Housing Headlines

STATE --- The Citizens’ Housing and Planning Association has lined up 11 prominent business and nonprofit leaders as co-chairs of its new “Our Massachusetts” campaign. Their goal: helping yes-in-my-backyard folks get more housing approved at the local level. The ultimate goal is seeing 200,000 homes across income levels built by 2030.

SOUTHBOROUGH --- By a vote of 281 to 273, Southborough voters approved an article to amend the zoning bylaw to include the MBTA Communities Overlay Districts (MCOD) during Town Meeting on Sept. 30. Planning Board member Marnie Hoolahan said 90 percent of the housing inventory is single-family homes. The average selling price is $1.1 million. “We don’t have a lot of diversity [in the housing inventory]. We don’t have townhouses, condominiums, condos, apartments. There’s really no place to downsize,” she said.

WESTWOOD --- Construction has begun on a 160-unit residential development in Westwood, one of the first multifamily projects to break ground in zoning approved under the MBTA Communities law. Petruzziello Properties, a subsidiary of Dedham-based Supreme Development, began foundation work earlier this month for the first building at The Block at 22 Everett St. The 22 Everett project includes 12,000 square feet of commercial and retail space. Of the 160 residential units, 15% are income restricted.

SPRINGFIELD --- The New England Farm Workers Council has sold three properties, continuing its yearlong liquidation to pay off a debt owed to the state over misspent home heating funds. Sales include the Farm Workers former offices at 9-13 Hampden Street and three vacant lots in the North End sold to the New North Citizens Council for New North’s affordable housing program. “It gives a family that American dream,” said Jose Claudio, chief operating officer of the New North Citizens Council.

LAWRENCE --- WinnCompanies recently joined with federal, state and local officials to open one of the first all-electric mixed-income multifamily properties in Massachusetts, cutting the ribbon on a $39.2 million adaptive reuse development that transformed the oldest mill in Lawrence, MA, into 86 units of rental housing.

SPRINGFIELD --- A ribbon cutting was held recently in Springfield for nearly 100 affordable housing units in the city's Mason Square neighborhood. The units are located inside the historic Knox Automobile building, which had been long neglected before it was converted to housing by developer First Resource. The Knox building sits across the street from a former plant for the Indian Motorcycle Company. Also redeveloped by First Resource, it has another 200 affordable housing units.