This housing development is significant for the reuse of an historic building for publicly assisted emergency housing in the midst of a busy academic and tourist center. The existing building, designed by Edward T. P. Graham in 1924 as the rectory for St. Paul's Catholic Church in Harvard Square, was acquired by Harvard University and leased to the housing authority for emergency housing development. The interior of the rectory was renovated into two units for emergency family housing and nineteen single-occupancy rooms (SRO).