State Approves Funding for Affordable Apartments in Salem

Salem will gain 26 affordable apartments for low-income people as part of more than $15 million in state funding announced by the Patrick Administration on Friday.

Department of Housing and Community Development Undersecretary Aaron Gornstein announced the funding, which will create more than 235 new units of “supportive housing for veterans, homeless and very low income households” across the commonwealth. The Patrick Administration has now funded 3,065 “supportive housing units,” according to a press release.

“Governor Patrick has made permanent supportive housing a high priority because it is a key part of the solution to reducing homelessness over the long-term. By providing a range of support services -- which may include workforce development, education, child care, or mental health services -- our local non-profit partners can help to ensure a successful and sustainable tenancy,” he said.

The Salem portion will fund Harbor and Lafayette Homes, which is sponsored by the North Shore Community Development Coalition. The project “will preserve two existing single room occupancy properties in Salem’s historic Point Neighborhood as 26 service-enriched, affordable apartments for low-income individuals, and one apartment for a resident manager. The 16 service-enhanced MRVP subsidies will serve extremely-low-income youth aging out of the foster care system. These tenants will receive a comprehensive package of supportive services from North Shore CDC,” according to the commonwealth.

According to the press release by the Patrick Administration:

“Supportive housing helps individuals and families that are homeless or facing homelessness, institutionalized or at-risk of institutionalization, people with disabilities and the elderly. Additionally, the agencies continue to assess the extent of public cost-savings generated as a result of providing permanent supportive housing and will recommend strategic reinvestments.

“In addition to a providing housing for families, supportive housing, which is operated in conjunction with a network of non-profit agencies across the Commonwealth, can include services such as childcare, access to job training, mental-health care and other opportunities that give participants a hand up towards stability and success.

“Alongside these new supportive housing units, the Patrick Administration also awarded 149 project-based vouchers from the Massachusetts Rental Voucher Program (MRVP). The vouchers are available to owners of existing, affordable rental properties, who provide services or partner with an agency that has experience with successfully stabilizing homeless or very low-income households.

“The MRVP vouchers allow homeless families to move into existing housing developments with long-term affordability restrictions. The non-profit agencies that own the properties provide participating families with comprehensive supportive service programs to help ensure that they do not fall back into the cycle of homelessness and emergency shelter, while helping them move toward stability and self-sufficiency. Funds for supportive services in the amount of $2,500 per unit will be used to provide a wide array of services, including job search and training, financial literacy and planning, self-sufficiency training and coaching, counseling, parenting, early education and childcare, mental health and addiction treatment, adult education, and GED and skills training.”

“The Commonwealth of Massachusetts has recognized the importance of creating quality supportive housing for communities in need and has been pro-active in creating an active pipeline for these projects,” said Roger Herzog, executive director of the Community Economic Development Assistance Corporation (CEDAC). “The awards that have been granted today will make sure that both much-needed housing and services are available to homeless families and individuals, persons with disabilities, veterans, seniors, and youth, among others.”