Category: CEDAC

LePage’s redevelopment to continue with 34 new units

LePage’s redevelopment to continue with 34 new units
Fri Apr 17, 2009, 12:01 PM EDT
Gloucester – The Caleb Foundation announced earlier this week it has received funding for the construction of 34 units of affordable housing in Gloucester.
The construction of the units, on the site of an abandoned warehouse, will complete the redevelopment of the former LePage Glue Factory into the Pond View Community.
The Caleb Foundation had previously purchased a vacant warehouse for $1.1 million, have now received funding for the construction and currently in the permitting process.
The Caleb Foundation has recently secured funding for the construction of this new property through the Federal Low Income Housing Tax Credit Program, state Low Income Housing Tax Credits, HOME funds and Affordable Housing Trust funds.
The foundation purchased the property in a workout between two state lenders: Massachusetts Housing Investment Corporation (MHIC) and Community Economic Development Assistance Corporation (CEDAC), with acquisition funding provided by CEDAC.
This facility will have pond and river views, green space and public transportation on-site, according to a prepared release from the Caleb Foundation. The units will be close to downtown, public beaches, parks and recreation areas, retail and entertainment venues. It is also close to the highway and a mile from the commuter train into Boston. All of the units will be affordable to families making 60 percent or less of the Area Median Income.
Under The Caleb Foundation’s plan, the existing vacant building will be demolished and replaced with a brand new apartment building. The units will be constructed in the footprint of the old, unused warehouse. The new building will be five stories tall with parking on the first level and four levels or apartments.
Like the foundation’s other sites, this housing will have a Resident Service Program on site, and residents will have access to community services through their Resident Service coordinator.
The redevelopment of this historic factory into a vibrant, affordable community has long been vision of Cape Ann Housing Opportunity and other groups in the Gloucester community.
The Caleb Foundation is a 15-year-old nonprofit affordable housing development organization that has been involved in the development, management and resident services in 22 communities across New England.
This information was provided by The Caleb Foundation.

Link to article: http://www.wickedlocal.com/manchester/news/business/x50620390/LePage-s-redevelopment-to-continue-with-34-new-units

SourceWicked Local, Manchester

Pond View gets $3.2M for bailout

Pond View gets $3.2M for bailout

By Patrick Anderson
Staff Writer

April 15, 2009 05:55 am

—
The final, unfinished piece of the struggling Pond View Village housing complex in West Gloucester is being resuscitated with the help of more than $3.2 million in state and federal assistance.
Hailed as a model of community redevelopment, smart growth and mixed-income housing before the national real estate market cratered, Pond View Village was left partially occupied and only two-thirds built when its developer, Cape Ann Housing Opportunity, went bankrupt last year.
Foreclosed upon by the statewide consortium of large banks that had lent money to CAHO, Pond View Village was bought in January by the Caleb Foundation, a Swampscott nonprofit that manages and preserves low-income multi-family housing throughout New England.
The Caleb Foundation, which shares much of CAHO’s vision for the former LePage Glue property, was one of 39 organizations in Massachusetts to secure Affordable Rental Housing Awards from the state this month.
The aid package — a combination of state and federal low-interest state loans and tax credits totalling $3.27 million — will give Caleb the funding to move forward with plans to build 34 new rental units on the property, meeting federal affordability standards, Debbie Nutter, executive director for the Caleb Foundation said yesterday.
“This means that hopefully the third phase will be finished,” Nutter said. “I believe it will continue to serve the low-income and moderate-income folks in Gloucester with rental housing. There is a market and a need for them.”
To complete Pond View Village, Caleb will raze the vacant old warehouse building on the site and erect, in its footprint, a new five-story apartment building.
Caleb will complete the local permitting it needs to resume work, Nutter said, and hopes to begin construction late in the fall or early winter of this year.
Before it stepped in with a new package of loans and tax breaks, the state was already financially committed to Pond View Village, having already loaned $5.1 million to the project.
The city has also given the project more than $500,000.
The new assistance, which employs existing housing programs as part of Gov. Deval Patrick’s Massachusetts Recovery Program, includes federal funds but no money from the national stimulus package now filtering out to states and local communities.
Overall, the latest round of affordable rental awards announced by the Patrick administration targets projects in 25 communities with a total of $108 million. In a normal, non-recession year, the state will usually only announce funding for around a dozen rental projects, Phil Hailer, a spokesman for the state Department of Housing and Community Development said yesterday.
The awards to Pond View Village are comprised of $1,315,000 in low-interest loans pulled from the federal HOME Program and state Affordable Housing Trust, Hailer said, combined with a $1,350,000 state tax credit and $612,000 federal tax credit.
Like most projects that receive tax credits, Caleb is planning to sell those tax credits to investors to provide the capital to begin construction.
The total cost of finishing Phase 3 of Pond View Village is estimated by Caleb at $6.7 million.
With the loftiest of intentions, Cape Ann Housing Opportunity built 84 units of mixed-income housing — 43 rental and 41 condominiums — on the site of the vacant former glue factory before becoming insolvent.
A lawsuit brought by the owners of the neighboring Heights of Cape Ann for obstructing views with the unbuilt apartment high-rise delayed construction and pushed the project into the worst throes of the recession.
When it was clear last summer that CAHO would default on its loans for the property, its primary lender, the Massachusetts Housing Investment Corp., foreclosed on the complex.
Formed by a consortium of large banks as a lender for affordable housing and community development projects, the Massachusetts Housing Investment Corp. which lost more than $10 million from all of its loans to CAHO, now manages the existing units at Pond View.
Like much of the country, the condominium market on Cape Ann has also suffered in the recession.
Of 41 condominiums in the complex, only 19 have sold, with one more under agreement to be sold, Sandra Blackman, an asset manager at the Massachusetts Housing Investment Corp., said yesterday.
Blackman said the awards to Caleb would be good news for her organization if it meant the old glue factory building would be giving way to new construction.
“It is a blighted building and needs to come down,” Blackman said.
After the foreclosure, the Massachusetts Housing Investment Corp., which had issued CAHO a $1.3 million mortgage on the Phase 3 portion of the property, sold it to the Community Economic Development Assistance Corp. for $600,000.
CEDAC, a quasi-state agency that also held mortgage debt from CAHO, then sold the Phase 3 property to Caleb for $1.1 million.
The success of other CAHO creditors, such as contractors and subcontractors who worked on Pond View Village, in trying to get money back is unclear. CAHO’s case is now in the hands of a state-appointed trustee.
The state and federal aid for Pond View Village — touted as a shovel-ready job creator — differs from many other government recovery efforts in that it will add new housing to the depressed market instead of getting already existing units occupied.
Hailer said projects like Pond View Village would help the economy because it creates affordable rental units to the market instead of properties to own, which are now languishing.
“Historically, the state has high housing costs and this helps keep Massachusetts affordable,” Hailer said. “We are trying to attract jobs and development and if you don’t have affordable housing, you are going to have a tough time. There is great demand for rental housing.”

Patrick Anderson can be reached at panderson@gloucestertimes.com

Copyright © 1999-2008 cnhi, inc.

Permanent Link: http://www.gloucestertimes.com/punews/local_story_104225723.html?keyword=topstory

SourceGloucester Daily Times

Wisdom Way Solar Village: A new community of affordable, sustainable homes moves toward zero energy.

See linked PDF.

SourceHome Energy Magazine MAR/APR 2009 issue

State & Local Housing Preservation Leaders: Massachusetts

Grant
Community Economic Development Assistance Corporation ($1,000,000)
Program-Related Investment
Community Economic Development Assistance Corporation ($3,500,000)
Background
Overall, Massachusetts has a very strong housing market — its rental market is the fifth most expensive in the country with more than 48 percent of renters and 33 percent of homeowners paying more than 30 percent of their income for housing in 2005/2006. By 2019, approximately 41,000 units of subsidized rental housing throughout Massachusetts may lose their affordability restrictions as a result of prepayments, opt-outs, and, increasingly, the expiration of subsidized 40-year mortgages. Of the various housing subsidy types, properties with 40-year mortgages are particularly at risk, because there are no federal protections or incentives in place to facilitate the preservation of this portfolio or to protect tenants from increasing rents. The strain on assisted housing in Massachusetts is exacerbated by the loss, due to foreclosures, of unsubsidized two-to-four unit rental properties that traditionally have provided the bulk of low-cost housing in the state. Compounding this loss, the physical deterioration of the second oldest housing stock in the U.S. threatens the continuity of both assisted and unassisted affordable housing.
Project Description
The grant will enable Community Economic Development Assistance Corporation (CEDAC) to provide staff support to implement an Interagency Working Group to coordinate the housing preservation activities of state, federal, and local agencies, to advocate for necessary state and federal policy changes, and to formulate a joint plan to stabilize properties in the assisted housing portfolio and establish priorities for allocating public resources. CEDAC will also create an early-warning system to support interagency decision-making and priority-setting by enhancing an existing preservation database. The system will monitor the assisted multifamily housing stock and identify properties at risk of opting out of subsidy contracts and properties with physical and financial problems such as high vacancies, poor physical condition, poor management, and troubled tenancies. The grant will also support an advisory committee comprising housing advocates, developers, and real estate professionals that will serve as a forum at which leaders from the public, private, and nonprofit sectors could discuss issues, share information, and provide feedback and guidance to promote the preservation of affordable housing throughout Massachusetts.
The program-related investment will support the Massachusetts Preservation Loan Fund, which will provide patient predevelopment and acquisition financing for large-scale preservation projects such as portfolio acquisitions that have few other financing options. The Loan Fund will provide lines of credit to qualified buyers and unsecured loans for purchase money deposits and other upfront costs as buyers demonstrate progress. There will be no specific loan to value ratio requirements for predevelopment loans. To qualify for financing, borrowers will have to demonstrate a feasible plan to acquire the properties and preserve them as affordable for a minimum of 30 years. Properties from all parts of Massachusetts will be eligible for financing as long as the transaction is consistent with the preservation priorities as determined by the Interagency Working Group. Together, the predevelopment pool and acquisition financing will create a substantial amount of new resources for preservation. Other capital sources for the Loan Fund include local banks and lending institutions, Massachusetts Housing Investment Corporation, Massachusetts Department of Housing and Community Development, the City of Boston, and CEDAC.
Contact
Press inquiries:
Phil Hailer
Communications Director
Department of Housing and Community Development
100 Cambridge Street, Boston, MA 02114
617-573-1104
philip.hailer@state.ma.us
Grant lead contact:
Bill Brauner
617-727-5944
bbrauner@cedac.org
PRI activities:
Karen Kelley
Director of Finance and Operations
Community Economic Development Assistance Corporation (CEDAC)
One Center Plaza, Suite 350, Boston, MA 02108
617-727-5944
kkelley@cedac.org
Joseph Flatley
Massachusetts Housing Investment Corporation (MHIC)
70 Federal Street, Boston, MA 02110
617-850-1000

SourceMacArthur Foundation Press Release

GOVERNOR PATRICK ANNOUNCES STATE TO RECEIVE $4.5 MILLION FROM MACARTHUR FOUNDATION TO PRESERVE AFFOR

GOVERNOR PATRICK ANNOUNCES STATE TO RECEIVE $4.5 MILLION FROM MACARTHUR FOUNDATION TO PRESERVE AFFORDABLE RENTAL HOUSING
Investment expected to leverage $150 million to keep 9,000 homes affordable in Massachusetts
With the prospect of losing more affordable apartments to higher rents as a growing number of subsidized long-term mortgages expire, Governor Deval Patrick today announced that the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation will award Massachusetts $4.5 million to preserve the long-term affordability of existing privately owned multi-family rental housing.
Massachusetts is facing a potential loss of subsidized rental housing that will affect nearly 41,000 families over the next 10 years. This award is expected to leverage more than $150 million — primarily in private investment — for a statewide loan fund to preserve affordable rental homes for an estimated 9,000 families, or more than 20 percent of the rental housing now at-risk of being lost. Massachusetts is the 5th most expensive rental housing market in the nation, an increasing problem that has only been exacerbated by the loss of unsubsidized rental housing due to foreclosures.
“In these challenging times, we must use every available resource to preserve affordable rental housing for hard-working residents throughout Massachusetts,” said Governor Patrick. “We are grateful to the MacArthur Foundation for helping us in our ongoing efforts to ensure long-term, stable housing opportunities for wage earners on all income levels.”
Specifically, the Massachusetts Department of Housing and Community Development will implement the state’s MacArthur Foundation award. A $1 million grant will go to the Community Economic Development Assistance Corporation (CEDAC) to support an interagency working group to coordinate local, state and federal housing preservation activities, and establish an early warning system to identify properties that are at risk of market rate conversion. The group will formulate a plan and establish priorities for allocating public resources to keep those developments affordable. CEDAC is a quasi-public community development finance institution created in 1978 to provide technical assistance, pre-development lending, and consulting services to non-profit organizations.
The MacArthur Foundation will also target $3.5 million in program related investments, or low-cost loans, to support a $150 million Masschusetts Preservation Loan Fund for predevelopment and acquisition financing for preservation projects. Financing is available to for-profit and non-profit developers who demonstrate a feasible plan to acquire the properties and preserve them as affordable for a minimum of 30 years.
“Massachusetts leads the nation in having the most units of affordable housing per capita, but these are at risk if we do not act now. The foundation’s recognition of Massachusetts’ leadership role is welcome,” said Congressman Barney Frank. “As Chairman of the Financial Services Committee, I am very pleased with the work Governor Patrick and his housing officials have accomplished so far, and I am confident they will continue to provide the resources to maintain this vitally important affordable housing.”
“For many years, the goal of home ownership in the U.S. has been emphasized and as a country we lost sight of the value of rental housing in a balanced national housing policy,” said MacArthur President Jonathan Fanton. “We now have an opportunity to reset the policy agenda, restore rental housing to its proper place, and reshape the policy environment so that it both encourages rental housing preservation and makes it easier to do. State and local governments are at the forefront of this effort, showcasing innovation and trying fresh approaches.”
The MacArthur Foundation’s announcement today is part of a $32.5 million nationwide award to a total of 12 states and cities nationwide. In addition to Massachusetts, the states include Iowa, Florida, Washington, Vermont, Pennsylvania, Oregon, Ohio, Minnesota, and Maryland, as well as the cities of Denver and Los Angeles.
CEDAC will partner with the Massachusetts Housing Investment Corporation (MHIC) to create the loan fund. MHIC is a private non-profit entity founded in 1990 by a consortium of banks and other corporate investors to fill a critical gap in meeting the credit needs of affordable housing developers and owners who are unable to get financing for certain projects from traditional lenders. Through its relationships with state and local funders, MHIC will provide up to $100 million of loan fund capital for acquisition loans of preservation transactions. Other capital sources for the loan fund are expected from local banks and lending institutions as well as DHCD, CEDAC and the City of Boston.
“This MacArthur Foundation award will help Massachusetts keep thousands of units affordable for families over the next 10 years as we put systems in place to best identify and implement policies and actions to prevent further affordable housing losses,” said Roger Herzog, CEDAC Executive Director.
“We’re excited to be partnering with the Patrick Administration and CEDAC to meet this critical need,” said Joe Flatley, President of Massachusetts Housing Investment Corporation (MHIC). “MHIC looks to build on its track record of financing the preservation of affordable housing, and through this initiative effectively assembling the resources to ensure that this housing is responsibly preserved.”
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SourceMacArthur Foundation Press Release

12 STATES AND CITIES TO PRESERVE 70,000 AFFORDABLE RENTAL HOMES WITH MACARTHUR SUPPORT

12 States & Cities to Preserve 70,000 Affordable Rental Homes with MacArthur Support

February 26, 2009

Affordable Housing, Press Releases

(Chicago, IL) — Seizing the opportunity to make needed long-term investments in the face of a weak economy, 12 states and cities are launching innovative projects to preserve more than 70,000 affordable rental homes.

The new projects will assist military families in Maryland, seniors in rural Iowa and Vermont, low-wage workers in Florida and Oregon, and people who have been homeless in Los Angeles. They will promote energy efficiency in Pennsylvania, save distressed buildings in Minnesota, improve management of rental housing in Washington State, and ensure that rental homes are available in gentrifying areas near public transit in Denver.

With the stock of affordable rental housing disappearing at an alarming rate, MacArthur’s $32.5 million investment – $9.5 million in grants and an additional $23 million in low-interest loans – will leverage more than $147 million in other funding. The news was welcomed today by federal, state, and local housing officials across the country.

“These grants have spurred state and local innovation and leadership in the preservation of affordable housing,” said U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Secretary, Shaun L. Donovan. “At each grantee site, a representative of HUD has participated in developing the strategies and aligning efforts. It is my goal to make HUD a strong partner at the state and local level. The MacArthur Foundation should be commended for supporting partnerships across the government, private and nonprofit sectors.”

State and local governments in 40 states competed for MacArthur’s support, indicating broad, national interest in preserving affordable rental housing. The Foundation’s funding for these 12 projects is a part of MacArthur’s Window of Opportunity initiative, a $150 million, ten-year effort to preserve affordable rental homes across the nation. By investing in public sector initiatives such as these, the Foundation hopes to help create a wave of policy reform in cities and states that will make it possible to preserve one million homes this decade.

“For many years, the goal of home ownership has been emphasized in the U.S. and as a country we lost sight of the value of rental housing in a balanced national housing policy,” said MacArthur President Jonathan Fanton. “The end of the housing bubble and a wave of foreclosures have underscored the importance of affordable rental housing. We now have an opportunity to reset the policy agenda, restore rental housing to its proper place, and reshape the policy environment so that it both encourages rental housing preservation and makes it easier to do. State and local governments are at the forefront of this effort, showcasing innovation and trying fresh approaches.”

Almost all Americans are renters at some point in their lives. Today, about one in three households – home to more than 75 million people – rent their homes, a number that is rising because of the foreclosure crisis and overall weak market for home sales. Yet, the supply of affordable rental homes is shrinking. Over the last decade, more than one million affordable rental homes were lost due to demolition, conversion to condominiums, expiring government subsidies, and rapidly rising rents. An additional one million homes are expected to be lost in the decade ahead. For every affordable home built each year, two are lost. This means there are not enough affordable homes for millions of Americans all across the nation, not simply in urban areas.

Now, while housing prices decline, acquiring multi-family rental properties is becoming more affordable, enabling cities and states to use scarce dollars more efficiently and effectively. The average cost to preserve a home is half that of building a new one. Preserving affordable housing also provides a stimulus to local economies. For instance, each job supported or created through affordable housing development in Oregon generates another one and one half jobs, on average.

“We’re leveraging our mass transit expansion and ensuring that Denver residents of all income levels have access to affordable housing near these critical transportation corridors,” said Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper. “This creates important economic opportunities for our workforce and further strengthens the character and vitality of Denver’s neighborhoods.”

Examples of the 12 creative state and local projects include:

* Denver – The City and County will establish a new loan fund for transit-oriented development that preserves affordable rental housing near existing and planned regional public transit stations. This investment will also help residents access job centers throughout the region. The Denver metropolitan area is undergoing the largest expansion in the nation of its public transit system.
* Maryland – Military base closures and the related relocation of 40,000 households will increase pressure on rents in eight counties. The State will ensure that rental housing preservation is a key element of the region’s response to the base closures by identifying preservation opportunities and creating a compact among state and local housing leaders to align efforts.
* Oregon & Portland – The City and State are expanding the Oregon Housing Acquisition Fund, a revolving loan fund created to finance the purchase of at-risk properties until permanent financing is available. Over the next five years, federal subsidy contracts will expire on 80 percent of Oregon’s privately-owned rental housing. Nearly one-quarter of these homes are located in Portland, where more than 2,700 families are waiting for rental assistance.
* Pennsylvania – In the largest such effort in the nation, Pennsylvania will conduct comprehensive energy audits to determine the most appropriate and cost-effective improvements for increasing energy efficiency in rental homes. Results will help reduce anticipated 40 to 60 percent increases in utility expenses in affordable rental housing for some of Pennsylvania’s neediest families.
* Download a summary of all 12 projects »

The MacArthur Foundation has a long history of commitment to affordable housing. Last year, the Foundation announced a $68 million investment in foreclosure prevention and mitigation in Chicago. The Foundation also supports a $25 million research program on how housing matters to families and communities. More information is available at www.macfound.org/housing.

SourceMacArthur Foundation Press Release

The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation does more than just sponsor shows on ‘BUR

The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation does more than just sponsor shows on ‘BUR

By adamg – Thu, 02/26/2009 – 3:55pm.

The foundation today announced it’s committing $4.5 million to help preserve affordable housing in Massachusetts.

Part of the money will go to the Community Economic Development Assistance Corporation to coordinate federal and state aid for affordable-housing projects, and part will go into the Masschusetts Preservation Loan Fund, which will loan out money to developers who agree to keep their rents down for at least 30 years. The foundation sees preservation of existing housing stock as critical, because it costs a lot less than building new units.

http://www.universalhub.com/node/23525

SourceBlog - UniversalHub.com

Flowering in Magnolia

Flowering in Magnolia

By Amanda Flitter
Staff Writer
September 18, 2008 10:51 pm
—
On a quiet road in Magnolia, three ladies are the talk of the town.
They have been described as social, classy, and chic — and they are changing how people look at the lives of the physically and mentally disabled. Each woman has a developmental disability, but with some daily assistance from trained house staff, all three are living active, independent lives and are important members of their new community.
Residents Eileen Doherty, Mary Beth Barnjum and Elizabeth Chaisson can be seen volunteering locally, taking walks, and hosting neighbors for cookouts. Although they just moved to Magnolia in May, they are already fitting in well with the neighbors, many of whom visit the women.
“There have been all these lovely connections that have happened because neighbors took time to get to know them,” said Jane Bowden, the house director. She has worked with the women for five years.
“Even the neighborhood cat has taken a liking to the ladies!” Bowden said of a stray who regularly visits.
The newly renovated, four-bedroom home on Lowe Drive the women live in is part of the North Shore Arc, a nonprofit disability services organization that offers supervised and supported living for people with developmental disabilities.
Joanne Wahl, division director for residential services and supports, said the Arc offers “a very stylized service” because each case is customized depending on the needs of the people.
The women originally lived in an old Victorian house on Washington Street in Gloucester, but the two flights of stairs to the laundry room became too much for Doherty and Barnjum, who are in their early 60s. The staff at Arc suggested they move to a ranch-style house.
The house in Magnolia is a one-floor ranch, and after extensive renovations it now has everything the ladies need — a porch, handicap accessible bathrooms, a growing perennial garden, and a laundry room with the latest machines.
“We don’t miss the old place at all,” Doherty said.
Staff at the house assist the women, but their lifestyle is fairly independent. Each has house chores and jobs to go to.
Anita Pacheco, one of the house managers, has known the women for two years. She takes them to their appointments, helps around the house, brings them on walks, and takes them to activities such as bowling and bingo.
“I leave here every day, no matter what, with a smile,” Pacheco said. “I take away a lot from these women.”
Pacheco said the ladies’ visibility changes people’s perceptions about the disabled and opens doors in the community.
The story of the three women is as unique as their personalities.
Doherty and Barnjum have been roommates for 18 years. They first met when Doherty taught Barnjum how to read. It led to a long friendship with memories of walking together to Friendly’s and Tony’s Marketplace when they lived in downtown Gloucester. Now, they walk to the local Dunkin’ Donuts.
While Doherty and Barnjum are in their early 60s, Chaisson is only 23.
Chaisson said that, when she first heard that her housemates weren’t in her age group, she was worried, but things have worked out well. Bowden said they have formed their bonds over common interests — such as shopping.
While the women have connected through their similarities, all have distinct hobbies and volunteer commitments that keep their days full of activity.
Barnjum is an avid craftswoman who knits, crochets, and weaves key chains. In Gloucester, she gained local celebrity status for sitting outside their old house on Washington Street while she worked. People honked as they passed and gave her yarn for projects; and when she moved, people were concerned.
“People were calling Arc and asking, ‘Where’s Mary Beth?'” Bowden said.
“She was a fixture, really,” said current neighbor Sandy Spinola, who would drive past Barnjum on her way to work.
Sitting outside on the lawn and waving to passing cars was one of the things Barnjum missed after the ladies moved. But thanks to two sunny yellow garden chairs, she is still able to sit outside and crochet in Magnolia.
When she completes her projects, she sells them at local craft fairs and to anyone who comes by. She also teaches her talent to local children.
Spinola said her grandson goes to the house and Barnjum teaches him how to make key chains.
“She’s so patient with the kids,” she said.
Doherty likes to write poetry in her spare time, and some of it can be found framed on the walls. She began writing again after she lost her job at a bank.
“God works in funny ways,” she said. “If I had never been laid off from the bank, I might not have gone back to writing poetry.”
She’s also an avid traveler, and is preparing to go to Walt Disney World in Florida for the third time. She also volunteers at the Second Glance, a thrift store in Gloucester.
Chaisson has a gift for working with animals and helps at the Cape Ann Animal Aid shelter walking dogs.
“I love dogs,” she said. “I have a very kind heart with dogs.”
Spinola said the three women bring a great aspect to their quiet road.
“The ladies just make a nice balance in the neighborhood,” she said.
The women are happy to be a part of the community, and wouldn’t have it any other way.
“We love it here,” Doherty said. “We’re happy here.”

URL: http://gloucestertimes.com/pulife/local_story_262225118.html
Amanda Flitter can be reached at gt_reporter@gloucestertimes.com.
Copyright © 1999-2008 cnhi, inc.

SourceGlousterTimes.com

Mass. Undersecretary for Housing to Speak at Marblehead Library

Mass. undersecretary for housing to speak at Marblehead library

Last modified: Wednesday, August 27, 2008 11:52 PM EDT
MARBLEHEAD – Tina Brooks, the Commonwealth’s undersecretary for Housing and Community Development, will visit Abbot Public Library Tuesday, Sept. 9 at 7 p.m.

Brooks will discuss the housing market, foreclosures and housing needs in Massachusetts.

She will speak in the library meeting room. There is no charge.

“We feel very fortunate that we are able to provide this forum for residents of Marblehead and our neighboring communities,” said Patti Rogers, new director of the Abbot Public Library.

Rogers said the talk is expected to cover “the true state of the housing market and housing needs in our area.”

“One of our goals is to bring programs to the community that help to improve their quality of life. With so much uncertainty in today’s marketplace, we are pleased that we have the opportunity to learn about this topic from a credible source and about the plans that Gov. Patrick’s administration has to improve our economy.”

Brooks is also director of the Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) for the Commonwealth. This Cabinet-level state agency has an annual budget of $680 million and is devoted to the production and preservation of affordable housing and promoting municipal, community and economic development. She serves as the senior housing policy advisor to Dan O’Connell, secretary for Housing and Economic Development.

Brooks leads the work of the MassHome team and serves on the boards of MassHousing, Massachusetts Housing Partnership and CEDAC. She is a member of Gov. Patrick’s Development Cabinet and co-chairs the Massachusetts Commission on Asset Development.

Sourceitemlive.com

School Transforming into Elderly Housing

School transforming into elderly housing

Senior Living at Prouty groundbreaking
By Bradford L. Miner TELEGRAM & GAZETTE STAFF
bminer@telegram.com

SPENCER— The landmark red-brick building at 195 Main St., witness to decades of this town’s students graduating and moving on, “graduated” itself yesterday afternoon with the ceremonial start of its conversion to housing units for the elderly, Senior Living at Prouty.

Sheldon Bycoff, president of Mental Health Programs Inc., presided over the brief ceremony on the lawn of the former David Prouty High School, culminating a five-year effort to transform dormant classrooms into living space.

Mr. Bycoff said the general contractor, Barr Inc. of Putnam, could begin demolition work as early as Monday on the project expected to take 15 months.

The former junior-senior high school, built in 1888-89, will become 35 units of rental housing for very low-income senior citizens and one resident manager’s unit, at a cost of $7.8 million.

Acknowledging the steadfast efforts of local committees and officials, state and federal agencies, Mr. Bycoff said the project was a long time coming together. The groundbreaking was a milestone, he said, and residents could expect to see changes come quickly within the fenced compound next to the Congregational Church.

He said the project development team that includes the architect, Studio One Inc. of Springfield, will work with the state and local historical commissions to preserve the most important historical and architectural features of the building, including the bronze countenance of David Prouty.

The money for the project, Mr. Bycoff said, will come from the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development, the state Department of Housing and Community Development, the Community Economic Development Assistance Corporation, and MassHousing.

Taylor Caswell, HUD’s New England regional director, said the town and Mental Health Programs Inc. should be congratulated for receiving money from HUD’s 202 program because it is one of the agency’s most competitive.

“It shows a true level of commitment for the community to have reached this point,” Mr. Caswell told the group gathered in front of the school.

“HUD’s senior housing program serves a vital need by ensuring that low-income seniors have a safe, decent and affordable place to live. MHPI has been an excellent partner in creating a higher quality of life and improved sense of community for residents,” he said.

State Rep. Anne M. Gobi, D-Spencer, said she recalled a walk-through of the building on a bitterly cold morning in January 2006 and found vandalism of the hallways and classrooms to be heart-breaking.

“It’s comforting to know that this building will soon be providing a safe and comfortable place to live for the people who are the fabric of this community,” Ms. Gobi said.

Peter Durant, chairman of the Board of Selectmen, said the renovation and construction project will be the start of downtown Spencer’s economic recovery.

He said he was confident that the construction project would act as a catalyst for revitalization work on Main Street.

As of 2004, more than 27,000 senior citizens in Central Massachusetts were on waiting lists for low-income affordable housing, and the number will continue to grow as the nation’s elderly population increases, according to MHPI officials.

The first milestone for the project came in 2005 when MHPI received a $4.2 million grant from HUD to rehabilitate the landmark school building into affordable housing for the elderly.

Once completed, the project will offer residents an array of services including personal care assistance, homemaking services, and transportation. All units are designed to meet the needs of the tenant as his or her ability to function changes with age, according to MHPI.

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Copyright 2008 Worcester Telegram & Gazette Corp.

Sourcetelegram.com