Housing Headlines

QUINCY --- Sampan reporter Valerie Sizhe Li heads to Quincy and talks to residents about the imbalance of housing choices. One resident said there are too many luxury lofts and that "there should be a balance between luxury and affordable housing. For real home buyers, having a gym in the building is not a top priority.”

WORCESTER --- Calling it one of the city's biggest problems, City Councilor Matt Wally has called for the creation for a registry for non-owner-occupied residential buildings. The council has supported the call for the city to develop a registry but to be wary of creating a system that could cause landlords to raise rents.

FRAMINGHAM --- The flurry of activity to develop downtown housing near the commuter rail is continuing with the recent grand opening of 24 one- and two-bedroom apartments at the historic Amsden Building. Developed by VTT Management, rents range from 425-square-foot units renting for $1,625 to 775-square-foot units going for $2,200. The Amsden Apartments are one piece of a broad vision to improve the city’s downtown. VTT Management controls some 445 apartments in the area, many of which were rehabbed in recent years.

LENOX --- The nonprofit Berkshire Housing Development Corp., in partnership with the Community Development Corp. of South Berkshire, has been chosen by the town to build a $15 million, 50-unit mixed-income rental development on six acres of a 19-acre town site.

ORELANS --- In its first joint meeting since the town voted to create and fund an affordable housing trust, the trust board and the affordable housing committee met to discuss possible sites that could be purchased for development, including the Olde Tavern Motel and Inn on Route 6A.

LENOX --- The town's efforts to get a developer to build housing on a 19-acre former sawmill site took another turn recently as two developers made their pitch before local leaders and citizens at town hall. Pennrose Properties proposed to build 56 rental units while two regional non-profits said they would partner to build a multi-generational community with 50 mixed-income apartments.