Housing Headlines

WALTHAM --- The Waltham City Council passed a resolution that would transfer $4 million of Community Preservation funds to the Waltham's Municipal Affordable Housing Trust Fund to acquire additional affordable housing with permanent deed restrictions. That's not the only proposal on how to address affordable housing with CPA. There is currently a rental voucher proposal before the City Council that aims to use $2.1 million in CPA funds to assist 50 families by providing rental subsidies to landlords. The Waltham Housing Authority would administer that program.

FOXBORO --- With the recent approval of a 248-unit rental apartment building, Foxboro's supply of affordable housing will jump from 8.9 to 12 percent.

WORCESTER - The City Council Tuesday night unanimously approved a tax-relief deal that will help finance the planned $7 million redevelopment of the vacant El Morocco Restaurant property on Wall Street into market-rate housing. Branded Realty plans to demolish the former restaurant building and construct a new 60-unit apartment building. A local company, Branded has already invested more than $10 million in renovating properties, including at Harrington Corner and the former Edward Buick property on Shrewsbury Street.

MARBLEHEAD --- A Salem News editorial takes Marblehead residents to task for their resistance to a proposed 87-unit assisted living facility, asking the town whether it would be rather be known for preferring to shuttle seniors out of town to maintain property values.

MEDFIELD --- While affordable housing is becoming an acknowledged need throughout Greater Boston, it did not score well in a survey of town residents about what to do with the 134-acre Medfield State Hospital, now owned by the town. According to the Medfield Press, a survey found that sports fields and park space were preferred and 75 percent responded negatively to housing as an outcome.

BEDFORD --- Construction is proceeding on 70 units of permanent supportive housing for veterans age 55 and older on the grounds of the Edith Nourse Rogers Memorial Veterans Hospital.