Stephen Palmer Tenants to Vacate Next Year

October 16, 2025
• The apartment building, located at 83 Pickering Street, awaits an uncertain future as town officials prepare to take back control of the property.

Residents of Stephen Palmer Apartments will need to vacate their units by the end of October 2026, six months before the building’s lease with the town expires, following a vote at Tuesday’s Select Board meeting.

The intent is to “responsibly wind down the existing residential use and occupancy of this property,” according to the signed agreement, though several current residents objected to the sooner-than-expected end date — some anticipated having until May 2027 before moving out.

The latest date that some leases end is Oct. 31, 2026, according to management company Stephen Palmer Associates, meaning no one’s lease would end prematurely under the agreement. Residents would not be able to resign their leases, and people whose leases end prior will rent on a month-to-month basis. Those who choose to move out early can do so without penalty, Town Manager Katie King said.

Constructed in 1914, the building once operated as an elementary school before it was converted into housing. Stephen Palmer Associates have managed the building since May 3, 1977, when the town signed a 50-year lease with the company and turned over operations completely.

Once the lease expires, the property will revert back to the town, which “is not set up to be a residential landlord,” King said. Additionally, the next chapter of Stephen Palmer will also take years of planning, she added, and would likely not take shape before May 2027.

“This is, I think, a very challenging situation,” she said, “and I think this is the clearest articulation that we can provide to the tenants, to Town Meeting members, to the community of why we’re delinking current tenants from the future visioning and how best we can support everyone through the next year.”

The Select Board voted 4-1 to approve the memorandum of agreement (MOA) with Stephen Palmer Associates. Special Town Meeting, set for Monday, Oct. 20, will decide whether to fund said agreement for an estimated $385,000. That funding would come out of the reserve fund. Additionally, households would be reimbursed up to $10,000 in relocation costs.

Relocation company HousingToHome would also work individually with tenants to help with the moving process starting in November, King said. After an inquiry about granting displaced Stephen Palmer residents preference in finding new housing in Needham, King said she would have to check.

The 28 units in Stephen Palmer are primarily rented to people 55 years and older, and while there are no income caps on those units, the average rents range from $826 to $1,430, King said. The average cost of a one-bedroom in Needham this month is $2,350, according to Zillow. There are 21 one-bedroom units and seven two-bedrooms at Stephen Palmer, King said, and they are all occupied.

Three current tenants spoke during the Select Board meeting to share their dismay with the agreement and perceived lapses in communication.

“It’s not like we’re all 20-year-olds who can sleep on somebody’s couch, and people have lived here, raised children, had houses and so on and so forth,” resident Judy McIntyre said during public comment. “We were counting on that time.”

The town met with residents last Thursday to announce the new lease termination date, and McIntyre and fellow tenant Carol Rosskam said that meeting was issued with little advance notice. Though perhaps not ideal, King said it was the last day the town could schedule the meeting before information became public.

Member Josh Levy, who opposed the plan, suggested the board instead issue a request for proposals for management services or new ground lessees at Stephen Palmer. Doing so, he said, would allow residents to stay in their homes longer while the town decides what to do.

“Needham has spent the past several years studying, debating and legislating housing policies. As important as these conversations have been, they’ve all been about prospective housing and prospective residents,” he said at the meeting, reading from a statement. “The current situation is far more concrete. At Stephen Palmer, we’re talking about existing housing with existing residents, our neighbors.”

Given the building’s solid physical condition, as well as the more than $30,000 in rent it accrues monthly, Levy said he feels they would be able to solicit interested parties with an RFP. Current residents should have at least until May 2027 to stay in their units, he added, stating “I’m not comfortable insisting that residents leave their homes any sooner.” His remarks received applause from attendees.

Chair Heidi Frail, who supported the MOA, said extending the ground lease could increase costs and poses “risks to the town and extends the uncertainty for the tenants, who we hope very much to help.”

“It’s not great for the tenants, it’s not great for the town, but we are doing our best to muddle through a difficult situation,” Frail said, “and I think that to do otherwise is to stick our head in the sand, really.”

All other members supported the agreement, while acknowledging the difficult circumstances. “This is a nut we have to crack, and I think this is gonna be really hard, but this is the way we have to do it,” Kevin Keane said.

McIntyre interrupted the meeting, requesting their leases end when the ground lease ends, in May 2027.

“Nobody’s asking for anything more than the six months… Just give us the six months. That’s all we’re asking,” McIntyre said. “We’re not asking for an extension, although thank you, Josh. You don’t have to be a landlord after May 3, 2027.”

The board also recommended adoption of the Town Meeting warrant article, the $385,000 for the agreement, in a 4-1 vote, with Levy dissenting.