LENOX, Mass. — Healey-Driscoll Administration awarded $246 million in direct subsidies and state and federal housing tax credits to build and preserve nearly 1,600 affordable homes throughout Massachusetts. 

 

Included in this list is Brushwood Farms, a new construction project for families to be built in Lenox.

 

Permitted through Chapter?40B, the project is sponsored by Pennrose LLC. The sponsor has worked with the town on the project, which will result in 65?new rental units in a region with need for more affordable housing.

 

DHCD will support the project with federal and state low-income housing tax credits, subsidy funds, and ARPA funds. The town of Lenox is providing funds of its own to the project. 

 

When completed, 50 of the 65 units will be restricted for households earning less than 60 percent?of AMI, with nine units further restricted for households earning less than 30 percent of AMI. The project has been designed to meet Passive House certification standards. 

 

The governor made the annoucment along side Housing and Community Development Secretary Appointee Ed Augustus, and Undersecretary Jennifer Maddox. They joined Lowell City Manager Thomas Golden to announce the awards to 27 projects in 20 cities and towns.  

 

"Today's awards set in motion 27 innovative, mixed-use projects that will build and preserve nearly 1,600 affordable units across every region of our state," said Governor Healey. "These are the types of projects that our Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities will be driving in close collaboration with local, federal and private sector partners to address our housing crisis." 

 

The awards leverage state and federal resources, with $105 million in direct subsidies, $60 million from federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding, and $81 million in state and federal tax credits.

 

Awarded projects will provide new housing options in every region, serving a diverse array of communities. Nearly all of the 1,597 units will be reserved for low-income households, including more than 300 units for extremely low-income households and families or individuals facing housing instability. Four projects will rehabilitate existing affordable housing, ensuring quality housing and long-term affordability. 

 

"We are thrilled to see projects in communities across Massachusetts, from Pittsfield to Provincetown, that have strong local support and will bring much needed new housing to our neighborhoods," said Lieutenant Governor Driscoll. "Our housing needs are great, and we are excited to move forward with a new, cabinet-level secretariat to create more homes and lower housing costs for residents." 

 

The awards will fund innovative models for development with a priority placed on projects with green and sustainable building practices, projects which feature housing for extremely low-income residents, and family and senior developments. Awardees include three projects in Boston which combine affordable rental units along with market-rate and affordable condominiums, four projects will be geared towards seniors, and more than half of the projects will be built to energy efficient "Passive House" certification standards.