Berkshires Gets $4.3M in CDBG Grants

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NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — The Berkshires is getting $4.3 million Community Development Block Grants for housing, road and social services programs. 
 
Gov. Maura Healey announced some $39 million in CDBG grant awards to 65 communities at Chelsea City Hall on Thursday. 
 
Among the awardees: Becket and Dalton: $999,810 for the purpose of rehabilitating 14 housing units; Great Barrington, Egremont and Stockbridge: $1,375,000 for the purpose of rehabilitating 16 housing units; Lenox and Lee: $1,000,000 for the purpose of rehabilitating 11 housing units; and North Adams: $925,000 to support 2024 road improvements, senior center improvements (Phase III), and provide social services (youth services, meal delivery, youth literacy).
 
The CDBG Program is designed to help small cities and towns meet a broad range of community development needs, such as housing, community, and economic development projects that assist low-and moderate-income residents or revitalize areas of blight. Communities may apply alone, or multiple communities may join and apply together.    
 
"Our cities and towns use these Community Development Block Grants to fix their roadways, expand their housing options, and improve the quality of life they offer their residents," said Healey. "Our administration is grateful to the Biden administration, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and our federal delegation for their work, and we are thrilled to see how this grant funding will positively impact our local communities. 
 
"We know how important it is to invest in our communities, and these CDBG awards, combined with our Affordable Homes Act, will help us move forward with our commitment to making Massachusetts
 more competitive, affordable, and equitable."  
 
 

Tags: CDBG,   

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Habitat for Humanity Selling Pittsfield Condos for $1,700/Month

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff

The homes are being offered as condominiums with a homeowners association fee. 

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Central Berkshire Habitat for Humanity is selling two homes to income-eligible families who can afford about $1,700 per month. 

On Friday, an open house was held for the newly built condominiums at 21 and 23 Murphy Place, and another will be held on Saturday, Feb. 14, from 10 to noon. The each of the homes offers three bedrooms and one bathroom over 1,200 square feet.

Homebuyers services representative Chris LaPatin reported that there have been "quite a few" applications that are being reviewed.

The condos will be sold to families earning between 50 percent and 65 percent of the area median income, which ranges between $49,150 and $63,895 for a family of two and $66,350 and $86,255 for a family of five. A monthly payment of $1,673 will cover the principal and interest, property taxes, and home insurance. There's a monthly HOA fee on top of that. 

Murphy Place is a dead-end street off Upper North Street, and the homes have yard space, parking, laundry, and a crawl space for storage. The washer and dryer are Whirlpool Energy Star, and the homes have energy-saving mini-split heat pumps for cooling and heating.

LaPatin pointed out that one way Habitat connects people to homeownership is through partnership hours. This program provides $2,000 toward a home purchase and an affordable mortgage from a third-party lender for completing financial and homeownership training and build site hours.

For one person, 275 hours are required, and 425 for a couple.  Friends and family can help with partnership hours, according to Habitat's website

Current income eligibility for families earning between 50 percent and 65 percent of the AMI: 

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