Times are tough.  Avoid foreclosure.  Don’t get evicted. Check here for ideas to help with mortgage, emergency rent, taxes, utilities, and maintenance.

• Real Estate Property Tax Exemptions, former Chief Assessor Randall Austin: Exemptions for Seniors, Veterans, the Blind;
• Seniors Circuit Breaker (Income) Tax Credit, Rebecca Bannasch, Money Matters program coordinator for Community Action, Pioneer Valley;
• Veterans Services, Chris Demars, Veterans Service Officer, Upper Pioneer Valley

The Assessor’s Tax Relief in Greenfield page of the Greenfield City website describes these programs and more in detail. 

See also 1/9/26 Opinion piece by Jim Geisman, chairperson of the Greenfield Board of Assessors and a member of the Elderly & Disabled Tax Fund

• Tax Exemptions;
• Property and Motor Vehicle Tax Abatement;
• Senior Tax Deferral; and the
  
• Elderly and Disabled Taxation Fund

• Real Estate and Personal Property Tax Abatement
• Senior Exemption
• Blind Exemption
• Surviving Spouses/Minor Children of a Deceased Parent
• Hardship Exemption
• Veterans Exemptions; and
• Senior Tax Deferrals

Banks and Credit Unions: check to see what classes or services might be offered through lending institutions for “financial literacy“.  They don’t want you to go under.  Understand about mortgages or debt, or get information to start your kids on a good path for a lifetime of dealing with money.

Community Legal Aid   (from their web page) Community Legal Aid’s Housing and Homelessness Unit provides legal services to help tenants facing eviction, homeowners who are threatened with foreclosure, homeless families who need to access the state’s Emergency Assistance shelter program, and people trying to get into affordable housing. The Unit also runs a housing discrimination testing and enforcement program.

Elderly and Disabled Tax Fund (Currently being set up for Greenfield.  First payments authorized by March 1, 2027.)

Mass Fair Housing Center provides free legal services to those who have experienced housing discrimination in our area.

HUD Certified Housing Counselors are available through HRA to help homeowners understand their options and develop a personalized action plan to address challenges such as foreclosure and falling behind on property taxes.

Rent and Utility Help from Community Action.  They can help with budgeting, or with reviewing your options if you got an eviction or foreclosure notice or utility shut-off notice.  Start here to let you work with a Resource Advocate who can suggest programs tailored to your specific needs.

The Residential Assistance for Families in Transition, (RAFT) Program helps keep households in stable housing situations when facing eviction, foreclosure, loss of utilities, and other housing emergencies. Both Renters and Homeowners can get help in completing the Online RAFT Application for financial assistance with rent, mortgage or utilities. Renter applications will be processed by Franklin County HRA while Homeowners are processed by Hearthway. 

Senior Circuit Breaker Income Tax Credit   Certain seniors who own or rent residential property in Massachusetts, are eligible for a refundable income tax credit from the state. Find out if you qualify and how to apply.  (Also see video listed above)

Senior tax work off  Greenfield homeowners age 60+ may apply to work off a portion of your real estate taxes by working at a city department

Utilities: 

• the Mass AG’s office has put together a Fact Sheet on various ways to help with energy bills.
• Massachusetts Good Neighbor Energy Fund sponsored by 18 energy service providers in the state and administered by The Salvation Army is often the last resort for families who have not qualified for federal and state assistance programs. Visit Salvation Army Service Center or call 800-262-1320 if you live in area code 413.

Accessibility: The Home Modification Loan Program (HMLP) offers 0% financing for home accessibility improvements for older adults and those with disabilities to remain in their homes safely and affordably.

Get the Lead Out Program: The Massachusetts Housing Finance Agency (MassHousing) offers low-cost financing, administered through HRA in Franklin County, to remove hazardous lead paint from one- to four-family properties, and reduce the possibility of lead poisoning in children. Properties must either be owner-occupied by people with low or moderate incomes, have tenants with low to moderate incomes. 

The Housing Rehabilitation Program, administered by HRA, offers 0% interest, deferred payment, and forgivable loans to income-qualified homeowners over a 15-year period.  The program can provide an affordable means for homeowners to weatherize their homes, perform needed repairs, and bring their homes into compliance with building codes or health/safety concerns.

Housing Rehabilitation Program, administered by the City of Greenfield:  provides 0%-interest, deferred loans to assist with the completion of necessary repairs to fix code compliance issues in single- and multi-family homes/apartments occupied by low/moderate-income households.

Older Adult Home Modification through Community Action Pioneer Valley (yes, all these names are similar!): If you are 62 or older and get fuel assistance, whether a tenant or homeowner, you could get help with simple safety improvements at no cost to you.

USDA Single Family Housing Repair Loans & Grants   (“Section 504 Home Repair program”).  This provides loans to very-low-income homeowners to repair, improve or modernize their homes or grants to elderly very-low-income homeowners to remove health and safety hazards.

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.  We continue to work on these concerns all year ’round.

Unfortunately, some of our neighbors are presently without permanent homes. 40 adults live at the Wells Street shelter (temporarily relocated to Arch Street while the new Wells Street Shelter is under construction) under the auspices of Clinical and Support Options (CSO).  15 or so families are generally at the Greenfield Family Inn run by ServiceNet. For the last few years, these shelters have been full. As soon as someone leaves, a person or family on the waiting list takes their place.  This situation is changing rapidly, especially in view of the current volatility.  Housing Greenfield focuses on action before website updates.  Please be patient with us.

In addition to the folks who are living in the shelters, there are a number of people who are living in tents (even in winter) around the area, living in their cars, or staying temporarily at a friend or family member’s home. All of these people fit into the category of unhoused residents of Greenfield.

Should you know of an adult/family who is looking to stay at a shelter, the best thing to do is contact CSO(adults) or ServiceNet (families) to get them into the system. CSO, Greenfield 413.772.6100. Service Net 413-587-7555.

Greenfield has demonstrated that it is a very caring community. A system has been created to assist individuals and families with funds for support and materials to assist with the cold or the heat. To make the system work well, we ask that you use the phone numbers in the previous paragraph to start the process….whether that be a person who needs a tent or a sleeping bag or someone who needs a shelter for the night.

The Three County Continuum of Care coordinates care provision for the unhoused population in Franklin, Berkshire and Hampshire Counties. They have a complete list of the services that might be needed and where to find them Three County CoC service list

The Three County CoC also provides us with statistics about the unhoused population so that we can develop services that meet the needs that are out there. You can find their data at CoC data.

In addition, we have other resources that can assist us in understanding what is happening with evictions and foreclosures. To get that information go to MHP housing stability monitor

Mass Fair Housing Center has a free housing search assistance program for voucher holders.

And finally, 413Cares lists a variety of services in Western Mass (not Greenfield-specific).

Greenfield is a city with a growing population of people over the age of 65.  We also have a significant number of people who are under that age but use wheelchairs, walkers, and other devices to assist them with their mobility.  

We also have an aging housing stock which was not developed with disabled people in mind.  Our older buildings often have many stairs, bathrooms that are narrow and do not have grab bars in key places, doors that open in a way that is difficult for someone using a mobility device to maneuver, etc.

As we consider the expansion of and retrofitting of Greenfield’s housing, we need to keep the question of accessibility at the top of our agenda.

Although we may think that we know what accessibility means, it is important to recognize that there are technical definitions of what an accessible home should include:

    “Accessible housing is housing that people with disabilities can easily enter and use.  It has elements that people may need to live independently, like wider doorways, clear floor space for wheelchairs to move throughout the home, low countertops, assistive technology, and grab bars in the bathrooms.”(Administration for Community Living; acl.gov)

This general definition is a baseline for accessibility.  But the goal of many disability rights activists goes beyond that to “universal design.”  “Universal design is the design and composition of an environment so that it can be accessed, understood, and used to the greatest possible extent by all people regardless of their age, size, ability, or disability.  An environment (or any building, product, or service in that environment) should be designed to meet the needs of all people who wish to use it.  It is not a special requirement, for the benefit of only a minority of the population.  It is a fundamental condition of good design.”

Universal design is a concept in which products and environments are designed so that there is no need for adaptation or specialized design.

And there is a third accessibility definition that is important for us to understand.  It is “visitability”.  This refers to housing that is designed in a way that it can be lived in or visited by people who require accessibility.  A home is visitable when it has:

• A zero-step entrance….no steps or else a ramp at the entrance;
• Doors with 32 inches of clear passage space so a wheelchair can get through it; and
  
• One bathroom on the main floor you can get into when using a wheelchair.

Why is visitability important?  If you are disabled and are living in an accessible apartment or home, but your neighbors’ homes do not have these 3 basic aspects as part of their design, then you are unable to visit them with ease and dignity.  This isolates the disabled person and robs them of a real sense of community.

We are pleased that developers of some of the newer housing in Greenfield are taking these issues into account.  The planned developments at Wilson’s (now called The Putnam), 170-186 Main Street, and the apartments that will be part of the Wells Street Shelter complex, all will have accessible apartments.  And the goal is to make as many as possible visitable.

There is, obviously, more work to do.  Please keep this issue in mind when you attend Planning Board or Zoning meetings.  While every building may not be able to meet the standards noted above especially when considering the restraints of making these homes and apartments affordable as well, the need for accessible and visitable housing is an important one that should be on our agenda.

For more information on accessibility, universal design, and visitability see:

Massachusetts Office on Disability 

Greenfield Commission on Disability Access

National Council on Independent Living

Center for Excellence in Universal Design

Mass Fair Housing Center provides legal services to clients needing Reasonable Accommodations and Modifications, for those suffering housing discrimination based on disability.

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts has made a commitment to building more affordable housing through the Affordable Homes Act (AHA). This $5.16 billion law was passed in the summer of 2024. It is a bond bill which means that it allows the state to go into debt to provide these funds. The funds will be available over a 5-year period. The AHA also has a number of housing policy changes including Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) by right in single family residential districts.

It is a long bill with a lot of provisions, many of which Greenfield should use to its advantage. It includes provisions for regional equity. Translation: some of the money should go to Western Massachusetts. Because our developments are often smaller (therefore less cost effective) than those in other parts of the state, it has been more difficult for Western Massachusetts developers, profit and non-profit, to benefit from state housing funding programs in the past. The Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities (EOHLC) has heard us loud and clear on this, but the devil is in the details and we and our House and Senate delegation will be watching carefully where the funding goes.

The process for accessing these funds is through the One Stop process Community One Stop for Growth which allows a developer to use one application to apply for all the programs in the AHA. EOHLC reviews the application and applies it to the appropriate programs. It is, however, a long process.

Because Greenfield needs a great deal of affordable housing, funding through the AHA is essential. Our building costs are about the same as those of Eastern Massachusetts, but because our income levels here are relatively less, the rents/mortgages that people can afford to pay are also less. The subsidies that the AHA can provide make up the difference in the development of this new housing.

In addition to this funding, developers can also build the old fashioned way….get a loan from a bank or investors and build. It is faster but does not allow for the subsidies as part of the development process. Developers who go this route are, of course, able to rent to folks who have Section 8 or MRVP certificates (See Affordability section). If they go this route, it is likely that the building process will be a bit faster. They do have to rent to people under the HUD FMR (Fair Market Rents) guidelines 2025 FMR (Greenfield is on page 26). If their building costs are high, this may be difficult.

Transfer fee:  There is also a future possibility of a “transfer fee.”  This 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.

If you are seeking affordable housing, contact:

Greenfield Housing Authority https://www.greenfieldhousing.org/ look at the application forms section.

Franklin County Regional Housing and Redevelopment Authority https://fcrhra.org

Greenfield has a great many housing needs. We need affordable housing. We need market rate housing. We need public housing and privately owned housing. We need homes for first-time home buyers and homes for folks who need to downsize. We need rental housing and housing that individuals and families can own.

Our problem….we lack the housing that we need. Right now, Greenfield has a 0.1% to 0.5% vacancy rate. A healthy vacancy rate is between 5 and 7%. A healthy vacancy rate is one where people feel confident that, with some work, they can find housing that meets their needs and their pocketbook. We are not at that place right now.

And all of this fits within the context of affordability. (See Aspect: Affording It)

The median individual annual income of residents of Greenfield is $53,536. (US Census 2018-2022).  Following the federal standard that no more than 30% of your income should be going to mortgage, taxes, insurance, electricity, and heat, a family at this income should be spending $1338.40 per month for those things.  If the household had 2 wage earners making the median, they would be bringing in $107,072 and would be able to spend, using the 30% criteria, $2676.80.
The average real estate value of a single-family home in Greenfield is somewhere around $300,000. It fluctuates with the economy and the season. But it is safe to say that $300,000 is a good starting place. Greenfield Savings Bank is now charging 5.875% (12/2024) on a basic 30-year fixed rate First Time Home Buyer Mortgage.  Using that number with the required 20% down, these are the amounts of mortgage, interest, taxes and insurance for a first-time homebuyer in Greenfield.
House price: $300,000
Required 20%: $ 60,000
Monthly payment: $1684 (Mortgage, property taxes, insurance). This does not include
heat and utilities.
Going back up to our individual calculation 30% of income, this is more than the 30% for a household with one median income earner. It can be handled by a 2 median income household.
When those $300,00 homes come on the market, they are snapped up quickly, because, as was mentioned, we have a .1% to .5% vacancy rate in Greenfield.

Greenfield has a wide variety of rental housing serving multiple needs. We have public housing units through the Greenfield Housing Authority. We have market rate rental apartments that are privately owned. They may be rented by people who just pay from their monthly paycheck or folks who pay part of the rent themselves and receive subsidies through Section 8 (the Federal government) or through the Massachusetts Residential Voucher Program (MRVP, the state). (See Aspect: Affording It)

While Greenfield’s population has remained between 17,000 and 18,000 people over more than the last decade, the composition of who lives in what kind of buildings has changed. Our population is aging. We have many seniors who used to have their 2,3 or more children living with them in the same house that 1 or 2 seniors are living in now. We have families who are doubling up in apartments that are too small for the 4 or more people living in them. We also have individuals “couch surfing” with friends or family because they cannot find a 1 room or 1 bedroom apartment for themselves.

The answer is, of course, build more housing. And that is happening right now. It just takes longer than we would like, especially if we need to make it affordable because it takes time to get the funding needed to make this all happen. (See Aspect: Funding It)

For more information about what is happening in housing being built or proposed, see our initiative Supporting Housing Development.

As land becomes available, private developers are building market rate homes for sale and some abandoned homes are being renovated through the Attorney General’s receivership program and the Greenfield Economic and Community Development Department.

So, there is a lot going on, but it all takes time and money.

For more information on the money part of the affordable housing equation see Funding It.

Also see Greenfield Economic and Community Development Greenfield Community and Economic Development and check out the Greenfield Housing Study Greenfield Housing Study.

What Is Affordable Housing?

The concept of affordable housing is a term that was developed by federal and state governments to indicate how much housing should cost based upon the median income of the county. The Federal Government considers you “cost burdened” if you are paying more than 30% of your monthly income on rent and utilities (or mortgage, property taxes and utilities.)  This 30% standard allows for a household to have adequate food, clothing, transportation, and other necessities.

The following information is based upon the 2025 Franklin County area median income according to the US Department of Housing and Urban Development.

Franklin County Definition of 100% of Area Median Income

Area Median Income (AMI) is the mid-point in income where half of the households in a region earn more than the median and half earn less than the median. This number is set yearly by the Federal Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) with the Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts (HLC). A household’s income is calculated by its gross income, which is the total income received before taxes and other payroll deductions.

The following chart is how much a renter must earn per year in 2025 to NOT be eligible to receive ANY level of rental assistance in Franklin County. If you earn 100% AMI or more, you are not eligible for any rental assistance.

Greenfield Income Statistics

Average Teacher salary $59,023

Average Firefighter salary $72,491

Average Nurse salary $84,296

Average Store Clerk salary $40,547

2024 Massachusetts Minimum Wage $15.00/ hour 40 hours per week, 52 weeks per year $31,200.

Based upon the 30% standard:

The average teacher with no other family members should pay $14676/month for rent

The average firefighter with no other family members should pay $1812/month for rent

The average nurse with no other family members should pay $2107/month for rent

The average store clerk with no other family members should pay $ 1014/month for rent

As is easy to see, many people in Greenfield earn less than 100% of AMI and are eligible for some level of housing subsidy if subsidies are available.

See also the Living Wage Calculator for Franklin County.

Affordable Housing

Affordable housing is built with state or federal government grants that cut the costs of building housing for the developer. In return, the developer is required to charge rents in accordance with the state and federal affordable housing requirements. (chart above) As long as the developer keeps the rents below the AMI of the county and in compliance with its contracts with the state and calculates the rent based on 30% of the renter’s income, the developer will not have to pay those grants back in accordance with the agreement with the state. If the developer decides to change that arrangement and charge market rates, all the government funds must be paid back immediately.

Affordable housing can also be located in market rate housing where the owner has agreed to accept a Section 8 certificate (HUD) or a Massachusetts Rental Voucher Program (MRVP) certificate. In those cases, the owner’s market rate cannot go above the amount HUD has determined is the fair market value of that home in this area. The renter will pay 30% of their income as rent. The difference between that 30% and the rest of the established market rate is paid by HUD or MRVP, depending on the certificate that the individual renter has been assigned. If the homeowner demands a rental price that is higher than that established by HUD or MRVP, the certificate cannot be used for that property.

Market Rate Housing

Market Rate Housing is based on existing area market values and demand without any kind of subsidies or government assistance. If a landlord decides that most of the apartments in that area of town are going for $X, the landlord can consider if the apartment to be rented is in better condition, has a better view, has a porch and others don’t, etc. and set the rent for the apartment accordingly…at the going rate, higher or lower—the market rate.

Recent Craigs List review of 1 Bedroom Apartments available in Greenfield

rent $1200-1900/month

Recent Zillow rental list 1 Bedroom Apartments available in Greenfield

rent $1450-2000/month

For more information about affordable housing, contact: Franklin County Regional Housing and Redevelopment Authority (413) 863-9781 or https://fcrhra.org. Or Greenfield Housing Authority 413-774-2932 or https://www.greenfieldhousing.org

Other sources of information on affordability:

Affordable Housing Trust information coming soon.

MHP Massachusetts Housing Partnership

CHAPA  Citizens’ Housing and Planning Association

EOHLC  Massachusetts Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities 

FCCLT  Franklin County Community Land Trust 

TOPA   The Tenant Opportunity to Purchase Act is another mechanism that could support affordability.  It 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.