Housing Headlines

WORCESTER --- Social service agencies say a 60 percent year-over increase in homelessness in Worcester County is impacting public health and straining public services, with searches to find homes for clients taking up to 10 to 12 months and wait lists that have doubled since the start of 2022.

LITTLETON --- The former IBM campus on King Street is being considered for a multipurpose, large-scale development project to include 780 units of affordable housing, A portion would be dedicated to retail space with options to accommodate several housing units above the stores. The project received approvals from the Select Board and other town committees. Attention now turns toward sewer hookup.

NEWTON --- A five-story, 50-unit mixed-use addition is proposed to the back of the former Santander Bank building on Washington Street. Listed on the National Register of Historic places, the building would be preserved and renovated as a restaurant with outdoor seating. Mark Development, which has several project proposals in Newton, is required to have nine of the units designated as affordable housing.

WELLFLEET --- At a special town meeting, Wellfleet voters approved spending $6.5 million to buy Maurice’s Campground, a 21.3 acre property the town hopes to use for affordable housing. The town plans to use $675,000 in Community Preservation Act money to place a deed restriction on the property, if voters approve it at the Sept. 20 town election. Only 2.5 percent of Wellfleet’s housing is deemed affordable.

METROWEST --- The average rental cost of a one-bedroom apartment in Boston is $1,980, pushing renters out toward MetroWest, where they can find more affordable apartments for $1,500 a month or less. Communities include Framingham, Downtown Natick, Natick Village, Route 20, Marlborough and Downtown Franklin.

YARMOUTH PORT --- Habitat for Humanity Cape Cod announced it surpassed its $75,000 fundraising goal to support the use of solar energy in Habitat houses, raising $242,404 in funds. The money will support the group’s work of adding more alternative energy sources in Habitat homes, allowing homes to be net zero, meaning the houses potentially produce as much energy as they consume.