Housing Headlines

ATTLEBORO - The city's housing authority is to get $417,510 from the state's Department of Housing and Community Development to rehab 18 vacant apartments and make them available for a long line of needy people looking for an affordable place to live. The cash is part of $2.2 million approved for 33 housing authorities across the state to fix up 167 empty units. "These additional funds dedicated to turnover costs will provide local housing authorities with new tools and funding to more quickly house seniors and families," said Aaron Gornstein, the agency's undersecretary. Meanwhile, the state is instituting a policy that will require vacancies to be filled within 60 days. Subsidies will be withheld if the apartments are not occupied.

ANDOVER - The Zoning Board of Appeals unanimously supported a 224-apartment affordable housing development on Lowell Street yesterday. The proposal calls for134 one-bedroom units, 70 two-bedroom units and 20 three-bedroom units.

BOSTON --- Housing authorities could lose their state subsidies for apartments that are unoccupied for more than 60 days or have their reserve accounts frozen by the Department of Housing and Community Development under a new policy that goes into effect Jan. 1.

SALISBURY --- The Salisbury Affordable Housing Trust is considering turning the former 12-room Spalding School into affordable housing and recently heard development proposals from four groups - North Shore Community Development Corporation, Harborlight Community Partners of Beverly, the Newburyport YWCA and a partnership of Caruso McGovern Construction and the Salisbury Housing Authority. Propoals ranged from 12 to 40 units for the 15,000-square foot building, which is nearly 100 years old.

DORCHESTER --- At its recent annual meeting, the Massachusetts Affordable Housing Alliance honored former state deputy banking commissioner Thomas Curry for his role in making sure that the state's banks offer services and locate branches and ATMs lower-income neighborhoods

MILTON --- Residents of Fuller Village - a 319-unit senior village on 60 acres - joined other concerned neighbors, town leaders and Sen. Brian Joyce to voice their opposition to a plan by Mill Creek developers to build 300 units on 22 acres across the street. Joyce, who is president of the Fuller Village board, moderated the event. He explained the Ch. 40B law and said while he disapproves of this proposal, he supports the 40B law in general and says the town hasn't done enough to gain more control of how to handle 40B proposals.