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Date: 6/7/2023
CHICOPEE — The Singing Bridge Residences in Chicopee were one of 27 projects across Massachusetts that received funding to build and preserve affordable and mixed-income housing units.
On May 18, The Healey-Driscoll administration announced $246 million to be used for 1,600 units.
The awards leverage sizable state and federal resources, with $105 million in direct subsidies, $60 million from American Rescue Plan Act funding and $81 million in state and federal tax credits, said a press release from Gov. Maura Healey’s office.
“Awarded projects will provide new housing options in every region, serving a diverse array of communities” it continued. “Nearly all of the 1,597 units will be reserved for low-income households, including more than 300 units for extremely low-income households and families or individuals facing housing instability.”
In Chicopee, the Singing Bridge Residences is a new construction project that will be built on a site bordering the Chicopee River. The sponsor, Brisa Development LLC, was selected to “develop the project, located in a mill overlay district, through a city solicitation process,” the press release stated.
The Department of Housing and Community Development will support the Singing Bridge Residences with federal and state low-income housing tax credits, subsidy and ARPA funds. The city of Chicopee will also provide its own funds to support the project.
The completed project will offer 105 total new units, 72 of which will be reserved for households earning less than 60% of area median income and 16 units further reserved for households earning less than 30% of area median income.
“The project has been designed to incorporate numerous green features, including all-electric heat,” said Healey’s office.
In a written statement, Healey shared, “These are the types of projects that our Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities will be driving in close collaboration with local, federal and private sector partners to address our housing crisis.”
The Healey-Driscoll Administration is working to prioritize housing development. On March 1, Healey filed legislation to create the Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities, to broaden its scope of work to include housing production, her office said.
“The Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities is being created at a critical time for our commonwealth. We need to address our housing crisis head on and move our state forward on our housing goals to increase production, lower costs and expand access to affordable units,” said Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities Secretary Ed Augustus.
“We are proud to support such a fantastic round of projects, which will welcome new families and households to neighborhoods across the commonwealth,” said Undersecretary Jennifer Maddox. “Affordable housing supports our most vulnerable residents, but it also enriches and stabilizes communities, ensures our communities are diverse, inclusive and provides strong foundations for all our families to thrive.”
Reminder Publishing reached out to Brisa Development for comment but did not hear back before press time.