Housing Headlines

NEW BEDFORD --- Co-developers Welcome Home Veterans Housing and Caritas Communities recently came together to celebrate the ground-breaking of an affordable apartment complex for veterans. Named the Sean Brooke House, for a young veteran killed four years ago, the project will provide veterans with a safe, affordable and permanent place to live. Work on the project is expected to begin in two weeks and is expected to be finished in nine months.

FALL RIVER --- In the upcoming months, the city and state Department of Housing and Community Development plan to apply for over $6 million in funding to convert part of the downtown YMCA into 42 single-room affordable rental units. The Mount Hope View Housing project will be created for working adults with annual incomes of $18,000 to $25,000. The YMCA Southcoast CEO told The Herald News that he hopes construction on the project will begin by early 2010.

HOPKINTON --- The town housing authority recently received an $800,000 grant from the state Department of Housing and Community Development for the construction of an affordable housing complex. The complex will consist of 12 rental units intended for families with six units reserved for current town residents.

WESTBOROUGH --- A local contractor, with experience building affordable housing, recently presented a proposal to the board of selectmen to build a housing complex at 169 East Main Street. Farooq Ansari plans to build 14 colonial-style homes with four homes set aside as affordable. The proposal needs to be approved by the board of selectmen and the zoning board of appeals before it can move forward.

BELMONT --- Developer Ron Lopez of North Shore Construction and Development recently filed plans with the town to build 17 town-house style units on the site of a former church. The next planning board hearing to discuss this proposal will take place on July 29.

WINTHROP --- Non-profit EBCDC Inc. developers, affiliated with the for-profit East Boston Community Development Corporation, recently purchased the former A.W. Dalrymple School building with plans to convert it into 27 units of affordable rental housing for seniors. Developers hope that construction will begin in the spring of 2010 with a completion date of 2011.