| HAP, Inc., the region's housing partnership, has named Michelle McAdaragh Director of Real Estate Development. The South Hadley resident will serve as one of three Associate Executive Directors of the non-profit housing organization. McAdaragh will lead HAP's efforts to increase production of affordable housing in Hampden and Hampshire Counties and expand urban neighborhood revitalization efforts. She is responsible for supervision of seven professional staff involved in affordable housing project management and sustainable ("green") construction. As the largest nonprofit developer of affordable housing based in Western Massachusetts, HAP has been involved in 38 completed projects representing a total of 845 units. Construction is underway on 29 rental units for the elderly in Ware and 16 homes for first-time homebuyers in Springfield. HAP has 66 rental units and 17-25 ownership units in active development and another 102 rental units and 90 to 200 ownership units in pre-development. In addition, HAP makes funds available to other nonprofit developers to help underwrite the costs of renewable energy systems and green building techniques. McAdaragh has experience with all types of affordable housing development, including renovation of large multi-family rental buildings and construction of single-family homes and condominiums for homeownership. She has experience with all types of public financing, including the Low Income Housing Tax Credit Program, and has developed good working relationships with private and public lending institutions. McAdaragh started work at HAP nine years ago as a homebuyer counselor, building on her previous experience in the private section with residential mortgage lending. She later worked in affordable housing development project management. As the region's housing partnership, HAP provides a broad range of housing services to meet the needs of low and moderate-income households and is the region's largest nonprofit developer of affordable housing. |
