Housing Headlines

PROVINCETOWN --- Having finally gained state approval for a housing trust that will focus on supporting more year-round market rate housing, local leaders in Provincetown are now debating how to best utilize the fund, which has received an initial $1.5 million from the town. Ideas being considered include buying condos and marketing them as year-round rentals and purchasing deed restrictions from property owners for some of their units.

In the Nov. 8 election, 11 cities and towns in Massachusetts, including Boston, voted to adopt the state's Community Preservation Act (CPA) on Tuesday, according to the Community Preservation Coalition. Along with Boston, the following communities voting to adopt were Billerica, Chelsea, Holyoke, Hull, Norwood, Pittsfield, Rockland, Springfield, Watertown and Wrentham. Voting against were Amesbury, Danvers, East Bridgewater, Palmer and South Hadley.

BOSTON --- Officials offered special praise for South Boston Neighborhood Development Corporation's Donna Brown for her many years of dedication in developing the former South Boston police station into affordable housing that will house 24 low-income or homeless vets. “Eight years is a long time to push this through the process,” said U.S. Rep. Stephen F. Lynch. “Thank God we had Donna Brown to stay at it. .... We could build 10 of these and fill them with the vets that need it."

FRANKLIN --- State and local leaders gathered recently to celebrate the grand opening of Murphy-Rosa House, a new Franklin Housing Authority property that will provide eight units of housing for the developmentally disabled. Supported by the state Dept. of Developmental Services, the multifamily home on Plain St. was named after former housing authority director Mildred Murphy and board member Grace Rosa.

BURLINGTON – The extensive review 40B Local Initiative Project process took another step in the right direction this week as the Board of Selectmen unanimously approved the concept submitted by The Davis Companies for a 270-unit housing proposal at The Center at Corporate Drive on Cambridge Street. The development calls for 25 percent of the units to be affordable.

HINGHAM --- Of the strategies the town was considering to get safe harbor from Ch. 40B housing permits, Advisory Committee member Eric Haskell opines that selectmen picked the best option in choosing to support a 220-unit housing proposal that will keep the town's supply of affordable housing over 10 percent for years to come.