Housing Headlines

AUBURN --- A 60-unit mixed-income development for seniors is opening at 3 Vinal St. The Julia Bancroft Apartments project is led by developer Pennrose Properties. The development is a rehabilitation of Julia Bancroft Elementary School. It offers 45 units for residents at or below 60 percent of area median income with the remainder at market rate. This is the second historic school in Auburn to be redeveloped into senior housing by Pennrose, the first being the Mary D. Stone School. MHP provided a $1.8 million permanent loan for the Stone project from its bank-funded loan pool.

SOUTHAMPTON --- At a special town meeting voters approved establishing a municipal affordable housing trust. About 2 percent of the homes in Southampton are considered affordable, far below the state requirement of 10 percent. The Select Board will appoint a board of five trustees who will govern the trust. Creating affordable housing has been a high priority in the town’s housing production plan and has also been a goal outlined in the town’s master plan. MHP has been working with the town on creating a housing trust.

WORCESTER --- The announcement of new developments in Worcester seems like an almost weekly occurrence. It’s been a wild ride for development proposals in the city. One highly visible example of the fits and starts in new developments are those planned around the $160-million Polar Park baseball stadium. Those projects have had delays, with the first one of the buildings expected to open next year and the last phase not expected until 2025 or later.

PELHAM --- There was a first in Gov. Baker's announcement of funding for affordable housing development last week as it was announced that the small town of Pelham (population 1,322) will receive federal and state tax credits and other funds for the development of 34 affordable apartments. To be developed by Springfield-based Home City Development, the project - known as Amethyst Brook Apartments - will consist of two buildings that will be constructed on eight acres of land one mile east of the Amherst town line.

SOUTHAMPTON --- Voters at Special Town Meeting on Tue., Dec. 13 will decide whether to adopt an affordable housing trust. The push for this came from the town's housing authority, which has advocated that a trust would help the town use local funds to increase its supply of affordable housing. MHP has been working with the housing authority board to build understanding within the community about the benefits of having a trust.

MONTAGUE --- The town of Montague plans to issue a request for proposals within a few weeks for what would be the first deed-restricted affordable housing developed in Montague in more than a decade. The 0.65-acre lot is on First Street in the village of Turners Falls. Six detached single-family dwellings with a strip of parking at the rear or 12 townhouse-style units with similar parking are under consideration.