Monday, April 30, 2012
Hilltown CDC loan key to affordable housing grant
By THE DAILY HAMPSHIRE GAZETTE
Staff Writer
CHESTERFIELD – The Hilltown Community Development Corporation took a step toward obtaining a $2.4 million housing grant last week when it was awarded a $75,000 pre-development loan from the Boston-based Community Economic Development Assistance Corporation.
Hilltown CDC’s housing director, Paul Lishcetti, said landing the loan is key to being able to apply for a grant from the Department of Housing and Community Development for housing developments in Williamsburg and Chesterfield.
“We are just crossing our fingers that we get the grant, ” he said.
The assistance corporation is a community development finance institution that provides technical assistance and loans to non-profits for housing.
Before pursuing the grant from the state, the Hilltown agency must provide pre-development specifications such as architectural, technical and legal information. The $75,000 will fund this research.
The money will be used in part to help create five units for homeless households, including the first three units in the Hilltown region specifically reserved for homeless families and two units for homeless veterans. “There is a four-unit rental property on South Street in Haydenville that we are interested in buying,” Lishcetti, said. “The other properties that will be remodeled or rehabilitated are 13 South Main St., and 148 Main St. in Haydenville, and 12 Williams St. in Williamsburg. Each of those properties has three rental units.
Lishcetti said the CDC also hopes to add a unit to a building at 397 Main Road in Chesterfield which currently has 7 units.
Lishcetti said his agency has seen a marked increase in people with lower incomes over the past few years who are in danger of becoming homeless.
“More people are now in need of lower-income housing. Prior to 2008, I have no recollection of people coming in and saying they are about to be foreclosed on,” he said. “We are also seeing a lot more homeless vets that we are renting to.”
Over the last several years, the Hilltown agency has developed 17 new or rehabilitated homes in the Hilltowns. The agency owns 30 units of rental housing in the Hilltowns including apartments in renovated buildings in Haydenville, Williamsburg, Chesterfield and Huntington.
“Many people think that there really is no problem with homelessness in the Hilltowns because people typically end up in shelters in other towns like Northampton or in other communities,” he said. “This is all part of an effort to help the people with the greatest needs in the Hilltowns.”
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