Only One Applicant for Lenox Affordable Housing Lottery

LENOX, Mass. — A lottery for the first of two affordable houses in a Berkshire County tourist destination was drawn on Monday.

Pittsfield resident Alejandra Lima, the only applicant for either house, won 10 Hynes St. for $254,000 with a tax rate of $10.84 per $1,000. With all other associated costs and paying 5 percent down or $12,700, it amounts to a little over $1,400 a month, which is less than a person would pay for rent in Lenox.

"Thank you for applying as a household, we're very excited about starting this program, this has been a long process for us, the town of Lenox, and the Lenox Affordable Housing Trust is learning how to do this as well,"  Select Board Chair Marybeth Mitts said to Lima.

"We're very happy to be working with Habitat for Humanity and Construct on this program, so it's new to all of us and we're just excited that we've got some participation from the community and we're looking forward to helping households like yourselves and other households."

Lima said she is "very excited" and appreciates the opportunity.

Applications will be reopened for the second house located at 8 Hynes St. at the same price. Dates have not been established yet.

This is an opportunity for first-time homebuyers at 80 percent or less of the area median income, which amounts to $60,600 for a family of three, to own a house in the town that is known for Tanglewood and various other destinations.

New Camp Is Safe Place for Children Suffering Loss to Addiction

By Breanna SteeleiBerkshires Staff
06:26AM / Saturday, December 27, 2025

Last year's Happy Campers courtesy of Max Tabakin.

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — A new camp is offering a safe place for children who have lost a parent or guardian to addiction. 

 

Director Gayle Saks founded the nonprofit "Camp Happy Place" last year. The first camp was held in June with 14 children.

 

Saks is a licensed drug and alcohol counselor who works at the Brien Center. One of her final projects when studying was how to involve youth, and a camp came to mind. Camp had been her "happy place" growing up, and it became her dream to open her own.

 

"I keep a bucket list in my wallet, and it's right on here on this list, and I cross off things that I've accomplished," she said. "But it is the one thing on here that I knew I had to do."

 

The overnight co-ed camp is held at a summer camp in Winsted, Conn., where Saks spent her summers as a child. It is four nights and five days and completely free. Transportation is included as are many of the items needed for camping. The camp takes up to 30 children.

 

"I really don't think there's any place that exists specifically for this population. I think it's important to know, we've said this, but that it is not a therapeutic camp," Saks said.

 

She said the focus is on fun for the children, though they are able to talk to any of the volunteer and trained staff. The staff all have experience in social work, addiction and counseling, and working with children.