Housing Headlines

BOSTON --- A new development will bring 41 new housing units to East Boston’s Orient Heights Square. The Ford Street building will house 27 units, and the Saratoga Street building will have 14 units, seven of which will be income-restricted. At least one building will be considered for the city of Boston’s voucher program. The development is close to the MBTA Blue line and will have space for bicycle parking for both residents and visitors.

HAVERHILL --- Bethany Community Services has launched an affordable housing lottery for Merrimack Place and its 48 apartments now under construction on Water Street, near Central Plaza. The lottery is for people 62 and older. An informational meeting about the application and lottery process is scheduled for Wednesday, Dec. 6.

NEWTON --- In a few weeks the village center overlay proposal is expected to come up for a vote, allowing Newton to meet the requirements of the state’s MBTA Communities Law. The new rules would encourage preservation of existing homes over tear downs, creation of smaller, multifamily homes close to village centers and above existing shops and eliminate some of the challenging regulations that have made it hard to open a business there. At the final public hearing, a majority of the speakers opposed the changes.

NEW BEDFORD --- At a recent first-time homebuyer event at the Andrea McCoy Recreation Center, organizations, mortgage lenders and agencies, including HUD, offered assistance to first-time homebuyers. The purpose of the event was to connect people with the resources that can make becoming a homeowner within reach, including downpayment assistance programs and homebuyer education courses.

BOSTON --- Massport selected a team of The Community Builders and Menkiti Group to develop the first income-restricted housing development in Boston's Seaport District. The plan calls for a 15-story, 200-unit complex next to the agency’s 1,500-space South Boston Waterfront Transportation Center on D Street. All units will be reserved for households earning 30 to 120 percent of area median income, which translates to a range of $31,170 to $124,680 for a 1-person household.

BOSTON --- Local and state officials, and residents celebrated the grand opening of Parkway 1208, a new energy-efficient, transit-oriented affordable housing development of 60 income-restricted apartments. The acquisition of the land at 1208D VFW Parkway was made possible by Boston-based B’nai B’rith Housing. This marks the first construction of affordable residences in West Roxbury since 2013.