April 17, 2012
Foreclosed Fall River property becomes homes
for low-income residents
By Deborah Allard
FALL RIVER —People have started moving into the new Eagle Community Care Estates, a rehabilitated 17-unit complex of permanent affordable housing created specifically for veterans, homeless families and people with low income.
The Eagle Street property had been in foreclosure. Community Care Services refurbished the complex, providing residences for people in need while preventing further blight in the neighborhood.
“A lot of people need housing,” said Thomas Fisher, president and CEO of Community Care Services. The Taunton-based social service agency offers behavioral health services, residential programs for foster children, housing placement and more. Ppening an affordable housing complex is a brand new endeavor — a project outside the norm for an agency such as Community Care Services.
“This is a long time coming,” Fisher said. “This is a very different world than social services.”
Community Care Services partnered with the Women’s Institute to learn more about housing and economic development. Then it became involved with Community Economic Development Assistant Corporation for funding — the same company that worked with St. Dominic’s Apartments and is currently working with the YMCA to create affordable housing.
“This was an interesting program,” said Roger Herzog, executive director of CEDAC. “We encourage these partnerships. It’s really rare to have one organization who can do it all.”
The new Eagle Community Care Estates cost about $3.5 million. It is made up of three buildings with a common courtyard. It offers remodeled two- and three-bedroom units, and will have an on-site case manager to work with residents who need various services.
Tenants will pay 30 percent of their income. Veterans will be given preference for eight of the 17 units, while the remainder will house Fall River residents and homeless families.
“This is really an important program for Fall River,” Herzog said.
Dave Souza|Herald News
The property at 159 Eagle St. has been renovated for use as residences for low-income residents.
Funding and help came from a variety of sources, including CEDAC, the Massachusetts Department of Housing and Community Development, MassHousing, the Home Funders, Bridgewater State Bank, the Federal Home Loan Bank of Boston, Franklin Square House Foundation, Charlesbank Homes Foundation, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, and the city of Fall River.
Fisher said Community Care Services has provided a shelter program in Attleboro for the past 25 years. Ten years ago, it became involved in ways to prevent homelessness. “The need is just amazing,” Fisher said.
He said Community Care Services will be able to provide housing for tenants who were homeless or in jeopardy of losing their homes, and can also offer them other services, like education, employment, and substance abuse programs.
“They can put down roots,” Fisher said. “It will allow them to establish goals.”
For information about Eagle Community Care Estates and an application for housing, visit or call 508-821-7777.
Email Deborah Allard at dallard@heraldnews.com.
URL: http://www.heraldnews.com/archive/x304762707/Foreclosed-Fall-River-property-becomes-homes-for-low-income-residents#ixzz1sOrKoNRJ
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