For Immediate Release – April 1, 2021
Northampton receives $250,000 to support affordable housing
at the former Northampton State Hospital
NORTHAMPTON - Mayor David J. Narkewicz announced today that the city is receiving a $250,000 state Housing Choice grant to support affordable housing at the former Northampton State Hospital, helping leverage approximately 25 affordable units.
In February, the Commonwealth donated two parcels to the City for affordable housing, one on Burts Pit Road and one on Laurel Street, after Senator Comerford and Representative Sabadosa successfully passed legislation for that transfer. This grant will support the site and infrastructure for those two lots.
“This investment from the Commonwealth will allow us to demolish a decrepit building on Burts Pit Road so that we can donate that lot to Pioneer Valley Habitat for Humanity for three affordable homeownership units. It will also allow us to improve the infrastructure on Laurel Street so that we can donate that lot to Valley Community Development for approximately 24 affordable rental units,” said Mayor David J. Narkewicz. “We need to increase our affordable housing stock to serve our residents and reduce the number of people who are excessively housing burdened or at risk of losing their homes. At the same time, we are meeting some of our climate change commitments by requiring that these units use grid-supplied electricity for thermal loads, which uses far fewer fossil fuels than burning fossil fuels on-site.”
Jane Loechler, Executive Director of Valley Community Development said, “We are proud to have been selected by the City as the developer of these roughly 24 affordable units, and are pleased to align this development with the City’s climate change commitments. This site will allow Valley to create much-needed family affordable housing with a mix of unit sizes, at a great location a mile from downtown and near a bus route.”
Megan McDonough, Executive Director of Pioneer Valley Habitat for Humanity added, “We are looking forward to developing these three affordable units, as soon as we move forward on other projects we are doing in partnership with the City. We are aware that for three decades every property we have developed in the City of Northampton was provided to us directly or indirectly by the City of Northampton.”
These funds will supplement the design funds for this project allocated from the Community Preservation Act and infrastructure funds dedicated for affordable housing in the Mayor’s CDBG budget.
The Office of Planning and Sustainability will coordinate the project.
For more information, contact Mayor David J. Narkewicz, (413) 587-1249 or mayor@northamptonma.gov.