Housing Headlines

HINGHAM --- Hingham voters will decide later this month whether their town should purchase the Lincoln School Apartments in order to guarantee that all 60 units remain affordable for seniors. John M. Corcoran & Co., which has managed the property for 30 years, has made an offer to buy the property and has stated it will keep it affordable as long as federal support for the project remains. The town has the right of first refusal, a condition it required when it sold the school for development back in 1980.

WESTON --- The Weston Affordable Housing Foundation will hold a lottery in December to select a family for a three-bedroom affordable rental home. The home was built on land donated to the town by the developer of Highland Meadows, who agreed to build seven affordable units on the development site, and another unit on town land. Preference for the lottery will go to Weston residents, town employees, and METCO students' families. For details, visit the Foundation's website at www.wahfi.org.

BOSTON --- The Boston Redevelopment Authority (BRA) has approved a $125 million, 325-unit residential project in Chinatown. The project is a joint venture between the Asian Community Development Corporation and New Boston Inc. The developers plan to make 50 percent of the project affordable, with approximately 70 of the affordable units rental and between 66 to 99 of the units to be sold as affordable condos.

PLYMOUTH --- The Plymouth Redevelopment Authority will continue to educate South Shore homebuyers and homeowners on how to avoid foreclosure with a $52,500 grant from the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). The grant money will go towards first-time homebuyer seminars as well as one-on-one counseling sessions. The Redevelopment Authority believes that foreclosure education will provide for more stable families and communities in this economic crisis.

BELMONT --- The Waverly Woods development is having trouble finding residents who qualify for some of its 40 affordable rental units, 28 of which are set aside for local residents. Residents for the local units must currently live in the town, work in the town more than 30 hours a week, or have attended school in town within the past 15 years.

BROCKTON --- Less than a year after developing and selling its first four affordable homes, the Brockton Interfaith Council has announced plans to build four more duplexes that will provide eight affordable homeownership opportunities for low and moderate-income homebuyers. Each of the duplexes will feature a two-bedroom condo for $147,000 and three-bedroom condo for $157,000. The homes will be available to people living or working in Brockton with a maximum income of $48,650 to $70,550, depending on family size. For more information, call 508-583-6464.