Jordan was selected under the first-generation homebuyer preference, a first-ever strategy in Boston that JPNDC adopted just for people like him. "My mom never owned anything. I'm the first to go to college and now the first to own a home. I feel like I'm planting real roots." 

Jordan noticed a change in his mental health as soon as he settled in. "No one can raise my rent or push me out. This is mine," he says. "And in a neighborhood like JP, that means something." 

Owning a home in one of Boston's most gentrified neighborhoods carries a deep weight for Jordan. As someone who understands the impact of redlining and historical exclusion, it is not lost on him that this kind of ownership has been out of reach for so many people who look like him. 

One of his first purchases was a washer-dryer combo. For Jordan, who had relied on laundromats his entire life, it represented freedom and dignity. That small change sparked a wave of others. He started cooking again, shopping more intentionally, and investing in his health and well-being. Even his dog, Riou, is thriving with more space and stability. 

Now settled in, he is reconnecting with community work and making space for joy. He wants others to see what is possible. "Apply. Learn the rules. Advocate for what you need. People like us deserve stability too." 

More than anything, Jordan hopes to be an example for others navigating similar paths. "I want to be the example I didn't see. This is what home can look like." 

Learn more about JPNDC Affordable Housing here!