1988 Reading Housing Authority Annual Report

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PEPIDRT T 0 TOWN i1EE T ING REGARDING ADD IT I C)NAL r LDEPL''i Hi�US I NG DE'•i EL OP` ':`1T ? aar ANN !AL TOWN MEETING Grp . pril �7, 1987, 1 presented an article to you proposing the development of an additional elderly housing i•/ithin the Town,•vrhich Town Meeting voted to approve. Although this article was not site specific, the Housing Authority was in negotiation with St. Agnes Church regarding the purchase of the lower auditorium building on Woburn Street. informational meetings with neighbor, and interested citizens were held and our Presentations outlined the details for reuse of this particular building. ,During the Summer of 1987, the Authority was informed by the c.ub-comittee at St. Agnes that the building was not for sale and that the Archdiocese was exploring possible reuse potentials for this site. In the Fall of 1987, the Town's need for a new fire station opened up the possibility for reuse of the Central Fire Station. The Town approached the Housing Authority and the State has performed a site inspection and given preliminary approval for reuse of this structure. On March 18, 1988, the Housing Authority filed an application with the Executive Office of Communities and Development for a study grant to determine the feasibility of reusing the Central Fire Station for a congregate elderly housing development. All applications submitted to EOCD are now under review with notification of awards to be made in mid -May. The Authority is confident of their proposal and we feel that we have a very good chance of being granted an award. Our proposal also specifies that if the Central Fire Station is not feasible for congregate elderly reuse, that the consultants explore and identify other potential sites. The State requires other housing programs be linked with any elderly development and mandate development of special needs and family housing development. The family portion of Reading's proposal is the "linkage.. associated with the Greenhouse Acres development off Salem Street. The Authority has been negotiation with the developers for ten (10) units of low - income family housing that the Authority will own off -site of the Salem Street development. We are now in the stage of reviewing and identifying these'properties. The special needs portion may be linked to the congregate development at the Fire Station. if this is not an approved option, the Authority will then identify and negotiate an appropriate site to develop this special needs housing. The Authority be .able to present the findings of this feasibility study at a future Town lk•leeting. We thank you for your continued support and cc.operation and look for'•.iard to working with you on our future developments.