Tagged: affordable housing

A recently released report provides a deeper look into the housing needs of one small Berkshire County community.

Williamstown’s Affordable Housing Committee recently commissioned a study on the housing needs of the community by housing and development consultant, John Ryan. 

More than 750 voters filled the gymnasium of the Mount Greylock Regional High School on Wednesday, with many expecting to vote on articles that would determine the future use for properties currently under conservation restriction.

One article was included as the result of a citizen’s petition, which sought to place a permanent restriction on the 30.5-acre parcel of land known as the Lowry Property, and a nearby 140-acre parcel known as the Burbank Property.

A massive housing renovation project will take place this Saturday in one of the poorest neighborhoods in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.  A thousand volunteers will pack two contiguous streets  in Springfield’s Old Hill neighborhood and do major repair  work on more than two dozen homes..

   Carol Granado is excited about the work planned on her home at 163 Tyler Street that will include a new roof, exterior painting, new bathroom plumbing and three new windows.

Residents of Williamstown, Massachusetts tonight will vote for or against opening a portion of conservation-restricted for development. The land is being considered as a potential site for new affordable housing units.

Williamstown has received a $6 million Hazard Mitigation Grant from FEMA to purchase and demolish the Spruces Mobile Home Park and build replacement affordable housing for residents at another area in town. Most of the homes in the Spruces were destroyed by flooding in 2011 by Tropical Storm Irene.

The open forum, held at a monthly meeting of the Northern Berkshire Community Coalition in North Adams, was attended by about 85 Berkshire County housing advocates and area residents.

Though the discussion was largely focused on the need for increased affordable housing in the Northern Berkshires, the lack of available housing stock for low income families is an ongoing issue throughout the region.

A Berkshire town has received more than $6 million in federal funds to assist in relocating residents of a mobile home park  torn apart by Tropical Storm Irene in 2011, but there’s still much debate within the community on how the town should move forward with relocation plans.