Housing Headlines

An snapshot census of homeless people living on the Cape and Islands shows the population of people living on the streets and in shelters is at its lowest level in the past five years. The annual count in January found 324 homeless people living in the region, the vast majority of them in shelters or transitional housing. That is 70 fewer people than were counted on that date last year. (HT Lauren Dezenski, Politico).

LAWRENCE --- Another successful development company is investing in Lawrence, as it was announced recently that Trinity Financial will move forward with plans to invest $48 million to rehabilitate the vacant Van Brodie Mill on the Methuen line into 102 apartments. As part of an agreement with the city, Trinity has agreed, at Mayor Dan Rivera's request, to buy and renovate three distressed triple-deckers. Rivera said he asked Trinity to buy the triple-deckers because he wants to "bring back the neighborhoods." The mayor also said he prefers putting businesses into the old mill buildings – but converting an industrial structure into homes is better than letting the property remain vacant, he added.

WEYMOUTH --- State and local leaders were on hand recently to dedicate the opening of an apartment building for low-income military veterans at 741 Main St. Developed by NeighborWorks Southern Mass., it is the seventh housing development the organization has developed in the last eight years. The project was funded with state, federal and NeighborWorks funding. NeighborWorks Southern Mass. Executive Director Rob Corley stressed that federal money is important part of helping vets. “(The funding) has been caught up in a narrative of ‘draining the swamp,’ as you may have heard,” Corley said. “But what I see today is not a swamp. I see jobs. I see community development. I see a tremendous project and great community partnerships.”

WORCESTER --- One week after the Boston Globe did a story on racial disparities in mortgage lending, Telegram & Gazette columnist Clive McFarlane used the same data from the Massachusetts Community & Banking Council report to write that while the Fair Housing Act of 1968 might've made redlining illegal, "the laws on the books are not necessarily the practices on the streets."

FALMOUTH --- In its continuing deliberation over a developer's plan to build 104 apartments downtown, the Zoning Board of Appeals have asked the developer to do an impact study of shadows the proposed four-story building may cast, while also asking that the developer include first-floor retail in the plans. The developer was cool to both suggestions.

FITCHBURG --- For 31 years, National Community Development Week has been a time where local lawmakers are encouraged to come out and see improvements funded by two federal grant programs - HUD's Community Development Block Grant Program and the HOME Investment Partnership Program. This year, with federal cuts looming, city and nonprofit officials highlighted all the improvements made with these funds and what could happen if these programs were cut or eliminated.