Pittsfield Housing Trust Digs into ARPA Proposals
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The Affordable Housing Trust has stepped toward allocating its $500,000 in American Rescue Plan Act funding.
Last week, the trust reviewed five letters of intent for housing projects in the city and will ask the parties to submit a full application. ARPA funds must be allocated by December 2026 and applications will be handled on a rolling basis as they come in.
"I think that we're looking to do here with this meeting is to say yes, we think that this project meets the requirements of the ARPA funding, No. 1, and that second, we think that this is a project that the Affordable Housing Trust would like to either support or hear more about," Director of Community Development Justine Dodds said.
"And then once we've made a determination on that, then I think we would ask for the selected programs to submit a full RFP to the trust."
Three local organizations and two wider-reaching developers submitted plans for affordable or partially affordable housing projects. This includes Hearthway (formerly known as Berkshire Housing,) Berkshire Habitat for Humanity, and the Westside Legends.
The proprietors of a proposed condominium build at the former Polish Community Club and a Canadian developer with an office in New York also submitted letters of intent.
The two-part application process begins with a LOI to determine eligibility before a full proposal is submitted. ARPA funds have resident income restrictions, must be deed restricted as affordable housing for a minimum of 20 years, have tenant protections, and meet housing quality standards.
Dodds and Chair Betsy Sherman were authorized to communicate with the parties to indicate eligibility and deliver comments from the trust.
Hearthway intends to preserve and rehabilitate its six-unit affordable housing on George St for those who earn 60 percent of the area median income or less. The first priority is $110,000 for interior lead paint abatement and window replacement, $200,000 to rebuild the front porch and exterior staircase, and $180,000 for exterior de-leading.
"They are saying that they could begin construction immediately," Dodds reported. "They've already got estimates for all of their projects and then it will take six months to complete."
Kamaar Taliaferro appreciates the specific timeline and "their tenure as an organization makes me feel really comfortable with their ability to achieve and deliver on what they say."
He observed that this may be eligible for Community Development Block Grant funding and recognized the importance of lead abatement for public health and having units available at this AMI level.
Sherman raised concerns about a lack of repair documentation when it has been in the organization's hands for almost 20 years. The trust will ask for more information on this as well as plans for tenant relocation during construction if the units are occupied.
Habitat for Humanity submitted a LOI for five new units of affordable home ownership in the Morningside area for those earning 65 percent of AMI or less. This will be in partnership with Taconic High School so that vocational students can have career training, the organization said.
Floriana Fitzgerald commended Habitat's work and feels that the idea of homeownership and partnership with Taconic is a plus. Taliaferro likes that the AMI is capped at 65 percent, as "That makes these homes attainable for people who live in that neighborhood."
"It's a community and people are staying in the community," Sherman said. "They're working in the community and they have homeownership."
There was a question of the timeline, as one reported a transfer of ownership in 2024 and another by the end of 2026. Taliaferro and Sherman have expressed that the design does not look like it fits in the Westside.
There have been a few questions surrounding the proposed Westside Village, a $21.5 million condominium build in the former Polish Community Club.
A person at 80 percent area median income would pay more than $160,200 for a one-bedroom with a monthly cost of $1,639, and a person at 100 percent AMI would pay over $205,700 for the same unit with a monthly cost of $2,048. It includes one- to three-bedroom units, a three-bedroom costing more than $205,500 at 80 percent AMI and over $262,500 at 100 percent AMI.
The project is estimated to cost $21,486,000 and developers say they need $400,000 from the trust to ensure that eight units are designated for 80 percent AMI homebuyers, as required by the zoning. There is about a million-dollar funding gap.
Taliaferro was pleased to see that the developers increased the targeted range of AMIs to between 70 percent and 120 percent. ARPA funding cannot support housing for over 80 percent of AMI.
Bluevale Capital, which is headquartered in Toronto and New York City, plans to transform the former Econo Lodge on Cheshire Road into 58 studio apartments for people who earn between 50 percent and 65 percent AMI. The trust feels like its needs more information on the proposal, such as who will manage it, and recognize that it is outside of typical target areas for affordable housing.
There was also concern raised about an international company investing in affordable housing in Pittsfield.
"I think small unit housing for several people like this in that area would be pretty healthy," Michael McCarthy said.
"It is the retail hub at this point in the city of Pittsfield. There are lots of jobs there. There's lots of retail and restaurants for people who live there to frequent and it's fairly close to a lot of other jobs."
Dodds pointed to a prior community meeting where attendees advocated for non-traditional housing solutions.
The Westside Legends submitted a LOI for six projects called the Neighborhood Revitalization Master Plan. The trustees discussed the ambitious plan and may advise that they narrow down the application, as it is a lengthy process and they only have a fixed amount of funding to give out.
The Community Development Board endorsed a special permit for WSL's $5.8 million condo project proposal for first-time homebuyers last month. This would add five new buildings on 363 Columbus Ave.
The nonprofit organization aims to uplift the West Side and has proposed 16 one- to three-bedroom townhouses on the vacant lot at the corner of Columbus and South John Street.
The project was allocated $175,000 of the city's Community Preservation Act funds during the most recent cycle. The total cost of $5,822,200 includes $30,000 for site acquisition, about $1 million in soft costs, and nearly $4.8 million in construction costs. Originally requesting $350,000 in CPA funds, the ask broke down into $80,000 for soft costs and $270,000 for construction.
Two years ago, WSL completed a project on Daniels Avenue, updating a cluster of outdated homes into condos for first-time homebuyers. Two of the first completed units were on the market for $159,999 and $169,999. With the principal/interest at 7 percent, taxes, insurance, and a $125 homeowner association fee, the buyer's total monthly payment would be about $1,500.
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