New Marlborough Housing Awarded State Grant

10:00AM / Monday, July 01, 2024Print Story | Email Story

NEW MARLBOROUGH, Mass. — The state awarded Casillis Farm funds to subsidize 11 units making them affordable to families, including three deeply affordable units below 30 percent of the area median income (AMI).

Governor Maura Healey and Housing and Livable Communities Secretary Ed Augustus joined local officials and housing developers from across the state to announce the 2024 Affordable Housing Development Grant Awards. A total of $227 million in state and federal tax credits and subsidies will support the creation or preservation of 1,874 rental units across Massachusetts.

"These awards are one of the most effective tools our administration has to increase the development of housing that is affordable for people across the state," said Governor Maura Healey. "Along with our Affordable Homes Act, we're working to lower the cost of housing across Massachusetts to benefit our families, businesses and economy."

The projects include a total of 1,731 affordable rental units for residents making less than 60 percent of AMI, with 480 units set aside for residents making below 30 percent AMI and often experiencing homelessness.

This is the Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities' largest annual grant award that supports the development of affordable rental housing units statewide. The total investment includes, $27.1 million in 4 percent federal tax credits, $12.1 million in 9 percent federal tax credits, $44.5 million in state tax credits and $143.4 million in state subsidy funds.

In addition to analyzing how these projects met the state's housing goals, the Administration carefully evaluated the green, sustainable and climate resilient aspects of every application to ensure that all projects selected for awards will help further the state's climate objectives.

Tags: housing,

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Great Barrington Public Theater Appoints Artistic Director

09:57AM / Monday, December 29, 2025

GREAT BARRINGTON, Mass. — Great Barrington Public Theater announced that Associate Artistic Director Judy Braha will now join Jim Frangione at the helm as Artistic Director of Great Barrington Public Theater.

"We at Great Barrington Public Theater are thrilled that Judy Braha will assume the role of Artistic Director alongside myself. I couldn't have asked for a better partner to help advance the interests of the theater as we move into the next phase of growth as the region's premiere developmental theater," Founder & Artistic Director Jim Frangione said. "Judy brings a tremendous amount of experience and value to our company and has, in just a few short years, grown and greatly enhanced GB Public Theater's signature program, Berkshires Voices, where playwrights develop their work, leading to public readings and in some cases workshops and full productions. I look forward to working more closely with Judy to select the next generation of plays to be presented under the GB Public banner. It's a "Bear" of a job! But we feel great about the direction of our theater."

Judy Braha joined the GB Public artistic leadership team in 2023 as the Associate Artistic Director after 2 years directing for the company. She has since then been collaborating with Founder and Artistic Director Jim Frangione on the selection of new work for readings and full productions in the summer season. Her impressive portfolio of credits and accomplishments strengthened Great Barrington Public's creative programming and offered new perspectives to the body of works and events produced each year.

Judy Braha has been a career director, actor, teacher and artist for social justice for over four decades with directorial credits in theaters and universities throughout New England. She led the M.F.A. Directing Program at Boston University's School of Theater, retiring in 2022 after 29 years of service at BU.

"Judy has the strength of commitment, leadership and passion for theater and how it affects communities that fit hand-in-glove with our founding mission and core beliefs," Founder and Producing Director Deann Halper Simmons explains. "Her artistic integrity, sense of stage esthetic and ability to make important choices that craft life from the script continues to be a great asset to our company and growth."

"Judy's distinguished artistic voice has significantly contributed to the exceptional growth of GB Public in recent years," Managing Director Serena Johnson added. "We are truly excited to have her stepping into this leadership role in the 2026 season."

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