Housing Headlines

NORWOOD --- Despite getting town meeting approval for a 40R permit to build 48 units, the owners of the Regal Press revealed at a recent planning board meeting that they would build only 40 units. The planning board reacted favorably to the change but did not vote at its July 14 meeting, continuing the matter to its next meeting on Aug. 25.

MIDDLEBORO --- The town's zoning board of appeals has granted local developer John Barges a two-year extension on his Ch. 40B comprehensive permit that proposes to build 234 condoiminiums on a 35-acre site near Rt. 495.

CONWAY --- Affordable housing is on the list of possible uses for an 11-acre town-owned site known as the Rose property and this small town of 1,800 located southwest of Greenfield is putting together a committee to study how to use the land.

WALTHAM --- A proposed voucher program that would assist "very low-income" Waltham households with Community Preservation Act (CPA) funds is in a holding pattern, as the city looks toward ways to oversee it. Supported by local WATCH CDC, the proposed Tentant Based Rental Assistance proposal asks that $500,000 in CPA funds be used to subsidize payments to landlords for 50 eligible households .

SHREWSBURY --- With three Ch. 40B comprehensive permit applications totalling 475 units on the horizon, Shrewsbury officials have indicated an interest in pursuing 'friendly' 40Bs that suit the town and are reluctant to make exceptions to a town bylaw that only grants sewer tie-ins for commercial projects.

CHICAGO --- A new survey of housing attitudes shows that six in 10 people (58 percent) believe that the government should be doing more to ensure that there is more rental housing and housing to buy, but 52 percent say they would not be in favor of relaxing zoning regulations so that different types of housing could be built.