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| By Courtney Llewellyn Reminder Assistant Editor EAST LONGMEADOW Four applications were filed with the town's Housing Partnership Committee for a lottery drawing of a six room home located in Benton Estates. Between 15 and 20 applications were picked up from Town Hall for this unique opportunity to purchase the home. The lottery drawing to see which of the four candidates may actually purchase the home will be taking place on Sept. 4 at 7 p.m. in the Town Hall Hearing Room. Applicants do not need to be present to be chosen. Applications were reviewed and questions were answered during the Housing Partnership Committee's Aug. 12 meeting. Chandler Newell of the Housing Partnership Committee said lottery homes like this are usually offered on the market once or twice a year. Seventeen lottery homes were built over a three year period about 18 years ago, and each home has been offered at an average discount of 32.5 percent below its assessed value. The current home up for sale was appraised at $230,000 but is being offered for $154,330. It comes with three bedrooms, refrigerator, range, dishwasher and disposal. "This is a great opportunity for someone buying a first home," Joe Townshend, Board of Selectmen liaison to the Housing Partnership Committee, said. The three applicants who do not get the opportunity to buy this home, however, will be kept on a list for the next year in case another lottery home becomes available. "The family has to fit the home," Newell noted. "We truly wish we had a house to give everybody," Sandra Osborne of the Housing Partnership Committee said. "It's a great town to live in." The town of East Longmeadow must meet a 10 percent goal for low- and moderate-income housing, according to the Commonwealth's Web site, www.mass.gov. That includes both subsidized affordable units and market rate units in certain eligible subsidized developments. |