Housing Headlines

BEDFORD --- Caritas Communities has completed Bedford Veterans Quarters, 60 units of affordable permanent housing for homeless veterans on Bedford Veterans Administration Medical Campus. The tenants will either be homeless, coming from a shelter or will come from transitional housing, and will be offered a 12-month lease upon moving in.

LEXINGTON --- The town's senior planner held a meeting last week to discuss solutions for the town's affordable housing need. Though Lexington has surpassed the 10 percent affordable housing requirement imposed by the state, officials recognize the need for more affordable housing for young families.

BOSTON --- Noting that Horace Mann, the nation's founder of public education, first outlined his ideas during a July 4 speech in Dedham, Globe columnist Steve Bailey takes Dedham to task for wanting to cede 40 acres to Boston so as to avoid having a housing project that would add children to its schools.

BOSTON --- Dedham hopes that the City of Boston will agree to annex a 40-acre parcel of land where developers plan to build 1850 housing units. Dedham officials say the town can't support the number of students which may result from the family-friendly units, and the city of Boston is in need of more affordable housing.

NORTH ANDOVER --- On June 7, town meeting approved Osgood Landing, a 530-unit 40R effort by Avalon Bay that will bring the town closer to meeting the state's required 10 percent affordable housing. Ozzy Properties will pay the town $2,000 per housing unit and the state will provide $3,000 per unit, totaling $2.65 million if all the units are built.

SHREWSBURY --- This town just east of Worcester will be weighing three large 40Bs next month including a 444-unit proposal from Avalon Bay and two bids to turn the former Rt. 9 Spag's department store site into a mixed-use development that would include commercial, retail and over 300 apartments.