Housing Headlines

PEABODY --- The city council has approved a housing plan that is aimed at fending off unwanted multi-family affordable housing developments. The plan, which must be approved by the legislature, identifies areas where so-called "friendly 40Bs" might go.

FRAMINGHAM --- When it comes to dealing with housing developers seeking Ch. 40B comprehensive permits, towns in MetroWest are taking a variety of approaches. For example, while Natick received nearly $2 million in mitigation from AvalonBay Communities to deal with the financial impacts of its Avalon Natick development, Westborough recently approved a new complex that officials say will cost the towns millions each year without any benefit from the developer.

CLEVELAND --- Once filled with middle-class families, the neighborhood where Ariel Castro allegeldy kept three women captive is plagued by abandonment and foreclosures. According to the Cleveland Plain Dealer, the block is littered with seven vacant lots and most of the nearly 20 structures on the block look neglected or abandoned. Previous stories have indicated that Castro's home at 2207 Seymour Ave. was in foreclosure due to non-payment of taxes.

HARWICH --- Town meeting voters approved spending $455,000 of Community Preservation Act money to help create 20 units of affordable rental housing in five buildings in a $4.5 million project on Route 28 in West Harwich. The land is owned by the Harwich Ecumenical Council for the Homeless.

LOWELL, May 10, 2013 --- Three separate authorities began clearing homeless camps from the banks of the Merrimack River early this month, leaving at least some residents with nowhere to go. Some had already left, and others said they expected to be able to stay one more night.

WORCESTER - A city ordinance intended to force far-flung banks to see to the upkeep of foreclosed properties has had the unintended consequence of adding to the financial burden of struggling mortgage borrowers, much to the dismay of city leaders. The ordinance requires a bank or other company that files a foreclosure petition to notify the city and deposit $5,000 for each petition in a special account controlled by the city treasurer. But according to a story reported by Tom Caywood in the Sunday Telegram, banks and other financial institutions increasingly are lumping the $5,000 cost into what the borrower owes, making it less likely that struggling homeowners can catch up on their payments and end the foreclosure process before losing their homes.