Housing Headlines

HOLYOKE --- In Hurricane Maria's aftermath, the Holyoke Public Schools are bracing for an influx of new students, as homeless families seek shelter with relatives in Holyoke, where 80 percent of the public school population is of Puerto Rican descent. School Supt. Stephen Zrike said the school department is preparing for students, many who will come without records. “Whether it’s their [Individualized Education Program] records; whether it’s their immunizations; that’s one thing we’re in active discussion about: how do we get them enrolled as quickly as possible.”

BOSTON --- In a creative attempt to address housing needs, the City of Boston is launching a pilot program that would pair empty nest senior citizens with graduate students. Based on research that found more than 100,000 Baby Boomer homeowners with more than two empty bedrooms, the pilot will attempt to match adults with students who are eager to engage with their community. “The Intergenerational Homeshare Program achieves two very important goals — it not only allows senior homeowners, who may be living on fixed incomes, to offset their housing costs and get some assistance around the house, but it also has the potential to relieve the pressure students can put on the housing market,” said city housing director Sheila Dillon. “We need to think creatively about housing solutions as we continue to add additional stock to stabilize the market.”

BREWSTER --- Despite the objections of some neighbors, Oceans Edge Resort & Golf Club has received permission from the Planning Board to roll in seven prefabricated buildings that will house 84 seasonal workers.

WELLESLEY --- With four Ch. 40B land use permits requests before the town, the Swellesley Report - an online news source covering Wellesley - partnerd with Wellesley Public Media to produce a nine-minute "primer" that explains how Ch. 40B works and how the community is wrestling with how to diversify its housing stock.

WORCESTER --- The City Council has OK'd a property tax break for the $21.3 million Kelley Square mixed-use development, a final piece in local businessmen Allen Fletcher and Raymond Quinlan's plans to turn two vacant lots into a four-story building with 20,000 square feet of commercial space on the ground floor and 48 market-rate apartments on the upper floors.

HANOVER --- One week after releasing a report that articulates why housing is a key part of the South Shore Chamber's 2030 growth strategy initiative, chamber CEO Peter Forman was part of a housing forum panel that discussed the need for housing in Hanover. Also speaking was Susan Connelly, who provided specific demographic information about the town, its slow population growth and the potential impact on tax burdens down the road.