Housing Headlines

BOSTON, May 20, 2009 --- The Boston Redevelopment Authority (BRA) recently approved a $10 million affordable housing project on Bloomfield Street in Dorchester. The project will involve redeveloping a vacant lot to make way for a 36,000-square-foot building with 27 rental units and 6,700 square feet of open space. The BRA expects the project to be completed by the summer of 2011.

WORCESTER --- Economic Development Finance Corp. developers recently announced the upcoming grand opening of the Hadley-Burwick building on Main Street. The five-story, mixed-use building consists of 44 rental apartments and 5,000 square feet of ground-floor retail space. The apartments will be affordable for tenants making between 80 and 140 percent of the state's median income. The grand opening ceremony is tentatively scheduled for June 18 at 3 p.m.

BROCKTON --- CSI Support and Development Services developer is seeking to build a $10 million senior housing complex on the city's East Side. The proposed 40-unit development would provide affordable rental housing for senior citizens ages 62 and up, with rent levels based on 30 percent of the senior's income. If approved by the city's zoning board, developers hope the complex would be ready to open in late 2011 or early 2012.

BOSTON --- The television program "This Old House" will feature the ribbon-cutting ceremony celebrating the renovation of two triple-deckers on Hendry Street. The properties were purchased through the City of Boston's Foreclosure Intervention Team (FIT) program and were sold to Roxbury-based Bilt-Rite Construction who completely renovated the units to include new high-efficiency heating, plumbing, electrical systems, bathroom, and kitchens.

FRAMINGHAM --- The town Housing Authority recently received a $28.6 million loan from the state for the renovation and modernization of a 110-unit public housing development. The scope of the work for the 67 two-bedroom apartments and 43 three-bedroom apartments includes expanding the size of the units to modernize and create enlarged kitchen and dining areas, as well as replacing the electrical, plumbing and heating systems.

WEYMOUTH --- South Suburban Affordable Housing developers recently received permission to build a 20-unit affordable rental complex from the town's conservation commission. All of the units in the 40B complex will be affordable to people earning under the state's median income and 70 percent of the units will be reserved for Weymouth residents. Funding sources for the project include over $2 million from the state and $350,000 in federal tax credits.