Letter: Affordable Housing Proposal

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To the Editor:

An Affordable Housing Proposal

Units of affordable housing in Berkshire County need not be created with a one size fits all mindset. Affordable for who? Very often affordable housing is very costly, even excessively so for its creators or municipalities.

Here are some ground rules for a modest proposal taking these issues into consideration. First, not all units have to be built/completed at once. They can be put into place/built over a number of years, as budgets permit. Infrastructure costs should be kept low by using very close-by already existing infra structure.

Contract with a company like offsite B & B Manufacturing of Adams to build these affordable units, negotiating favorable prices based on volume and other cost saving methods. See: bbtinyhouses.com

These units will permanently be on wheels and tethered. They will have a downstairs bedroom and a second-floor loft. Suitable for a younger single person or young couple without children. Two-year leases between the municipality and tenant based on tenants' income, resources and family size. Municipality will map out lots and install all the site's hookups utilities at one time. New units can be added over several years.

Where? In Williamstown, the Spruces property with two or three rows directly along Route 2. I recall that an RV park was an allowable use of the property, and along the highway was outside the flood plain. However, the units could be moved during unlikely major flooding via their wheels. Units could even be color coordinated for a stunning effect.


Towns could even rent a few units for top dollar rents during tourist season to subsidize the other unit costs.

Another possible Williamstown site: Paul Harsch's vacant Main Street lot, or both.

This will serve as a national affordable housing showcase, as well as a B & B showcase.

I think this will be a more cost-effective affordable housing project, compared to many other proposals. Did I mention solar?

By the way: The ice cream building at the end of Spring Street in Williamstown was built by B & B Manufacturing

This is the basic idea.

Ken Swiatek
Williamstown, Mass.

 

 

 

 

 


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Pittsfield CPA Committee Funds Half of FY24 Requests

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — A few projects are not getting funded by the Community Preservation Committee because of a tight budget.

The projects not making the cut were in the historic preservation and open space and recreation categories and though they were seen as interesting and valuable projects, the urgency was not prevalent enough for this cycle.

"It's a tough year," Chair Danielle Steinmann said.

The panel made its recommendations on Monday after several meetings of presentations from applications. They will advance to the City Council for final approval.  

Two cemetery projects were scored low by the committee and not funded: A $9,500 request from the city for fencing at the West Part Cemetery as outlined in a preservation plan created in 2021 and a $39,500 request from the St. Joseph Cemetery Commission for tombstone restorations.

"I feel personally that they could be pushed back a year," Elizabeth Herland said. "And I think they're both good projects but they don't have the urgency."

It was also decided that George B. Crane Memorial Center's $73,465 application for the creation of a recreational space would not be funded. Herland said the main reason she scored the project low was because it didn't appear to benefit the larger community as much as other projects do.

There was conversation about not funding The Christian Center's $34,100 request for heating system repairs but the committee ended up voting to give it $21,341 when monies were left over.

The total funding request was more than $1.6 million for FY24 and with a budget of $808,547, only about half could be funded. The panel allocated all of the available monies, breaking down into $107,206 for open space and recreation, $276,341 for historic preservation, and $425,000 for community housing.

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