Housing Headlines

HINGHAM --- The Community Preservation Committee (CPC) recently voted to award $250,000 to help a non-profit build six units of affordable housing for homeless veterans. The two-story Fort Hill Veterans Supportive Housing will also receive $50,000 in funding from the Hingham Affordable Housing Trust. The earliest the project would open would be the fall of 2011.

WORCESTER --- Leggat McCall Properties LLC says it will purchase the downtown CitySquare project by June and begin construction on a seven-story office building that is expected to be the new Worcester office for Unum Group, a disability insurer. A 20-acre redevelopment project on the site of the former Worcester Common Outlets mall, CitySquare was purchased in 2004 by Berkeley Investments but the Boston development company never moved forward on its plans to tear down the mall and build housing, offices and stores.

AMHERST - Housing authorities in Amherst and nearby Easthampton are considering banning smoking inside at all their properties. (Note: Access to this article may require a subscription).

EASTON --- Residents recently voted at a special town meeting to support developer Beacon Communities' plan to rehabilitate the historic Ames shovel factory into 119 affordable apartments. The town gave Beacon Communities a $3 million grant to pay for a historic preservation restriction on the shovel complex and a $4.5 million construction loan. All of the money will come from the town's Community Preservation Act (CPA) account.

FALMOUTH --- Residents recently voted to approve the spending of $3 million in Community Preservation Act (CPA) funds to purchase a 21-acre parcel to be used for the combination of open space, affordable housing, and recreation. As many as 30 units of affordable housing will be created with 70 percent of the units reserved for Falmouth residents.

WESTFIELD --- Three buildings in the downtown area will receive almost $6 million in state and federal funds to rehabilitate or create 19 affordable apartments. Buildings located at 105-107 Elm Street, 118-120 Elm Street, and 168 Elm Street will be rehabilitated to provide affordable rental housing for people with incomes ranging from $32,500 for a single person to $46,560 for a family of four.