Housing Headlines

AMHERST --- Plans for North Amherst's mill district continue to take shape, with Beacon Communities outlining plans to build 130 apartments (26 affordable) on land it will be leasing from W.D. Cowls, which has a building supply store near the site. Included in the project would be 22,000 square feet of commercial space which would be owned by Cowls.

GREENFIELD — After serving as impromptu homes for hundreds of homeless families over the last few years, just one homeless family remains in Greenfield’s hotels, according to the state Executive Office of Housing and Economic Development.

BOSTON --- Similar to recent efforts by Brockton to clear its homeless camp, the Boston police last week evicted from the Boston Common a fairly large group of people who had been sleeping and hanging out for many weeks on the grass near the T’s Park Street Station.

CAMBRIDGE --- Eight years after it closed its rental voucher waiting list of over 6,000 applicants, the Cambridge Housing Authority is reopening its waiting list and offering low-income families and individuals the ability to apply on line. CHA officials explained it does not have a pool of vouchers to give out but needs to rebuild its list so it has applicants as current voucher holders leave the program.

SOUTHBOROUGH --- After two and a half years and one final six hour meeting, the Zoning Board of Appeals has unanimously approved with 90 conditions a Ch. 40B permit that will allow Capital Group Properties' plan to build 180 apartments behind the Red Roof Inn near the juncture of Rtes. 9 and 495.

BROCKTON --- The city's crackdown on a 31-acre wooded site that the homeless have used for nearly 50 years expanded recently as the owner of the property - CSX Transportation - cut down many trees, making it easier for the city to clear any new encampments that may be established following a June sweep of the property.