Romney convenes affordable housing task force

12:00AM / Friday, June 06, 2003Print Story | Email Story

With nearly 70 different legislative changes already proposed this year to the Commonwealth's affordable housing law, Governor Mitt Romney today named a 24-member task force to assess the effectiveness of the law and recommend improvements that will spur the creation of more housing. â€œIn order to maintain long-term economic growth and prosperity, we must attract and retain talented people to live and work in Massachusetts,â€ said Romney. â€œTo do that, we must not only work harder, but we need to work smarter, to increase the state's housing supply and have it affordable to those across a broad range of incomes.â€ Chapter 40B, as the affordable housing law is better known, was first put in place in 1969 to encourage cities and towns to build more affordable housing. Under the law, if a community has less than 10 percent of its permanent housing stock affordable to low- and moderate-income families, certain local zoning regulations can be overridden if 25 percent of a proposed development includes affordable units. Currently, only 31 of the Commonwealth's 351 cities and towns meet the 10 percent threshold. Romney said while the 33-year-old Chapter 40B law has created more than 30,000 affordable homes in the Bay State, it needs a comprehensive review, noting that Massachusetts still has some of the highest cost housing of any state in the nation. The task force, chaired by Housing and Community Development Director Jane Gumble, will be comprised of legislators and state housing and municipal officials as well as other stakeholders, including those representing development and environmental concerns. Romney charged the panel with reviewing the effectiveness of Chapter 40B in increasing the state's housing supply for people who earn 80 percent or less of the area median income. He also asked them to identify the impact of 40B projects on the state's cities and towns, determining the public benefits of those developments. In addition, the task force will develop improvements to the law itself. Other issues under consideration by the task force may include a fresh examination of the criteria for site approval for 40B developments as well as local and state handling of the approval, review and permitting process. Rewards for communities that increase their housing supply may also be considered. Over the last year-and-a-half, the state Department of Housing and Community Development has made 15 significant regulatory changes to Chapter 40B to address legitimate concerns raised by communities while still maintaining the statute's essential commitment to increase the supply of affordable housing across the Commonwealth. Guidelines for the most recent regulatory change were announced today, which creates state oversight for projects funded by non-governmental programs such as the Federal Home Loan Bank's (FHLB) New England Fund (NEF) program. The new guidelines will address past criticism from communities by creating a predictable and state controlled process for use of those funds in conjunction with comprehensive permit projects. In doing so, it will trigger the reopening of the New England Fund (NEF) program, which is a significant financial resource for housing development. Last summer, the FHLB voluntarily suspended operation of the NEF while details of DHCD's new regulations were formulated. Here is a list of Task Force Members: Jane Wallis Gumble, Chair, Director, Department of Housing and Community Development Tom Gleason, Executive Director, MassHousing Clark Ziegler, Executive Director, Massachusetts Housing Partnership Senator Harriet Chandler, Chair, Senate HUD Committee Senator Bruce Tarr, HUD Committee Senator Susan Tucker, HUD Committee Senator Diane Wilkerson Representative Michael Coppola Representative Robert Fennell, Vice-Chair, HUD Committee Representative Kevin Honan Chair, HUD Committee Representative Harriet Stanley Mayor Sharon Pollard, City of Methuen Mike Jaillet, Chair, MMA Housing subcommittee, Westwood Town Manager Al Lima, Planning Director, City of Marlborough Mark Bobrowski, municipal consultant, Professor, Suffolk Law School Kathleen O'Donnell, Attorney, Kopelman & Paige Howard Cohen, Board Member, CHAPA Bill McLaughlin, President, Rental Housing Association Jeff Rhuda, Homebuilders Association of Massachusetts Steve Dubuque, President, Massachusetts Non-Profit Housing Association Gwen Pelletier, Board Member, Massachusetts Association of CDC's Bennet Heart, Attorney, Conservation Law Foundation Marc Draisen, Executive Director Metropolitan Area Planning Council Jack Clarke, Director of Advocacy, Massachusetts Audubon Society

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Friday Front Porch Feature: A Charming House Like New

By Breanna SteeleiBerkshires Staff
06:57PM / Friday, December 19, 2025

The home prior to renovations.

NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — Are you looking for a newly renovated home with great space? Then this might be the perfect fit for you!

Our Friday Front Porch is a weekly feature spotlighting attractive homes for sale in Berkshire County. This week, we are showcasing 100 Autumn Drive.

This three-bedroom, two-bathroom split level was built in 1965 and is 1,396 square feet on 0.32 acres.

The house was completely renovated recently. It includes a one-car garage, and comes with appliances including a dishwasher and stove/oven, and other major appliances.

The house is listed for $359,500.

We spoke with owners Michael Zeppieri and Chris Andrews, who did the renovations. Zeppieri is an agent with Alton and Westall Real Estate Agency.

What was your first impression when you walked into the home?

Zeppieri: I purchased this home to do a full renovation flip and saw tremendous potential in this mid-century split level home that had not been updated since it was built in the 1960s, in a great North Adams neighborhood.

Andrews: The house was a much different house when we first purchased it in 2022 (photo attached is from about 2010.) The interior was painted all in dark colors and we brightened it up with neutral colors. The transformation makes you feel like you are in a totally different house.

What were the recent renovations, any standout design features?

Zeppieri: The house has had a complete reconfiguration including new kitchen with high-end appliances, ceramic tiled baths, hardwood floors, new windows and roof ... just to name a few. All a buyer has to do is move in and enjoy.

Andrews: Yes, we renovated the entire house. New windows, new roof, all new custom black gutter system, new blacktop driveway, hardwood floors were installed through out the house. New kitchen and bathrooms as well as painting the exterior and interior of the house. New paver patio in the back yard.

What kind of buyer would this home be ideal for?

Zeppieri: The buyer for this home could be a first-time homebuyer or a retiree ... the location is close to attractions in North Adams ... and the property is located in Autumn Heights, which is a very small residential development with several long-term owners.

Andrews: This home is truly ideal for a variety of buyers. Whether a first-time homebuyer, a small family or even someone looking to downsize from a larger home.

What do you think makes this property stand out in the current market?

Zeppieri: The location, price and move-in condition of this home make it a true market leader in the North Adams Market.

Andrews: This house is completely renovated and in a desirable location of North Adams. The natural light in the home really makes the interior pop. And with all the upgrades the home stays quite cool in the summer months.

Do you know any unique stories about the home or its history?

Zeppieri: This home was built for the Gould family in 1969 and they lived there till 2010. It was always a family home during that time in which the Goulds had two children ... and Virgina Gould managed Mohawk Forest Apartments and was a very active resident of North Adams.

Andrews: Built in about 1965.

What do the current owners love about this home?

Zeppieri: As the current owner it was a fun project to transform this home and get it ready for its next adventure with a new family to enjoy for many years.

Andrews: No one has lived in the house since we purchased the home. The new owners would be the first to live in the house since the renovations have been completed.

What would you say to a buyer trying to imagine their life in this space?

Andrews: I would suggest seeing the house either on a sunny day or at twilight to really get a vision of how special the home feels.

You can find out more about this house on its listing here.

*Front Porch Feature brings you an exclusive to some of the houses listed on our real estate page every week. Here we take a bit of a deeper dive into a certain house for sale and ask questions so you don't have to.

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