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Housing the Unhoused - "Housing First" philosophy: the need to find supportive shelter, food, clothing and other essentials is a year 'round activity. It is most acute in the winter, but hot summer days, weeks where rain is continuous and other such weather calamities all impact the day-to-day struggles of people who do not have homes. Therefore, we continue to work on these concerns all year 'round.
- HomeShare program by LifePath;
- Affordable & Market-rate Housing - Build more; keep people in their homes:
- Regional Affordable Housing Trust idea (FRCOG) – would be government program;
- Community Land Trust (FCCLT) – is privately organized by residents;
- Transfer Fee – working with Sen Comerford on Bill.
- This "enabling" legislation would allow Massachusetts cities, towns and groups of cities/towns to enact a small fee on high-value real estate sales. The fee would go to funds designated to create and support affordable housing.
- TOPA
- This "enabling" legislation would let cities and towns adopt a preservation, anti-displacement and tenant empowerment tool that can preserve affordable rental housing stock, provide a mechanism for tenant associations to collectively purchase their buildings, and stabilize low-income households.
- Home Equity Theft
- If there is a tax taking of a property, don't let government keep proceeds in excess of what they are owed;
- Educate about existing programs to help prevent tax taking in the first place.
- Other projects we're watching
- Former Center Street School on Abercrombie Street. – several possible market rate units
- Unused upper-story space on Main St – Complete Neighborhoods;
- Hope Street current temporary Fire Station, former parking lot, future...?
- Improving Housing to Improve Health (IH2)- a 5-year grant program with FRCOG
- Rental Housing Inspection Goals for Renter protection – Peg Hall
- Gentrification – Avoid it.
- Reports, which are received from many organizations and people who regularly participate, including (in alphabetical order):
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- Clinical Support Options - Keleigh BenEzra
- Community Land Trust - Judy Atkins
- Greenfield Community and Economic Development – Anna Oltman
- Interfaith Council Housing Assistance – Amy Clarke
- Opioid Task Force – Sober Housing etc. - Debra McLaughlin
- Rural Development, Inc - Alyssa LaRose
- Three County Continuum of Care - Shaundell Diaz
PROGRESS IN GREENFIELD WE ARE CELEBRATING
- Wilson’s department store will become housing! (sold 2022)
- Community Builders - three upper stories to be renovated into 65 efficiency, 1, 2, and 3-bedroom apartments as workforce housing, projected completion date: 2026.
- Green Fields Market – 1st floor and basement so that the full-service grocery store will remain on Main St. New store targeted to open late in 2024.
- 60 Wells Street: A project of CSO (owner and manager) and RDI (developer) who propose:
- Increasing shelter beds from 30 to 40;
- Building 36 new, supported, efficiency apartments;
- Building a day-use facility with a cafeteria, showers, laundry, and an outside courtyard area with benches and trees.
Funding is secured; permits have been obtained; this project is a GO! Community Support Options is now the owner of the building and the operator of the shelter.
- 300 Conway Street: A project of Greenfield Housing Authority
- 5 new 2-bedroom apartments, one fully accessible, and the others visitable-accessible;
- All to be available to residents with low-income.
*ORGANIZATIONS, ABBREVIATIONS, INITIALIZATIONS & LINKS
CAPV: Community Action Pioneer Valley
CHAMP: Common Housing Application for Massachusetts Programs (but best to start with HRA)
CHAPA: Citizens Housing and Planning Association
CHIP: Community Health Improvement Plan Network – a program of FRCOG
CNI: Complete Neighborhoods Initiative – a program of MHP
COC: Continuum of Care, Three County – a program of CAPV
Community Builders, The
Community Legal Aid: anti-housing-discrimination, eviction services and more
CSO: Clinical & Support Options
DHCD: MA Department of Housing and Community Development (but best to start with HRA)
FCCLT: Franklin County Community Land Trust
FCCPR: Franklin County Continuing the Political Revolution
Franklin County Regional Housing Authority – see HRA
FRCOG: Franklin County Regional Council of Governments
GG: Greening Greenfield – convenor of Housing Greenfield, and more
Green Fields Market: Franklin Community Co-op
Greenfield Community and Economic Development
Greenfield Housing Authority
HomeShare – a program of Lifepath
HRA: Franklin County Regional Housing and Redevelopment Authority
IH2: Improving Housing to Improve Health – a program of FRCOG & others
Interfaith Council of Franklin County Massachusetts Housing Assistance
LifePath runs Homeshare Program
MHC: Massachusetts Housing Coalition
MHP: Massachusetts Housing Partnership
Opioid Task Force and its Housing and Workforce Development Committee
RAFT: Residential Assistance for Families in Transition (but best to start with HRA)
RDI: Rural Development, Inc.
Regional Housing Authority – see HRA
Small Town Housing Workgroup an IH2 project
Three County COC – see COC
TOPA: Tenant Opportunity to Purchase Act
Need help knowing where to start to find services? Write This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
with a brief description of what you need, and we'll try to point you in the right direction. Greening Greenfield itself does not provide housing services.