November 19, 2019, Brewster, MA – POAH (Preservation of Affordable Housing) and Housing Assistance Corporation are excited to announce the awarding of a MassWorks Grant to the Town of Brewster in the amount of $1.68 million. The grant will provide the infrastructure necessary to begin work on Brewster Woods, a project that will result in 30 new affordable apartments for families.
Lt. Governor Karyn Polito made the announcement this afternoon at the Brewster Council on Aging. She was joined at today’s event by Massachusetts Department of Housing and Economic Development Secretary Mike Kennealy, Department of Housing and Community Development Undersecretary Janelle Chan, Housing Assistance CEO Alisa Magnotta, Brewster Town Administrator Peter Lombardi, MassWorks Infrastructure Program Project Manager Jacqueline Furtado, Brewster Select Board Member Benjamin deRuyter, Brewster Housing Authority Executive Director Leila Botsford, and Brewster Housing Coordinator Jill Scalise.
Lt. Governor Polito said the MassWorks program has enabled 11,000 much-needed housing units to be built across the state. “Many of you know we have a housing crisis here in the Commonwealth,” she said. “We don’t have enough supply to meet the demand. We anticipate needing 135,000 new units of housing by 2025. That is right around the corner and we need partners like you here in Brewster to create that opportunity.”
While the MassWorks program funds necessary public infrastructure work that makes projects like Brewster Woods possible, Secretary Kennealy said, “what it really funds at the end of the day is community. It lets a community come together and say, ‘This project is important to us. Here’s something we want to use to advance our aspirations and our goals in a partnership with the state and developers and community groups and others to come together and advance something of importance.’”
“The people in our region are in desperate need of more affordable and attainable rental options,” said Alisa Magnotta. “We are delighted to be working closely with POAH and the town to build these much-needed apartments at Brewster Woods, and we are extremely grateful for the MassWorks grant that is critical to making this housing project financially feasible. This is another great example of multiple entities working together to address our region’s housing shortage.”
“We are excited to continue our partnership with Housing Assistance Corporation and to move forward with this important project that will create 30 new homes for families in Brewster,” said POAH President and CEO Aaron Gornstein. “We thank both the Town of Brewster for its support and collaboration, and the Executive Office of Housing & Economic Development for its commitment to investing in critical infrastructure projects to promote strong, welcoming communities.”
deRutyer spoke about the importance Brewster Woods will have on the community. “Across Cape Cod and in particular on the Lower and the Outer Cape, our families, young and old, our workers, retirees, and seniors are facing a daunting challenge to secure safe and affordable housing,” he said. “Brewster Woods will create 30 units of year-round rental housing and we know all too well how important this housing is to our residents in Brewster.”
The proposed 40B rental housing development will be a mix of 1, 2, and 3-bedroom apartments for those earning between 30 and 60 percent of the Area Median Income (AMI) for Barnstable County. With an ideal location, Brewster Woods will be within walking distances of stores and close to Brewster’s senior housing.
The Town of Brewster has committed $550,000 in Community Preservation Act (CPA) funds that will supplement the $1.6 million MassWorks grant and $11,852,500 in private investment necessary to move the project forward.
The highly competitive, MassWorks Infrastructure Program is primarily used to support and accelerate housing growth and job creation throughout the Commonwealth and provides a vast, flexible source of capital funds to any local municipality or eligible entity for public infrastructure projects.
Brewster Woods is the latest joint POAH and Housing Assistance project. Last year, the two nonprofits completed High Meadow Townhomes, a development consisting of 44 mixed-income apartments in Bourne. High Meadow was part of a 117-unit affordable housing project that included Canal Bluffs, completed in 2009, and Clay Pond Cove, completed in 2011. Prior to that, the two organizations constructed 27 affordable apartments at The Residences at Melpet Farm in Dennis in 2015.
About Housing Assistance Corporation
Housing Assistance Corporation (HAC) is a 45-year-old nonprofit based in Hyannis, whose mission is to ensure that all on Cape Cod and the Islands have a safe place to live. HAC operates four family homeless
shelters; develops affordable housing; oversees Section 8 vouchers for the region; conducts foreclosure and reverse mortgage counseling; holds educational workshops for first-time homebuyers and those looking to rebuild their credit; and keeps residents in their homes through its homelessness prevention program. Visit www.HAConCapeCod.org to learn more.
About POAH
Preservation of Affordable Housing (POAH) is a nonprofit developer, owner and operator of more than 11,000 affordable homes in 11 states and the District of Columbia. POAH’s primary mission is to preserve, create and sustain affordable, healthy homes that support economic security and access to opportunity for all. Learn more at www.poah.org.
