Amy Schectman Retires as 2Life Communities Names Lizbeth Heyer President and CEO

BRIGHTON, Mass. — Amy Schectman has retired after 16 years leading 2Life Communities, Inc., a Massachusetts nonprofit that develops and operates affordable senior housing. Lizbeth Heyer began her new role as president and Saul and Gitta Kurlat chief executive officer on Oct. 2, the organization announced Oct. 6.

Heyer has been with 2Life Communities since 2014. The organization said she has shaped its growth in real estate development, healthcare integration and innovation in middle-market housing, including the development, acquisition and modernization of more than 1,000 subsidized apartments.

Planned Succession at 2Life Communities

The change in leadership followed a planned transition. 2Life Communities announced in January that Heyer and Schectman had operated under a shared-leadership model for two years. Heyer served as president for two years before taking the CEO role and was unanimously endorsed by the board as Schectman's successor.

"Leading 2Life Communities at such a pivotal moment is an extraordinary privilege," Heyer said. "Our organization is dedicated to empowering older adults and strengthening our communities. I look forward to building on our strong foundation alongside our incredible team, partners, and residents to create even more joyful, vibrant, inclusive, and supportive affordable housing options for seniors."

2Life Communities Board Chair Laura Efron said Heyer "is a leader who reflects our values and mission." Efron added that Heyer "has deep knowledge of the political and real estate landscape, which will empower the organization to grow and expand its reach."

Portfolio and Development Pipeline

2Life Communities serves more than 2,100 residents at 12 properties across seven campuses in Massachusetts. The organization has operated for more than 60 years and has been active in affordable senior housing since 1965.

Its pipeline includes at least 457 planned or under-construction units in Lynn and Boston:

• Solimine House, Lynn: 150 affordable apartments for the city's most financially vulnerable adults, under construction and expected to open in fall 2027. The campus includes the Magnolia A. Contreras Day Center, a Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE) center operated by Element Care. Massachusetts General Brigham's Lynn Urgent Care and Medical Office Building is next door.
• 19 Porter Street redevelopment, Lynn: a planned conversion of the former Thurgood Marshall Middle School into 114 apartments for Lynn seniors, about four miles from Solimine House.
• Brooke House at Olmsted Village, Mattapan: 127 affordable senior housing units, with a community health center and child care center on the ground floor. Construction is set to begin later this year on 10 acres of the former Boston State Hospital site.
• Treehouse at Olmsted Village, Mattapan: 66 affordable intergenerational apartments within the same complex. Both Brooke House and Treehouse are expected to open by 2028.

Lynn Mayor Jared Nicholson said Heyer "has been an invaluable partner for us in Lynn." He added that the city's partnership with 2Life Communities "is helping us take meaningful steps toward addressing the pressing need for high-quality, affordable senior housing in Lynn."

Housing, Healthcare and Middle-Market Strategy

Heyer led development of Opus Newton, a continuing care retirement community for middle-income seniors who are often priced out of traditional senior living. 2Life Communities recently marked Opus Newton's first year of operation and 100% occupancy.

The Lynn projects pair housing with a PACE center, which provides coordinated medical and social services to eligible older adults, while Brooke House includes a community health center and child care center. Opus Newton serves a different segment, households that may not qualify for subsidized housing but cannot afford traditional upscale senior living.

Demand and Affordability Pressures

Heyer said Massachusetts has the highest rate of economic insecurity among older adults in the nation, primarily due to rising housing and healthcare costs, and noted that the number of older adults is growing rapidly. She also pointed to social isolation and loneliness as risks to seniors' health and longevity.

She said 2Life Communities is responding by building and operating supportive housing and by advocating for policy changes and public investment to make affordable senior housing easier to build and sustain. Resident advocacy will remain central to her vision for the organization. "When they share their lived experiences in the halls of Congress and at the State House, their powerful voices shape policy and inspire change," Heyer said of residents.

Heyer's Background

Heyer serves on the board of the Citizens' Housing and Planning Association (CHAPA). Before joining 2Life Communities, she was associate director of public housing and rental assistance at the Massachusetts Department of Housing and Community Development, where she led initiatives to preserve and reform the state's public housing system, expand the rental voucher program and create the HomeBASE program, which provided housing for more than 6,000 homeless families. She also led real estate efforts for the Jamaica Plain Neighborhood Development Corporation and worked as a community organizer on efforts to preserve expiring-use subsidized housing.

Schectman's departure and Heyer's elevation come as 2Life Communities manages a multi-project construction pipeline alongside its existing affordable-housing operations and healthcare partnerships.

Sources

2Life Communities, "Lizbeth Heyer assumes role of 2Life Communities President and Saul and Gitta Kurlat Chief Executive Officer": https://2lifecommunities.org/news/lizbeth-heyer-assumes-role-2life-communities-president-and-saul-and-gitta-kurlat-chief