Boston Mayor Thomas M. Menino recently joined the city’s Foreclosure Intervention Team (FIT) for a ribbon-cutting ceremony at 15 and 17 Hendry St., the first two of four formerly foreclosed three-decker homes acquired by the city last year.

The Dorchester properties were acquired from banks and then sold to a local developer, Bilt-Rite Construction, for redevelopment.

The two neighboring properties, 19 and 21 Hendry St., are near completion and are expected to be ready for homebuyers by mid-summer, the city said in a statement.

"Our Foreclosure Intervention Team continues to work collaboratively to stabilize this neighborhood," Menino said. "Although we’ve made noticeable progress, we still have work to do. This is not a fast or easy process. By designating this, and other fragile sections of the city as FIT areas, we’ve been able to make a difference in restoring our neighborhoods that have been troubled by foreclosure-related blight and crime. Most importantly, with the help of partners like Bilt-Rite, we’re going to return houses like these ones on Hendry Street back into homes that folks can once again be proud of."

In February 2008, the small, four-block Hendry Street area was plagued by as many as 16 troubled properties and a handful of related crime issues, the city said.