Housing Headlines

WILLIAMSTOWN -- A panel discussing affordable housing, land use and residents of the Spruces mobile home park who where displaced from Tropical Storm Irene attracted a large audience of residents recently. The debate centers on whether the town should relocate the Spruces residents to a less flood-prone site like the Lowry Property, a former farm that some in town would like to keep as open space.

WORCESTER - The Worcester Housing Authority is implementing a program aimed at helping residents get out of public housing by bumping people up on the waiting list for housing if they agree within their lease to be employed or attend school full time.

FITCHBURG --- Officials recently gathered to celebrate the renovation of a formerly blighted property into seven units of affordable family housing. Twin Cities Community Development Corporation, a local non-profit developer, acquired the 1900s-era building in June 2010 and began rehabilitating the structure in January. The units rent for $600 to $750 per month for two and three-bedroom apartments.

HOPKINTON --- Selectmen delayed taking a vote on whether to support a proposal by Mill Creek Residential to build 280 apartments, some commercial space and a parking lot for the town's buses on land near Rt. 495. The parking lot would enable the town to stop renting space for its buses in nearby Ashland and developers said the savings would offset the cost of the estimated 35 children that would be added to the school system.

BRIGHTON --- A proposal was recently submitted to the Boston Redevelopment Authority (BRA) to raze an existing bank, office and retail building, greenhouse and parking lot to build 60 rental units at the corner of Washington and Parson Street. The proposed development would also include 10,000 square feet of retail space on the ground floor and 106 parking spaces. The proposal will require approval through the BRA's large project public review process.

NORTON - Norton selectmen are urging other communities to join with them to pressure the state to change the way they calculate percentages of affordable housing units so that units that have been permitted but not yet built can be counted toward the state's 10 percent affordable housing supply threshold, thereby giving communities more say over applications for Ch. 40B comprehensive permits.