Our History

P. Leo Corcoran, a partner in the real estate firm John M. Corcoran & Company, founded Caritas Communities in 1985 at a time when the number of homeless people in greater Boston increased in record numbers. Mr. Corcoran organized a Board of Directors who shared his belief that homelessness could be prevented through affordable housing. The Board chose the Single Room Occupancy (SRO) as its housing model with a focus on low- and extremely low-income working people. Conceptually, the Board felt that if Caritas were able to offer housing that was newly renovated, well managed and geared to meet the needs of the residents, then a stable living environment could be created for people who couldn’t make a living wage.

From the beginning, Caritas has focused its efforts on preventing homelessness and stabilizing neighborhoods by providing affordable housing for people in the lowest income brackets.

Caritas now owns and manages 30 properties that provide affordable housing to more than 1,000 individuals annually.