Just A Start's new Economic Mobility Hub
Empowering Cambridge: Just A Start’s Economic Mobility Hub Opens Its Doors
The ribbon cutting of Just A Start’s new Economic Mobility Hub at Rindge Commons calls for celebration! Located at the corner of Rindge Avenue and Alewife Brook Parkway, the 70,000 square-foot mixed-use facility is designed to transform lives by bringing workforce training, affordable housing, and early childhood education under one roof. The Hub represents a bold new approach to breaking cycles of poverty and creating pathways to prosperity for families across our city. It’s also testament to our community’s imagination, stamina, and commitment to working together.
“The Hub is exactly the kind of big idea we need to lift people out of poverty and give them a pathway to economic mobility,” said CCF President Geeta Pradhan. “We need more solutions like this—offering childcare, affordable housing, and education—giving families the opportunities they need for success.” CCF supported the project with $150,000 and was one of many public and private donors and supporters acknowledged at the opening.
With its state-of-the-art training facilities, the Hub will triple the number of workforce development graduates served, enabling more residents to access high-quality jobs in technology and life sciences. Currently, 90% of Just A Start’s Biomedical and IT training program graduates secure in-sector employment within a year, gaining a foothold in industries that offer sustainable career growth.
Carl Nagy-Koechlin, executive director of Just A Start, emphasized how the project’s holistic approach addresses housing needs and serves as a catalyst for the broader economic stability of the community. “Housing is a human right, but also critical to the economic health of Massachusetts and this region,” Nagy-Koechlin said.
The Hub is also a testament to collective impact. Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (D-MA-O7) spoke about three things needed to usher in change – imagination, strategy, and stamina, and what we’ve realized as a result. “The Rindge Commons Economic Mobility Hub will not only provide housing; it will also integrate vital services that support residents in achieving their goals,” Pressley said. “From job training to educational resources, this Hub is designed to empower residents and to foster a sense of community. Today’s celebration is the culmination of your collective sweat equity.”
“We are an unstoppable team when we work together,” said Massachusetts Secretary of Economic Development Yvonne Hao. “Because we want to lead. We want to lead by preparing the next generation of talent. That is what creates all the success we’ve had. I am so proud to be on this team. Let’s go team Massachusetts. Let’s go team Cambridge. Let’s go team Just A Start.”
In addition to job training, the Hub’s lower floors will provide comprehensive financial coaching, early childhood education in partnership with the City of Cambridge, and resources that empower families to achieve economic stability. Meanwhile, the top three floors will offer 24 new affordable apartments through the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit program and with funding from the City of Cambridge, the Mass. Department of Housing and Community Development and MassHousing.
The project is the latest in a string of advances supporting families in Cambridge.
City Manager Yi-An Huang acknowledged the two biggest expenses in Cambridge –housing and childcare. Noting the critical role early education plays for preparing children for success, he celebrated the pre-k classrooms in the Hub and Cambridge’s new universal pre-k program, offering 800 3- and 4-year-olds preschool for free beginning this fall. An additional 77 affordable units, phase two of the Just A Start project, is on the horizon, he said.
“Our city is committed to providing comprehensive support to meet the diverse needs of an evolving community,” Cambridge Mayor Denise Simmons said. “Our collective vision is about building lives and futures.”
We look forward to seeing the impact this new facility will have and continuing to invest in the future of our community. As we tackle economic mobility as part of our strategic plan, we’re so grateful for partners like Just A Start who create pathways to stabilize families and support their future success. The Hub stands as a testament to what’s possible when community partners come together with a shared vision of equity and opportunity for all.
