Housing Headlines

DORCHESTER --- With the granting of a ground lease from the MBTA, Nuestra Comunidad and the Preservation of Affordable Housing Inc. can now move forward with plans to build 135 apartments (69 affordable) and 12,000 square feet of commercial space at Mattapan Station.

YARMOUTH --- After hearing a variety of concerns from residents, Waltham-based Dakota Partners says it will scale back plans to redevelop the former Cavalier and Bass River Motels on Rt. 28. Dakota said new plans will reduce building heights and cut the number of units from 120 to 84 to 90 units.

ROCKPORT --- Harborlight Community Partners bid to work with the community to build a 23-unit Ch. 40B multifamily on Granite St. received a boost recently as the state's Community Economic Development Assistance Corp. is providing a $564,000 interest-free pre-development loan to help the nonprofit with acquisition and early design costs.

AGAWAM --- A week after the nonprofit HAPHousing of Springfield finalized the purchase of 12.5 acre property on Mill Street in Agawam with the intention of building low-income housing, residents have continued to voice objections about a yet-to-be defined housing development, now asking the town to buy the land back.

PROVINCETOWN --- One year after its series on Cape Cod's growing housing gap, Cape Cod Times reporter Lorelei Stevens checks in with people who were interviewed to see if there housing situation has changed. The answer: some were lucky to find housing but the overall crisis hasn't changed.

CHELMSFORD --- All but two of the 53 homeless families with children living in local hotels in November have been moved to other housing, due in part to state changes that have drastically reduced the number of homeless families in hotels and motels. As of July 6, the state says 1,075 of the 1,500 families housed in hotels in Jan. 2015 were moved -- a 72 percent drop.