North Adams Housing Authority Receives CHAP

By Jack GuerinoiBerkshires Staff
10:28AM / Tuesday, March 26, 2019Print Story | Email Story

NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — The Housing Authority has been given the OK to begin a Rental Assistance Demonstration conversion.

Housing Authority Executive Director Jennifer Hohn released a letter from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development received last week notifying the authority.

"North Adams Housing Authority is excited to receive our award letter from the Department of Housing and Urban Development for a 'Commitment to Enter into Housing Assistance Payments,' " Hohn said.

Rental Assistance Demonstration, or RAD, allows HUD housing authorities to move their units to the Section 8 platform and to leverage debt and equity for re-investment without affecting tenant rights and rents, or housing authority control.

"The Rental Assistance Demonstration will enable NAHA to preserve its public housing stock utilizing a more sustainable future funding source," Hohn said. "Additionally, it will allow access to other financial resources in order to make necessary improvements to properties and also perform upgrades which will enhance residents' quality of life and increase the overall attractiveness of NAHA's developments."

The 304 units within Greylock Valley in the West End, Riverview on Lincoln Street, and Ashland Street Apartments will be moved to the project-based voucher assistance platform.

The North Adams Housing Authority has been on a waiting list for some time now. This was extended because of the government shutdown earlier this year.

The Housing Authority Commission did take some action toward the program in February and voted to hire Dominion, a company specializing in housing and health care facilities, to conduct a physical needs assessment, which is a requirement of RAD.

The letter stated that the Housing Authority must now meet CHAP Milestones and deadlines.

Hohn said she anticipates the conversion will be complete by next year.

"NAHA will continue to maintain an open dialogue with the residents during this process," she said. "We are hopeful that the conversion will be completed by summer 2020."

Tags: Housing Authority,

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North Adams Restaurant to Closing in Two Weeks

By Breanna SteeleiBerkshires Staff
02:18PM / Wednesday, November 04, 2026

NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — A downtown restaurant announced on Wednesday that it will be closing.

In a Facebook post, Door Prize stated its last day of service is Saturday, Nov. 14.

"We are not making this decision lightly and wish there was another way forward," read the post by owners Bryan "Swifty" Josephs and Jenny Klowden.

"We feel great pride for our successes and for a wonderful year of serving our community. Now on to the next adventure!"

They also thanked their staff and patrons who enjoyed their food

The restaurant opened over a year ago in Hotel Downstreet after Josephs and Klowden previously had a residence at Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art, where they sold some of their signature dishes, as well as working in area restaurants, bringing their food to farmers markets and operating a catering business.

The two named the restaurant after a John Prine song that they danced to at their wedding. Josephs described their fare as European comfort food, with one of their most popular dishes being pierogies.

They also successfully renovated the covered porch outside the restaurant for dining, raising $7,000 through a Kickstarter

While their post did not allude as to why they are closing, iBerkshires has reached out for more answers.

The 90-room hotel has reportedly been sold, with a closing expected by the end of the month. Owner Peregrine Group put the former Holiday Inn up for sale earlier this year after purchasing the property for $4.45 million in 2021. According to reports in The Berkshire Eagle, the cost of renovations to the 55-year-old property put a dent into revenues that limited the hotel's ability to cover obligations.

It's not clear if this has anything to do with the restaurant, which operates as a separate entity.

"We are not looking for a public discourse on our business model or the closure," the Door Prize post states, inviting patrons to personally contact the Josephs or Klowden rather than comment on the posting.

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