Pittsfield Seeks Input on Fair Housing

03:30PM / Tuesday, December 19, 2023Print Story | Email Story

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The City of Pittsfield is seeking public input as part of an analysis focusing on fair housing, discriminatory housing policies and practices required by the federal Fair Housing Act.

This analysis will identify local concerns and guide the City on how to allocate federal funds to improve economic equity and growth in the community.

A public comment period is now open through Jan. 16, 2024 seeking input regarding barriers to access to housing, public services, employment, transportation, and education based on race, age, income, or disability.

Comments can be sent by email to njoyner@cityofpittsfield.org or by mail to the: Department of Community Development, Pittsfield City Hall, 70 Allen Street Pittsfield, MA 01201.

Also, a survey, with questions about Fair Housing in your community, is available in both English

and Spanish at these links:

Fair Housing Survey (English)

Fair Housing Survey (Spanish)

These surveys are also available on the city's website cityofpittsfield.org, under Community Development/Fair Housing Survey. The survey will be open through Jan. 16, 2024.

For further information, contact the Pittsfield Department of Community Development, (413) 499-9358.

Tags: housing,

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Lanesborough Hopes for Continued Talks on Mall Sale

By Breanna SteeleiBerkshires Staff
06:41PM / Wednesday, November 11, 2026

LANESBOROUGH, Mass. — The Select Board is optimistic that talks for the Berkshire Mall sale will continue.

Chair Deborah Maynard and Vice Chair Juli Baker were to meet with mall owner JMJ Holdings, the Baker Hill Road District, and proposed buyer Cypress Equities on Tuesday to discuss next steps. As of Wednesday, iBerkshires had received a "we are optimistic" from Maynard on the talks. The Berkshire Eagle reported a response from a Cypress representative saying talks will continue.

Baker had updated the Select Board on Monday about the status of the sale and the efforts being undertaken by the renamed Baker Hill Economic District.

Cypress Equities pulled out of a purchase-and sale-agreement with mall owner JMJ last week for the following reasons.

Not enough water service/pressure to the property to support redevelopment without constructing costly water tanks.
The current septic system and former treatment facility is not acceptable for a project of the scale and magnitude proposed.
There is existing asbestos and bad soil from the treatment system that needs to be remediated off site.
And the current structure and tax assessment of the Baker Hill Road District.

Baker has been working with what is now being called the Baker Hill Economic District and said she and the district members are happy that Cypress has decided to leave the door open to more discussions and that they have been working hard to try and address the company's needs.

Last month, the town had asked state Sen. Paul Mark and state Rep. John Barrett III to support the state Department of Transportation taking over the Connector Road, funding for a mall connection to Pittsfield's wastewater treatment plant and a connection to the town's water main.

Baker said an amendment has been drafted to cap the district's taxes to not grow more than 2.5 percent a year. She noted that, historically, taxes have not grown by more than one percent per year, so it won't be difficult to meet that cap.

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