Housing Headlines

WOBURN - The City Council's Special Permits Committee has voted to endorse a petition for a mixed use commercial/residential development at the Strand Theater block at 455-471 Main St. Damaged by fire in March, the city has been working with building owner Edward Hovsepian to rebuild the property and the Special Permits Committee has fast-tracked a plan that calls for 22 apartments, at least four ground-floor commercial spaces and 29 parking spaces, less than the city usually requires. Public hearings are next.

QUINCY --- LCB Partners of Boston has proposed to build either a hotel with 171 rooms or a mixed-use seven-story building with a similar number of apartments at 1500 Hancock St. LCB currently owns the building on this site, which wraps around Cottage Ave.

PROVINCETOWN --- Seeing that the library had become a de facto "day shelter" for struggling residents, the town has had success in supporting a program that puts a social services staff person at the library to help connect people with mental health, substance abuse or housing services. Thus far, 36 residents have been helped by the "navigator" program, a regional health care organization is stepping up to fund a second staffer and other Cape towns are showing interest in joining the initiative.

BRIDGEWATER --- Thanks in part to a Bridgewater State urban policy scholars program, Zachary Wright is putting distance between his family's homeless past by attending college where he has a 3.8 GPA in physics.

BOSTON --- The $35 million renovation and restoration of the New England Center and Home for Veterans on Court Street in Boston was recently completed, creating new apartments for 37 homeless veterans. Thirty-three vets have already moved in and four are expected to be filled by the end of the year. “The goal was to get people homes for the holidays,” said Andrew McCawley, president and chief executive of the nonprofit.

PROVINCETOWN --- With a new $1.5 million housing trust that is focused on adding more year-round rental housing, Provincetown officials are wondering whether they should ask Town Meeting if they should bid on buying the 26-unit bankrupt Harbor Hill time share, which is valued at $6.8 million. "It's perfect for middle-income housing," said Selectman Tom Donegan. "It may need some new carpets and drapes but otherwise everything is in place."