Pittsfield Housing Projects Get Extra ARPA Boost
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Two affordable housing initiatives are getting $120,000 in leftover American Rescue Plan Act funds.
The Affordable Housing Trust approved the funding on Wednesday to the Westside Legends and Central Berkshire Habitat for Humanity.
These projects had already been awarded funds from the trust, meaning that they could be allocated after the ARPA deadline. Westside Legends will get an additional $70,000 for an affordable housing project underway at 70 Dewey Ave., and Habitat will see an additional $50,000 for its home build on Curtis Terrace.
Director of Community Development Justine Dodds reported that while ARPA projects had to be under contract by December 2025, these were under-contract projects that could use the funds.
"I think our Affordable Housing Trust has really done a good job being a catalyst for improving the housing stock in the city of Pittsfield, and we've got a lot of things happening now in Pittsfield that are close," Trustee Michael McCarthy said.
This includes units coming online from the non-profit and private development sectors.
Habitat CEO Carolyn Valli gave the trust an update on its ARPA-funded effort to build five new affordable homes in Pittsfield. Habitat has completed and sold two homes, two are ready for sale, and one home is under construction with the help of Taconic High School career technical education students.
This includes condos at 112 Robbins Ave., units A and B, and 21 and 23 Murphy Place. The stick-built project at 37 Curtis Terrace has run into some delays, and the additional ARPA monies will fund upgrades to the heating system.
The total projected cost to build the five units is nearly $2.2 million, and the affordable mortgages are expected to total about $1,036,000. Valli recognized that there is a significant gap, and said the money Pittsfield invested was "really impactful, and we hope that you'll be able to give us a little bit more cash in order to be able to close that gap a little bit more."
iBerkshires attended the open house at Murphy Place, which offers three-bedroom and one-bathroom homes in a condominium style for about $1,700 per month. All Habitat homes include a washer, dryer, refrigerator, stove, over-the-counter microwave, and dishwasher.
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 is a monthly HOA fee on top of that.
Valli reported that they have had more than 600 pre-screening applications between the Pittsfield project and the Great Barrington project, called the Prosperity Way Community.
"Not everybody is qualified to purchase, but what we're doing is kind of funneling them into who's ready for the houses that are being built now, who's ready for the houses of tomorrow with additional work," she explained.
In 2024, the Affordable Housing Trust awarded more than $860,000 in American Rescue Plan Act funds to three projects it felt pushed the needle on the city's affordability and availability crisis, with Habitat receiving $240,000 to build the new housing units.
The funds are being put directly into construction, and families are building equity, Valli said, while Pittsfield's housing inventory grows during a peak shortage. Homes have been sold to families of 60 and 62 percent AMI, and they went from a $1,600 per month rental to just over $1,350 while building equity.
"For families, it's about stable, affordable homeownership, having a fixed-rate mortgage and the ability to build equity," Valli said.
"For Pittsfield, it's the increased tax base, stabilized neighborhoods, and long-term affordability preserved because of the deed restrictions on there, and then for the trust, it's measurable, visible community return for the ARPA funds that you deployed."
iBerkshires was on site when Taconic students assisted in setting the roof trusses on the Curtis Terrace home, which is being constructed on land donated by the city. The young, skilled trades workers have been involved since the concrete pouring in October 2025. It is expected to take a couple of years to complete.
Valli reported that they ran into topography issues on the site and need to upgrade the heating system that will be installed after seeing how cold a winter Berkshire County saw this year.
"It's been really exciting to see this partnership with Taconic for both the carpentry program, I think that had all the grades out the day they were doing the trusses, and also the electric department will be coming in and learning how to do actual electric on a house," she added.
"So we're super proud of the work that we're doing with helping Taconic have visibility, plus the families that will purchase this home."
Dodds commended the housing nonprofit for providing a mix of modulars different unit types, and loves to see the Curtis Terrace home's progress from a vacant lot.
Tags: affordable housing, affordable housing trust, ARPA, habitat for humanity,
