Housing Headlines

WORCESTER - Nearly 400 families living in state-subsidized apartments managed by the Worcester Housing Authority will soon be required to meet work or school requirements to avoid eviction - a smaller-scale version of a sweeping change quashed by the federal government last year.

LEVERETT --- The small town of Leverett - located just north of Amherst - has voted at Town Meeting to use $160,000 in Community Preservation Act funds to assist low-income buyers purchase homes.

NEWTON --- In a recent budget address, Newton Mayor Setti Warren urged aldermen to take advantage of the state's 40R smart growth zoning law to create districts near public transportation that would allow for multi-family and mixed-use projects.

ARLINGTON --- The Housing Corporation of Arlington took to the streets recently for its 14th annual walk for affordable housing and raised close to $50,000 while also honoring a board member and past president who passed away in 2013.

WINCHESTER --- Town land-use counsel Mark Bobrowski gave selectmen a heads up earlier this month that the firm of Stockard, Engler and Brigham are interested in buying a property on Cambridge St. near the Woburn line and asking the town for a Ch. 40B permit so it can develop 96 units of rental units.

TISBURY --- A standing-room only crowd filled the senior center last month to hear a community discussion on how to increase the island's supply of affordable housing. The Island Housing Trust had one of its best years ever creating units but citizens are concerned there isn't enough housing for working people and got together to discuss ways of finding land and building more housing. MHP's Susan Connelly represented the state on the panel and discussed the challenges that smaller, rural communities have at building housing at scale.