Housing Headlines

DORCHESTER --- Long-time tenants of 57 mismanaged apartments on Waldeck Street in Dorchester and Orlando Street in Mattapan are calling for responsible ownership after a negligent landlord filed for bankruptcy in July.

ASHLAND --- A plan by EA Fish and the Planning Office of Urban Affairs to build more than 100 bedrooms for people over 62 is being challenged by residents, who are suing the town over its decision to make a loan to developers to help them gain site control of the town-owned site.

WORCESTER --- The developer who won a bid to develop a city-owned property at 5 May St. into affordable housing has backed out of his agreement after learning that the building is part of a federal investigation involving a previous developer who is alleged to have conspired with a city housing official.

SAUGUS --- Heralded as part of the renaissance of Route 1, the Saugus Planning Board has approved Essex Landing, a mixed-use development that will include 255 one-bedroom apartments, two hotels and three restaurants. The project, developed by Michael Touchette and Michael Barsamian, will be built on the current site of the Route 1 Miniature Golf and Batting Cages.

BOSTON --- The Boston Redevelopment Authority has OK'd a revised plan for phase three of the Jackson Square transit oriented development, with the new plan calling for the Jamaica Plain NDC to create 44 affordable rental apartments and The Community Builders to build 76 market-rate units, 24 affordable units and 2,400 square feet of retail space.

HANOVER --- The state Appeals Court has overruled the state Housing Appeals Committee and a Plymouth Superior Court Judge, and has sided with the town in its decision seven years ago to deny a developer a Ch. 40B permit to build 200 units across from the Hanover Mall. The judges gave two reasons, saying the developer did not fully pay the filing fee to the town in time and that by the time it was paid, another project put Hanover's total of affordable housing over 10 percent.