Housing Headlines

DEVENS --- A $380,000 loan from the Community Economic Development Assistance Corp. is supporting the Women's Institute for Housing and Economic Development's efforts to build mixed-income apartments for seniors on the former Fort Devens army base. To be called Shirley Commons, the development will feature 120 apartments, including 15 for low-income seniors who were previously homeless.

LYNN --- The Item's Thomas Grillo takes a deep dive into the development picture in Lynn and the city's attempt to spark economic development in concert with a 12-person commission formed three years ago with the support of the Baker Administration and U.S. Rep. Seth Moulton. Grillo quoted at least a dozen different sources in the story about the the opportunities and challenges of sparking development downtown, along Lynn's valuable coastline and in the large swaths of old industrial land.

POCASSET --- Saying he enjoyed the challenges of running a trailer park, Hyannis attorney Charles Sabatt is winding down his seven-year run as court-appointed receiver of the Pocasset Mobile Home Park as the Austin Family Trust prepares to re-take the reins following the death of owner Charles Austin in 2013. During his stint as receiver, Sabatt oversaw the installation of a new wastewater facility, something the late Mr. Austin did not do despite a court order, which led to the property being put into receivership.

HINGHAM --- While everyone seems in agreement that the long-closed Settles Glass Company building at the Corner of North and Station streets needs to be redeveloped, local board members and residents had a wide range of concerns upon getting a look at developer Greg Murphy's plan to put up a new three-story mixed-use building with ground floor retail, eight apartments and a 16-space parking structure. Speaking for the project, one resident was happy to be finally discussing a plan for ''the ugliest building in Hingham."

BROCKTON --- State economic development chief Jay Ash visited Brockton recently, delivering a speech to the Metro South Chamber of Commerce and then touring various economic development opportunities with Mayor Bill Carpenter. Ash noted Brockton's supply of affordable housing and said "we need to get some market-rate housing," especially in the downtown area. Ash then toured the Brockton Furniture building and the long-dormant CSX rail yard, which the city is considering purchasing after taking steps to remove a homeless camp from the site in 2016. Brockton Furniture is the tallest building downtown and a plan to convert it to 51 units has fallen through. The owner, John Monen, said a 44-unit plan is now in the works.

ORLEANS --- Realtors are struggling to explain why the inventory of Cape Cod homes for sale is so low. According to Cape realtor stats, inventory was 2,330 in the fourth quarter of 2017, down 23 percent year from 4Q 2016, and 47 percent from 2013, when there were almost 4,000 properties for sale at the end of the year. “Part of it could be tied to [the Great Recession], said Bob Wilkinson, an Orleans-based realtor. "When the market collapsed, a ton of inventory came on the market, and that clearly ... skewed what was going on and it took a long time to work through that inventory. Maybe we are at the point where this is the new normal.”