Housing Headlines

BOSTON --- State officials say an increase in rental assistance combined with mediation programs have resulted in fewer evictions than before the pandemic. Parallel to state and federal eviction moratoriums that have expired, the state has crafted another safety net - almost $1 billion in state and federal funds for rent assistance and a law requiring a judge to delay any eviction case where rental assistance is pending. This has resulted in monthly eviction averages dropping by over a thousand a month, state officials say.

WILLIAMSTOWN --- A tremendous sense of satisfaction was in the air as local leaders gathered recently to celebrate the completion of Cole Ave. Apartments on an industrial site that has been vacant since 1989. Developed by Berkshire Housing Development Corp., the modern four-story building features 42 affordable apartments and symbolizes the town's gradual awakening to the need for more housing. “Many local employees just can’t afford the cost of housing,” said Elton Ogden, longtime president of Berkshire Housing. “In the past few years, there has been a realization that the town needs housing people can afford.”

MILFORD --- Despite a push by the town to make sure no one is living in storage units, an organizer for Milford's emergency shelter program says the ban could really hurt people who have no other place to stay during the winter months. The town's Board of Health ordered the storage unit owner to stop allowing people to live at the 15 Beach St. facility after a man was found stabbed to death there in August. "I think it's going to hurt people," said Lisa Trusas, who estimates that there are 20 to 30 people in town who are on the street every night.

WINCHESTER --- After residents voted yes and then no to a plan to build 60 affordable apartments on town land near the downtown train station, Winchester officials are once again negotiating with Civico Development in hopes of bringing another proposal to voters at fall Town Meeting.

TRURO --- About half of the 50 year-round tenants who remain residents at the Truro Motor Inn remain in limbo as the town is trying to use the courts to compel the owner to address health and safety issues at one of the only affordable year-round places to live in the community.

NORTHAMPTON --- With over 2,700 notices filed since the state lifted its eviction moratorium, several western Mass. officials are behind a bill that would divert cases from the court system and buy time for tenants facing eviction due to the impact of COVID-19. Since Oct. 2020, 2,036 eviction notices have been filed in Hampden County, 354 in Berkshire County, 207 in Hampshire County and 139 in Franklin County. Additionally, 585 properties in western Massachusetts are under the threat of foreclosure,