Boston – MassHousing has closed on $4.5 million in affordable housing financing to The Community Builders (TCB), for the 53-unit North Commons at Village Hill, a new, affordable and workforce rental housing community being built at the former Northampton State Hospital. All 53 rental homes at the North Commons at Village Hill will be deed-restricted and affordable to residents across a broad range of incomes.
The North Commons at Village Hill project marks the final phase of TCB’s work redeveloping the former Northampton State Hospital. This final project will bring to 138 the number of affordable and workforce rental homes TCB has built at Village Hill, along with six single-family homes that were previously sold at affordable prices.
Valley Community Development is working with TCB as a community liaison and was a co-sponsor for project financing.
MassHousing is supporting the development of North Commons at Village Hill by providing TCB with $3.1 million in taxable permanent financing and $1.4 million in financing from the Agency’s Workforce Housing Initiative. The project will have Passive House standards and feature significant open space areas, including a playground, walking paths, and lawn space for the building residents, as well as the overall Village Hill community.
The 53 apartment homes will be contained in one L-shaped building, with 12 of the units restricted to households earning up to 30% of the area median income (AMI), three units restricted to households earning up to 50% of AMI, 24 units restricted to households earning up to 60% of AMI and 14 workforce housing units for households earning up to 90% of AMI. The area median income for Northampton is $77,200 for a household of four.
The 12 lower-income units will be supported by a combination of state and federal housing vouchers. There will be eight studio apartments, 19 one-bedroom apartments, 22 two-bedroom apartments and four three-bedroom apartments.
The general contractor is Saloomey Construction, Inc. The architect is Davis Square Architects and the management agent will be TCB.
