149 Belmont St. Homeless Housing with Supportive Services: 10 Rental Units
This joint venture with Genesis Club developed affordable housing for a very needy and under-served population. We have created 10 studio apartments for formerly homeless adults who have suffered from mental disabilities, but who have successfully undergone treatment and are able to live alone. All tenants are members of Genesis Club, Inc. and are employed and provided with on-site management and supportive services.
The building has been fully restored through with a gut-renovation of all three floors. New kitchens, bathrooms, heating, plumbing and electric systems have been installed. The front of the building has been redesigned to recapture the classic bow-front style that originally existed. All renovations complied with the HUD Housing Quality Standards and have received ENERGY STAR certification.
This project was designed to address the critical need for this type of housing in a location and in a building best suited for the purpose. The property is directly on a WRTA bus route, in very close proximity to a hospital, in walking distance to stores, and less than one-half mile from the Genesis Club's main office. The CDC oversees the ongoing maintenance of the building, while the Genesis Club ensures full occupancy with clients and provides ongoing management and supportive services for the tenants.
The project is fully funded with $985,843 from the State HOME program, Facilities Consolidation Fund and Affordable Housing Trust Fund; $250,000 in City HOME funds and $150,000 in McKinney funds.
Community Housing Financial Resource/Incentive Fund
Another significant outcome of the Bell Hill III initiative has been the creation of a fund to promote home ownership and home improvement throughout the community. The CDC, UMass Memorial Health Care, the City of Worcester (EONS), DHCD and the Mass. Housing Partnership have created a fund to provide soft-second mortgages, down-payment assistance and low-interest home improvement loans to residents and potential home owners. UMass has contributed $250,000 that was used to leverage additional funds from the above sources to establish the pool, which is available to households citywide for the purchase and/or improvement of homes. It is a useful tool that enables many households to take part in the overall neighborhood revitalization strategy.
The down-payment assistance and soft-second mortgages make it possible to serve those in income brackets even lower than 80%. The low-interest improvement loans give owners a way to repair and upgrade their homes at an affordable cost. This creates incentives within the neighborhood to make improvements, thereby engaging the effort of many more people and at many more locations. The visual and economic effect on the community will be significant.
Priority Property Identification and Land Banking Strategies for Future Housing Development
The CDC continually researches the availability of properties within its service area to remain aware of any new opportunities that might arise. It targets key properties and acquires them whenever possible to hold for future development projects. Currently the CDC is pursuing parcels throughout the designated strategy area for this purpose. The availability and status are regularly monitored.
45 Westminster St. and 12 Forbes St. are two vacant lots that the CDC acquired because they surround a third critical property located on the corner at 47 Westminster St. This site houses a vacant four-unit building that has been a problem in the neighborhood for years. This property is coupled on a deed with another large, vacant building in the neighborhood located at 10 Windsor St. Together with the two currently owned lots the CDC would look to create 12 units of rental housing with off-street parking. Both properties are currently unavailable because of a court injunction placed upon them. The CDC has continued to monitor the status of these parcels and awaits the opportunity to acquire them to complete the package and develop the plans.