Pittsfield's Affordable Housing Trust Notice of Funding Availability for Housing Projects

08:01AM / Wednesday, July 30, 2025Print Story | Email Story

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The City of Pittsfield's Affordable Housing Trust (AHT) is seeking applications for Community Preservation (CPA) funds that have been allocated to the Trust for the purpose of creating affordable housing opportunities for Pittsfield residents.

The AHT has $365,000 in funding that it is seeking to award to affordable housing projects in Pittsfield that are eligible to receive Community Preservation Funds.

The application process is a two-part process. Interested parties should submit a letter of interest to the Board to be reviewed at a meeting of the Trust. The initial review will determine the project's eligibility. If the Board determines the project is eligible, a full application for funding must be completed.

The Letter of Interest should provide a brief description of the proposed affordable housing project, how the project will meet the Community Preservation requirements, and a timeline for completion.

Funds can be used for new construction and the preservation of affordable units. Either non-profit or for-profit organizations are eligible to apply. Applicants must demonstrate a capacity to create or preserve affordable housing opportunities for low to moderate income households. Eligible projects must be located in the City of Pittsfield Proposals that address priority needs, as described in the Affordable Housing Needs Assessment, will be given a strong preference. Other considerations include projects that demonstrate community support, capacity of the development team to complete the project within the proposed timeline, projects that leverage other sources of funding and projects that address an identified need in the City of Pittsfield.

Projects that incorporate sustainable development principles and design that match the character of the neighborhood are strongly encouraged.

The Trust is accepting Letters of Interest beginning August 1 until August 29. These proposals will be reviewed at a meeting of the Trust. If the Board determines that the project meets both the requirements of the CP funds and priorities for the Trust, applicants will be invited to submit a full application to the Board. Full Applications will be reviewed at the Boards's monthly meeting and applicants may be invited to present their project to the Board.

Letters of Interest should be submitted to housing@cityofpittsfield.org. For more information about the Trust, please see the City of Pittsfield's website Pittsfield, MA | Official Website under the Community Development and Housing tab.

For questions or further information, contact the Community Development Office at (413) 499-9368 or by email to housing@cityofpittsfield.org.

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Pittsfield Schools Schedule Morningside, Budget Hearings This Week

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff
05:23AM / Monday, April 06, 2026

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The School Committee will hold another public hearing for the potential closure of Morningside Community School.

On Thursday, April 9, at 6 p.m., community members will have the chance to give feedback in the Reid Middle School library. Last month, the Pittsfield Public Schools announced the possible closure of Morningside, which serves elementary grades, for the 2026-2027 school year and redistribution of its students to other city schools.

In the last couple of weeks, the district has solicited input from employees and community members through meetings at the school.

Morningside Community School was built in the mid-1970s with an open classroom concept. Morningside serves about 374 students and has a 7 percent accountability score, outperformed by 93 percent of the state.

For fiscal year 2027, the district has allocated about $5.2 million for the school. The committee has also requested a version of the proposed $87.2 million district budget with Morningside closed.

Pittsfield has another open concept school, Conte Community School, that is planned to consolidate with Crosby Elementary School, and possibly Stearns Elementary School, in a new building on the Crosby site by 2030. The status of the project's owner's project manager will be discussed on Tuesday, April 7, at 5 p.m. at Taconic High School during the School Building Needs Commission meeting.

That leaves the school officials wondering if Morningside students could have better educational outcomes if resources followed them to other nearby schools. Interim Superintendent Latifah Phillips has stressed that a decision has not yet been made.

Considerations for the school’s closure include: The feasibility of the facility to provide a conducive teaching and learning environment with an open campus design, the funding allocation needed to ensure Morningside students can have equitable learning opportunities, and declining enrollment across Pittsfield elementary schools.