Housing Headlines

HADLEY --- Valley Community Development plans to turn the EconoLodge on Russell Street into 50 supportive affordable apartments, studios and one bedrooms. The project is being supported by funds from the Community Economic Development Assistance Corporation - an acquisition loan of up to $4.1 million and a $400,000 predevelopment loan.

BOSTON --- The Boston Foundation Greater Boston Housing Report Card 2022 finds that housing supply continues to grow more slowly than need, and owners and renters pay among the highest rates in the country. At the same time, flaws in the systems mean that thousands of people who qualify for subsidies are getting lost in a fragmented, difficult system. The report concludes with policy recommendations.

WORCESTER --- The first phase of a multiphase project is about to get underway at 120 Washington Street to develop a seven-floor building with 83 units of affordable housing. The building is at the site of the former Table Talk Pies company and near Worcester Red Sox Park. Plans by Boston Capital call for the building to open in 2024. MHP has committed $7.1 million in financing for this development.

NEW BEDFORD --- Because of the recent purchase of a New Bedford apartment complex, tenants are scrambling to find other housing. The building at 189-193 Elm Street dates back to the early 1900s. The new owners say they are planing significant upgrades and have worked to help tenants find housing. Some tenants fear they won’t find rentals they can afford.

NEWBURYPORT --- The City of Newburyport says it is planning to use a new $50,000 state grant to explore zoning updates along its waterfront so as to allow for development that will address climate change, create more residential units and make the district compliant with the state's new zoning requirement for MBTA communities. “This grant will allow us to expand housing opportunities and provide additional transportation to the residents of Newburyport, while mitigating the impacts of climate change,” said Mayor Sean Reardon of the funds, which was made by the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs (EEA) Land Use Planning Program.

WORCESTER --- A dramatic increase in rent during the past six years has some residents leaving Worcester, which was formerly known for its affordability. Small communities around Central Massachusetts feel the pressure to accommodate the housing needs of people moving in. Worcester officials are considering mandating that all new housing complexes include a certain percentage of units affordable for lower-income households.