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On Tuesday, September 10, the Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities announced $31.4 million in Public Housing Innovation Demonstration Program (PHIDP) grants. The Sudbury Housing Authority will receive $1,200,000 to “rebuild four scattered site single family homes with modern and energy efficient 2-family (duplex) units, with four net new units restricted to those earning no more than 80 percent of AMI.”
Worcester and Somerville received the balance of the $31.4M for significantly larger housing initiatives. Governor Maura Healey added:
“It’s essential that we get creative about driving solutions to our housing challenges in Massachusetts. This program supports local housing authorities with improving public housing through new and innovative strategies that work best for their communities,” said Governor Maura Healey. “Combined with our recently passed Affordable Homes Act, we can modernize our housing stock and make it more affordable for residents across the state.”
The Sudbury Housing Authority initiative was the subject of some local controversy earlier this year when residents in the Pine Lakes neighborhood voiced concerns about the plans for the duplexes. Eventually the Sudbury Housing Authority indefinitely postponed an article (Article 37) at the 2024 Annual Town Meeting which would have appropriated $450,000 in Community Preservation Act funds for the duplexes.
At the time, the Sudbury Housing Authority indicated that it was also pursuing state funding for the development.
According to yesterday’s announcement:
The PHIDP grant program supports the rehabilitation and redevelopment of public housing, using innovative methods including, but not limited to, mixed-income redevelopment including market-rate production, alternate funding sources with new management or capital structures potentially including affordable housing production, or conversion to federal public housing.
The announcement from the Healey-Driscoll administration emphasized that Massachusetts has the largest affordable housing stock in the United States, totaling more than 43,000 units. However, they argued they have been underfunded:
“The Healey-Driscoll Administration is committed to not only creating more housing but preserving our existing affordable housing,” said Housing and Livable Communities Secretary Ed Augustus. “Many of our public housing units are outdated and in disrepair. This funding will help modernize our public housing units and preserve them for the long term. With the Governor’s Affordable Homes Act, we will be able to ensure our public housing are livable communities that people can be proud to live in with dignity.”
