Congressmen William R. Keating joined state and local officials at the groundbreaking ceremony Wednesday (July 23) for Brewster Woods, an affordable housing development that will bring 30-much needed affordable apartments to the town of Brewster.
“The lack of affordable housing on Cape Cod is one of the greatest threats facing our local economy, and the construction of Brewster Woods is a big step in the right direction,” said Keating of Bourne, who represents the Massachusetts 9th District. “In constructing these new affordable units, Housing Assistance Corporation, Preservation of Affordable Housing, and their government and private sector partners are creating a roadmap that will lead to dozens of families being able to stay on Cape Cod by this time next year, and that is something worth celebrating.”
The housing, which is being developed by Preservation of Affordable Housing (POAH) and Housing Assistance Corporation, is expected to be completed next summer, adding eight, one-bedroom units, 19 two-bedroom units, and three, three-bedroom units to Brewster’s subsidized housing inventory.
“The Baker-Polito administration continues to make addressing the statewide housing crisis a priority and we are pleased to collaborate with partners like POAH, Housing Assistance, and the Brewster Housing Authority to increase the availability and affordability of housing through projects like Brewster Woods,” said guest speaker Secretary of Housing and Economic Development Mike Kennealy. “We remain committed to using all the tools of state government, including direct funding, tax credits, and grant programs like MassWorks, to produce the housing that the Commonwealth’s economy, communities, and residents need.”
“Brewster Woods is exactly what Cape Cod needs right now – affordable rentals for our workforce, families, and seniors who live here year-round. The pandemic exacerbated our housing shortage, making it more difficult than ever before for people to afford to live here,” said Housing Assistance CEO Alisa Magnotta. “We hope more towns on the Cape follow Brewster’s lead in making these types of developments possible, not only through funding, but in updating zoning to allow multifamily housing in areas that make sense. We’re at a tipping point and construction is needed if we want to ensure the Cape remains a thriving year-round community for all.”
The town received a $1.68 million state MassWorks grant which paid for infrastructure work that included site clearance, utility connections, an alternative septic system, landscaping, road work, and new sidewalk connections that helped make the project possible.
Additional funding sources included:
- $2.4 million loan from Massachusetts Housing Partnership
- $7.3 million in Low Income Housing Tax Credit equity from Bank of America
- $7 million construction loan from Bank of America
- $1 million in Affordable Housing Trust Funds from MassHousing
- $1 million in financing from the Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD)
- $550,000 in Brewster Community Preservation Act funds.
- $250,000 in Barnstable County HOME funds
- $550,000 in Department of Housing and Community Development funds
-
450,000 from Community Economic Development Assistance Corporation (CEDAC).
The Town of Brewster, through the Brewster Select Board, waived its standard building permit fees for the project
Brewster Woods is the most recent POAH-Housing Assistance project to be undertaken on the Cape. In the fall of 2018, the two nonprofits finished High Meadow Townhomes, the third and final phase of a project that brought a total of 117 mixed-income apartments to Bourne.
The general contractor for the project is Delphi Construction of Mashpee. CC Construction of South Dennis completed the infrastructure improvements prior to the start of construction.
Brewster Woods will be highly energy-efficient and will feature a rooftop solar array which will offset its electricity costs.
