Housing Headlines

WATERTOWN --- An Acton-based developer recently appeared before the Planning Board with a plan to demolish a vacant one-story industrial building and build a 14-unit condo building in its place. The developer would also provide 24 parking spaces beneath the building and would reserve one unit as affordable. More information about this project will be presented at the next Planning Board meeting on Wednesday, Feb. 13.

WESTBOROUGH --- 346 Turnpike LLC developers will present their plans to build a 250-unit housing complex to the local Zoning Board of Appeals (ZBA) this week. The developer would construct four four-story buildings, a one-story clubhouse and several small retail buildings on a 19.8 acre parcel. Of the 250 unit, 62 would qualify as affordable housing.

SOUTHBOROUGH --- The developer of Madison Place says the 140-unit rental development near Rte. 9 is expected to be finished by the fall of 2013, just in time for the 5,000 workers the area is expected to absorb due to the relocation of three business to nearby Marlborough - TJX, Boston Scientific and Quest Diagnostics.

BOSTON, Jan. 10, 2012 --- Governor Deval Patrick today will propose eliminating the state's troubled patchwork of 240 public housing authorities and replacing them with six regional agencies in an effort to eliminate waste and corruption from the housing program for low-income and elderly people, state officials say.

BOSTON --- The state government plans to eliminate a controversial emergency shelter program that places about 1,700 homeless families in motels and hotels paid by taxpayers, but housing advocates are worried officials will not be able to come up with better alternatives. The program cost taxpayers $80 per night per family, or about $45 million in fiscal year 2012.

WESTON - The Affordable Housing Trust is hard at work on a proposed affordable housing project on Warren Avenue, just northwest of Weston's commercial center. The parcel of town-owned property includes a single-family dwelling, a two-family dwelling and the former Water Division building, which recently became vacant when the water department moved to the new DPW building. The town has appropriated $100,000 in Community Preservation Act funds to study whether it would be feasible to convert the municipal building into at least four units of affordable housing.