Housing Headlines

In an effort to boost affordable housing in the region, the Housing Assistance Corp. of Hyannis and the Community Development Partnership of Eastham have joined forces to offer the Cape Housing Institute, a six-session training for local officials and volunteers. Starting Oct. 11 and continuing for five more weeks, the training will focus on a different topic: introduction to housing; developing a housing supply strategy, building community support, and funding sources; zoning and site selection; financing and phasing options; making the case for affordable housing and the RFP (request for proposals) process; and next steps, including how towns can work together to solve their affordable housing problems.

WOBURN --- This summer's decision by the Woburn Zoning Board of Appeals to OK a Ch. 40B housing proposal of 72 units (negotiated down from the original 113) was the lead anecdote in a local newspaper analysis of 40B housing proposals in the area.

SOUTH YARMOUTH --- Cambridge-based Commonwealth Community Developers is proposing to redevelop the Yarmouth Gardens Motor Lodge site into 40 affordable apartments. If approved, the development would be the second such ongoing project on the Route 28 strip as Waltham-based Dakota Partners is in the process of constructing 69 affordable apartments on the site of the Cavalier Motor Lodge.

WORCESTER --- Police and public officials are paying attention to two small rooming houses on Oread Street in the city's Main South neighborhood, where the number of police calls and drug overdoses are among the city's highest.

PROVINCETOWN --- A developer who was stopped from building 13 condominiums because one of seven buildings exceeded the 23-foot flat roof limit says he will now submit plans to complete the project with pitched roofs, which town bylaws allow up to 33 feet in height.

HADLEY --- The first developer to take advantage of Hadley's 2008 senior housing bylaw has hit a snag over which organization will certify the sale of the five affordable condos in the 32-unit project. The bylaw calls for the housing authority to oversee the sale but the housing authority says it only administers rentals, a flaw which has the developer seeking local amendments so he can make payments in lieu of creating affordable units.