Baker-Polito Administration Awards $2.2 Million for Community Scale Housing Initiative

WASHINGTON, D.C. – (RealEstateRama) — The Baker-Polito Administration awarded the inaugural $2.2 million round of Community Scale Housing Initiative awards for the development and construction of 36 new affordable rental housing units in Arlington, Norwell, and West Tisbury.

The Community Scale Housing Initiative (CSHI) is a joint pilot initiative of the Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) and MassHousing. The CSHI funds smaller-sized affordable housing projects, between five and 20 units, which can be difficult to construct using the state’s current affordable housing finance programs. The pilot program is open to affordable housing projects in communities with populations of 200,000 or less and where the community has committed a significant local match.

DHCD and MassHousing have made at least $10 million available for the Community Scale Housing Initiative pilot. The agencies plan to open a new award round by the Spring of 2018.

Community Scale Housing Initiative Award Winners:
20 Westminster, Arlington

20 Westminster is a nine-unit project, sponsored by the Housing Corporation of Arlington, that will provide affordable rental housing to low-income and extremely low-income households. MassHousing and DHCD have awarded $320,000 in CSHI funds to the project. The Town of Arlington is supporting the development of 20 Westminster through $500,000 in Community Preservation Act (CPA) funds, $750,000 in Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds, and $1.35 million in funds secured from the North Shore HOME Consortium. Four of the units at the project will be affordable to households earning less than 30 percent of area median income (AMI).

40 River St., Norwell

40 River Street is an 18-unit affordable housing development sponsored by Metro West Collaborative Development, Inc. MassHousing and DHCD have awarded $1 million in CSHI funds to the project. DHCD is also supporting the project with an allocation of Housing Stabilization Funds. The Town of Norwell is utilizing CPA funds to provide a $1.2 million matching contribution. The completed project will be affordable to households across a range of incomes, and will include four units reserved for households earning less than 30 percent of AMI.

Scotts Grove Apartments, West Tisbury

Scotts Grove is a nine-unit project located in West Tisbury, sponsored by the Island Housing Trust Corporation. MassHousing and DHCD have awarded $900,000 in CSHI funds to the project, and the Town of West Tisbury is providing a matching contribution of $1.4 million in CPA funds. The completed project will offer affordable housing to families across a range of incomes.