Housing Headlines

SALEM --- A four-year fight against the St. Joseph Church redevelopment ended recently when the state's Supreme Judicial Court refused to hear an appeal by neigbhors and landlords, clearing the way for the Planning Office for Urban Affairs to develop the church site and rectory into 65 to 75 affordable rental housing apartments for families.

BARNSTABLE --- Arthur Kimber, a former state and local housing official who was a champion for affordable housing and health care on Cape Cod, died earlier this month of prostate cancer.

SANDWICH --- The state Division of Fisheries and Wildlife has approved a restriction that will preserve a box turtle habitat, clearing the way for the Housing Assistance Corp. to develop the 45.8 acre Dana's Fields site into 62 affordable homes, with land set aside for agricultural use and an existing structure that will be converted into a solar-powered home designed by architectural students and funded through a U.S. Department of Energy competition.

DANVERS --- A four-phase affordable housing development project could bring up to 240 new affordable units to this North Shore community, with the first phase involving the replacement of 36 units at Rand Circle with 78 new units.

EASTHAMPTON --- The Valley Community Development Corp. has applied to the town for Community Preservation Act funds to support its plan to acquire and develop a 4.3 acre site into 32 to 45 units of affordable rental housing for families.

BOSTON, June 22, 2010 --- The Patrick-Murray administration pledged today more than $189.9 million in funding to support 32 rental developments in 19 communities across the state.