State Puts Up $1.5 Million For North Harwich Affordable Housing

by William F. Galvin

            NORTH HARWICH – The commonwealth has awarded a $1.5 million grant to  Community Development Partnership to construct 12 affordable housing rental units on town-owned property along Main Street Extension.

            Governor Deval Patrick announced the award this week and Elizabeth Bridgewater, director of the CDP, formerly the Lower Cape Community Development Corporation, was before selectmen Monday night offering a “heartfelt thank you” to town officials.

            Bridgewater said with funding in place construction is expected to start in June, with occupancy by next June. This project will “bring a vision of a more diversified community,” Bridgewater said.

            Community Development Partnership was selected by the housing authority through a request for proposals process to serve as developer and manager of the development.  The 12 units will be built on 2.9 acres of town land placed in the jurisdiction of the housing authority at 35 Main St. Extension

            A comprehensive permit was approved by the board of appeals last fall which reduced the number of bedrooms requested from 28 to 25. The plan is to construct four two-story Cape Cod farmhouse style buildings with three apartments in each structure. The buildings will have solar energy panels on the roof as a cost-saving measure for tenants.

            All the units will be rented to families with an annual income of 60 percent or less of the median of Barnstable County. The developer has agreed to implement local preference for up to 70 percent of the units. That would include Harwich residents, people employed by the town, employed in local businesses and families with children in the Harwich school system.

            Many of these grant applications to the state do not get funded in the first round, Bridgewater said. But she credited the town donated land, financial assistance and community participation as assisting with the success of the nonprofit’s application.

            The project is projected to cost $3.6 million. The board of selectmen approved $368,515 from the town’s affordable housing fund last fall and voters also approved $300,000 in affordable housing funds from Community Preservation Act funding to assist with the project.

            Selectman David Marsland thanked the partnership for the time and effort it has put into the project.

            Housing Committee Chairman Gerry Loftus cited the news, along with plans scheduled next week for a kick-off meeting for 13 units on town–owned land along Gomes Way to be built by Habitat for Humanity Cape Cod and another nines units nearing completion by Harwich Ecumenical Council for the Homeless, as major progress for affordable housing in Harwich.  

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4/9/09