BOSTON -- Sept. 8 was Brianna's first time speaking in front of a crowd of more than 100 people.

She was so nervous, but she persisted. It was her truth, she said, and it needed to be told. Brianna explained that she had spent the last nine years homeless on the streets of East Boston.

"I have survived domestic violence, addiction, and chronic pain, but I never gave up on myself," she said.

She found support in places usual (the Pine Street Inn) and unusual (the music of Justin Bieber, her favorite singer) until she was given a home of her own: 41 LaGrange St., a 19-story, 126-unit mixed-income housing development established in Downtown Boston by St. Francis House and the Archdiocese of Boston's affordable housing ministry, the Planning Office for Urban Affairs. Seventy of those units are reserved for people coming out of homelessness like Brianna. Someday she hopes to open her own dog walking business, so animals can know the support she received.

"God bless you all," she said to a standing ovation at 41 LaGrange's ribbon-cutting ceremony, which featured Archbishop Richard G. Henning alongside Mayor Michelle Wu and Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll.

"This is a beautiful ministry that changes lives and continues to do so," said the archbishop, who also delivered a prayer. "When people of goodwill work for others in the common good, beautiful things happen."

He said 41 LaGrange is an example of the work that the Catholic Church has done over the last 2,000 years for society's most vulnerable.

"No one is expendable," he said. "No one is beyond the pale. No one is a burden. All have a sacred, God-given dignity."

Karen LaFrazia, president of St. Francis House, described the gratitude of some of the development's new residents. One could think of nothing but going to the grocery store and cooking her own food, something she hadn't been able to do in years. When another saw his new home, he fell to his knees and cried. Another asked, "How long can I stay?" When he was told that 41 LaGrange was his permanent home, he cried. LaFrazia described 41 LaGrange as an "intentionally inclusive community" home to people of all income levels and life situations.

"Everybody is going to realize their dreams, and everybody now has the potential to lead a healthy and productive life," she said.

41 LaGrange broke ground in September 2024, over a decade after POUA and St. Francis House bought the property.

"Although we certainly didn't think it would take this long to get there, we saw the promise of creating high-quality, affordable housing in an area where luxury housing was being developed all around us," said POUA President Bill Grogan.

Indeed, 41 LaGrange stands right next to a luxury high-rise called the Parker, whose website promises "a building that feels like a private club." In his remarks, Grogan described something quite different -- "a vibrant residential community that serves people with a range of incomes and needs."

"Everyone deserves a place to call home," he said. "Housing is a foundation for stability, opportunity, dignity, and community. A roof, yes, but also the chance to rebuild, belong, and move forward."

Driscoll thanked Archbishop Henning "for the work you do every single day to make Massachusetts a better place to live," and thanked POUA for initiating the project. Mayor Wu thanked the archdiocese and Archbishop Henning, among others.

"While we are very proud of the progress that's been made, as long as there is one person, one neighbor, one friend, one family member experiencing homelessness, our work is not finished," Wu said. "And that is why we'll continue to partner with all of the incredible leaders here to keep going."