Housing Headlines

WORCESTER --- With the city's homeless population estimated to have climbed from 1,300 to 1,700 in the last four years, students at Worcester State College participated in a "One Night Out" event, listening to a panel of experts discuss the issue before spending a night outside to gain a sense of what homelessness is like.

PROVINCETOWN --- At a special town meeting on Monday, Oct. 25, voters convincingly shot down a proposal that would've put a two-year moratorium on condominium conversions, a move that was sought to protect tenants in year-round rentals from losing their homes when property owners convert to condos and sell them to second-home buyers.

LENOX --- With August's approval of the town's zoning board of appeals in hand, HallKeen has notified residents that it is moving ahead with plans to convert Cameron House from 44 assisted living apartments into 38 affordable independent-living units for people 55 and older. This means that current residents will have to relocate to other assisted living facilities in the area. HallKeen President Andrew Burnes said his company is working with residents and families to find new apartments for current residents.

ASHLAND --- Similar to when Provincetown used a drone to show residents the height or a proposed apartment building, the Ashland Zoning Board of Appeals and Capital Group Properties will use balloons to illustrate the height of a proposed 140-unit Ch. 40B development. The proposals has been in discussion for a year and one neighbor to the property says 700 people have signed a petition opposing the subdivision.

HYANNIS --- In an op-ed piece in the Cape Cod Times, a family therapist argues that the best way to fight downtown Hyannis' homeless problem is to provide more housing and support services that will provide people with the stability to live on their own.

In a strong editorial, the Lawrence Eagle Tribune chides communities for the usual ways in which they resist housing development and work with developers to build more housing. The paper writes, "Instead of standing in the way, trying to delay and harass any new development, we need to embrace growth and plan for it. That means working with developers to create better projects, rather than simply grumbling about changing times and trying to slam the community door shut on newcomers."