Housing Headlines

BEVERLY --- Residents selected by lottery are beginning to move in to Anchor Point. Developed by Harborlight Homes, the new affordable housing building had 650 applicants for its 38 units. Residents were selected by lottery. According to the Salem News, some of the jobs held by residents include certified nursing assistant, school para-professional, postal worker, grocery store manager, administrative assistant, and Amazon and Uber drivers. Several families are moving in from homeless shelters. The majority of families are single-parent households, and some are multigenerational.

WESTBOROUGH --- The Westborough Affordable Housing Trust is exploring whether a five-acre site near the town's pickle ball courts can be developed into up to three units of affordable housing. The land, which is owned by the town, is currently zoned for single family and near a dead end street, which could be extended to bring utilities the site, officials said.

MELROSE --- Melrose Planning Board has approved permits for a 40-unit mixed-use development at the VFW facility. The plan, by Waypoint Development, would preserve the Chipman Avenue space in the lower level, while reserving six units as affordable housing. The transit-oriented development includes an indoor bike rack and is steps from the Melrose Highlands Commuter Rail stop.

The "Out of Reach" report by the National Low Income Housing Coalition finds that in Massachusetts a person earning minimum wage would have to work 107 hours each week to afford a modest, two-bedroom apartment at fair market rent or make at least $37.97 an hour for 40 hours. The Boston-Cambridge-Quincy area is the fifth most expensive metropolitan area in the country, only following four cities in California.

MANCHESTER --- With the final public hearing behind them, the Zoning Board of Appeals has begun deliberations on the request for a comprehensive permit by Strategic Land Ventures, which has proposed to build 136 apartments in an area known as Shingle Hill. In the final meeting, over 125 attended via zoom and all who spoke asked the ZBA to deny the project. ZBA Chair Sarah Mellish acknowledged resident concerns but also stated a denial will “likely” be overturned by the state's Housing Appeals Committee, which would mean the town would have no input on the project, including the many environmental protection waivers requested by SLV.

LAWRENCE --- Local legislators announced that $100,000 in American Rescue Plan Act funds will be used by Essex County Habitat for Humanity, which is building two affordable homes in Lawrence. The Department of Housing and Community Development allocation to Habitat will fund construction of the foundation for the homes and purchase of cabinets, doors, flooring, and other building materials.