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Central Berkshire Habitat for Humanity Offers Home in Great Barrington

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GREAT BARRINGTON, Mass. — Central Berkshire Habitat for Humanity announced an Open House at 40 Grove Street in Great Barrington on Aug. 7 from 2:30 to 4:30 pm for the renovated 40 Grove St. home.
 
The home is a 1,462 SF, 3-bedroom, 1.5-bath energy-efficient home located in a residential neighborhood within walking distance to downtown Great Barrington. 
 
Originally built circa 1910, this home has been completely renovated with all new design elements, a brand-new kitchen and downstairs bath/utility room, and all new flooring and paint throughout. New siding and paint have been applied to the exterior as well.
 
The selling price of this restored home has been set at $250,00 but it is valued at approximately $440,000. Habitat has been working closely with the Town of Great Barrington and the Great Barrington Affordable Housing Trust Fund to develop pricing and programs to make this home affordable for Berkshire County residents who make up to 100 percent of the 2023 Area Median Income Limit.
 
Habitat has worked with the local historical commission to preserve the exterior look and many of the historic features of the original design while bringing the home up to code and adding energy-
efficient amenities such as new insulation, new windows, and energy-rated appliances. 
 
The yard borders the recently upgraded town's Grove Street Park. 
 
This home is deed-restricted to income-eligible buyers in perpetuity.
 
Aug. 7 will also mark the first day that applications for the Fair Market Housing Lottery are available online and at locations in Pittsfield and Great Barrington. Following the Open House, the first of three lottery information sessions will be presented from 5 to 7 pm in person at the 40 Grove St home and via Zoom.
 
Anyone interested in applying for homeownership through the Fair Market Housing Lottery is encouraged to attend one of these information sessions. Potential applicants will learn about Habitat's selection criteria, examine a sample affordability analysis, and review how to prepare a complete application. Habitat will have bilingual Community Navigators available throughout the lottery period to assist anyone who may need help understanding the forms, the requirements, resources for legal help/lender assistance/down payment assistance/closing cost grants, etc.
 
The application deadline is Sept. 15, 2023.
 
Full information on the lottery is posted on the BerkshireHabitat.org website. 
 
All initial inquiries are being directed to Habitat's Equity Centered Project Manager, Veronica Warren at Homes@berkshirehabitat.org or 413442.3181, extension 7.
 
The project was completed with the help of Habitat's Build & Repair Corps, hundreds of volunteers including potential homebuyers, neighbors, local church groups, local contractors/vendors, and Taconic High School's CTE Carpentry classes.
If you would like to contribute information on this article, contact us at info@iberkshires.com.

Butternut Fire Contained; Conditions Improve

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff
GREAT BARRINGTON, Mass. — The Butternut Fire is now believed to be contained after burning nearly 1,400 acres on East Mountain.
 
The Fire Department continues to urge people to stay out of the affected woods, as the chances of getting hurt are high, and not to start outdoor fires.
 
Public Information Officer Lt. Brian Mead on Saturday morning said there are still hotspots and potential for flareups.
 
"This area is very unstable. We are expecting that there are going to be tree falling, there are going to be landslides and there are going to be rocks rolling downhill," he said. "It is very steep. The area is slippery. We cannot have anybody in this area."
 
The fire had not grown as of Friday and crews have dwindled as light rain fell across the region over the past three days. On Friday, the department reported 15 crew members — down from a high of 120 — and identified the involved area as 1,388 acres.
 
Drones and a crew from Wyoming were walking the perimeter on Saturday and verifying that fire breaks cut into forest are holding, the Fire Department posted. The crew from Wyoming is a Type VI engine crew with "vast knowledge of wildfires" and will be making adjustments and improvements as needed over the next few days, the post read. 
 
The smoke through the town and surrounding areas appears to be minimal. Locations to get KN-95 or N-95 masks can be found at www.southernberkshirehealth.com or by calling Southern Berkshire Public Health Collaborative at 413-243-5540, Ext. 109. The Bushnell Sage Library will have masks available this weekend on Saturday from 10-2 or Sunday from 2-5. Other mask distribution sites are open during the week.
 
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