 Pittsfield Housing Trust Awards $860K in APRA FundsWith an end-of-year deadline, the trust recommended three projects for funding, and extra American Rescue Plan Act monies were allocated to fill the gaps. The panel was originally awarded $500,000 to disperse.  Pittsfield Housing Trust Has End of Year ARPA DeadlineThe Affordable Housing Trust has four months to commit a half-million dollars in American Rescue Plan Act funds. Williamstown Housing Trust Faces Decision on Family Selection Process for New DevelopmentThe board of the Affordable Housing Trust may face a decision about whether it's more important to follow the practice of its non-profit partner or the dictates of a state housing program.  Final Phase of Williamstown's Cable Mills Set to Break GroundThree years after it received the final permitting, the third and final phase of the Cable Mills housing complex is on track to break ground later this year.  Pittsfield Nonprofit Asks for Building Permit ForgivenessThe Westside Legends would like a helping hand from the city in the form of fee forgiveness for an upcoming condo project.  Pittsfield Housing Trust Digs into ARPA ProposalsThe trust reviewed five letters of intent for housing projects in the city and will ask the parties to submit a full application. Williamstown Neighbors Not Satisfied with Habitat ResponseChristopher Bolton joined several residents who live near the planned subdivision in saying that Habitat has been unresponsive to the concerns raised by those neighbors.  Williamstown Housing Trust Commits $80K to Support Cable Mills Phase 3Developer David Traggorth asked the trustees to make the contribution from its coffers to help unlock an additional $5.4 million in state funds for the planned 54-unit apartment building at the south end of the Cable Mills site.  Summer Street Residents Make Case to Williamstown Planning BoardNeighbors of a proposed subdivision off Summer Street last week asked the Planning Board to take a critical look at the project, which the residents say is out of scale to the neighborhood.  Construct to Host Designer ShowcaseSlated for the entire month of June 2024, the Designer Showcase will highlight the work of more than a dozen local and regional designers, as well as landscape architects and visual artists. Williamstown Residents Concerned over Impact of Habitat DevelopmentDrainage was the chief concern of the residents who turned out for Wednesday's informational meeting about a planned five-home development off Summer Street.  Pittsfield CPA Committee Funds Half of FY24 RequestsThe projects not making the cut were in the historic preservation and open space and recreation categories and though they were seen as interesting and valuable projects, the urgency was not prevalent enough for this cycle. Pittsfield's Former Polish Club Eyed For $20 Million Condo ProjectWhile utilizing the former club, the plot at 55 Linden Street would have five buildings of one to three-bedroom condominiums for first-time homebuyers. Berkshire Nonprofits See Housing, Recruitment as Critical NeedsHousing was a top topic during a virtual legislative town hall hosted by Nonprofit Center of the Berkshires.  Williamstown Community Preservation Committee Advances Funding RequestsThe first break the CPC got on Wednesday was when its total number of applicants dropped from six to five. Pittsfield Council OKs Incentives for Housing ProjectCouncilor at Large Alisa Costa loves that there is an affordable housing aspect to the project. Construct Receives $2M for Renovation of Cassilis Farm in New MarlboroughThis award is a step toward providing New Marlborough with its first affordable housing units.  Developers Drop Williamstown Housing After Threat of AppealStone asked the board of town's Affordable Housing Trust whether it thought Williamstown was free of the provincial concept known as "NIMBY-ism."  Collaboration Key to Housing, Hunger Solutions Say Local LeadersPignatelli said housing and food insecurity are hot topics in the State House and recognized the individual needs of Berkshire County.  County Stakeholders Push for Housing Solutions from State SenatorsThat was the message to state Sen. Paul Mark and his colleague Lydia Edwards of East Boston, Senate chair of the Joint Committee on Housing, who is on a listening tour of the state to better understand the issue.  Habitat for Humanity Making Plans for Williamstown's Summer Street LotNorthern Berkshire Habitat for Humanity is making plans to develop four single-family homes on a Summer Street residential lot the Affordable Housing Trust acquired in 2015.  Pittsfield Affordable Housing Trust Plans Further OutreachLast week, the panel recapped testimony it heard from residents and planned to conduct another community meeting.  Windrush Commons Opening Small Step for Area Affordable HousingCommunity leaders, local officials, project partners, and residents celebrated this first crucial step in addressing the housing crisis in the area. Brushwood Farm Housing Project To Receive State AssistanceIncluded in this list is Brushwood Farms, a new construction project for families to be built in Lenox. Williamstown Housing Trust Exploring New IdeasIn the former, they talked about following models in other communities that allow higher grants for income eligible homebuyers or pursuing partnerships with homebuilders that might have more capacity than the non-profit Habitat for Humanity, which relies on volunteer labor for much of the work. |
