Housing Headlines

DUXBURY --- In reaction to a plan by Banner Construction of Wayland to build anywhere from 100 to over 200 apartments or townhouses on the Harrington property on Temple Street, the Duxbury Board of Selectmen has called for a special Town Meeting in March to ask voters whether the town should purchase the property for $2.25 million or take it by eminent domain. According to the Duxbury Clipper, the town could use Community Preservation Act funds to purchase the site.

BROCKTON --- Well-told feature by Brockton Enterprise's Ben Berke, who traces the life of Carol Roberts, a longtime Polaroid employee who lost her retirement when the company went bankrupt. She ended up in public housing, where her daily generosity has earned her recognition from the state legislature and the unofficial title of "mayor" of Caffrey Towers senior public housing.

HAVERHILL --- As Mayor James Fiorentini works to sell a city-owned 4.8 acre property along the Merrimack River for a mixed-use 290-unit housing development, residents are starting to ask questions about local impacts, including whether the apartments will be affordable to Haverhill residents. The Procopio Companies of Lynnfield are looking to buy the site for $1 million and propose to build one- and two-bedroom units, possibly with some work force housing. The proposal for the site - a former factory site on the Bradford side of the river - is larger than proposals offered by Princeton Properties and East Boston-based NOAH in 2018.

ATTLEBORO --- With a new owner from Florida jacking up rents as much as 47 percent at one of the city's eight trailer parks, the City Council has taken the first step toward establishing a trailer park rent control board as the ordinance committee has sent a resolution to the council for a vote. If it passes, the measure would have to be approved by Mayor Paul Heroux, and the state legislature.

WEYMOUTH --- In an attempt to gain more control over developer's trying to build multifamily housing with a Ch. 40B comprehensive land use permit, Weymouth is considering purchasing a 13-acre wooded site that it says would put its percentage of delevopable land used for affordable housing over 1.5 percent, which would give it 'safe harbor' from 40B applications. If the town were to pursue the other 'safe harbor' option - 10% of its housing being affordable - it would have to permit 536 units.

HUDSON --- Selectmen are poised to appoint a task force that will explore the potential of turning the former police station site into affordable housing. An initial feasibility study determined the property was suitable for between 33 and 45 units. As of the 2010 census, Hudson's supply of affordable housing is 11.3 percent, meaning it can reject proposals from developers seeking to build multifamily housing with a Ch. 40B comprehensive permit. That percentage is likely to dip after the 2020 census, giving the town incentive to add units before the next count.