Housing project at former Springfield YMCA receives $4.4M from state

August 1, 2022 : MassLive, by Jonah Snowden

SPRINGFIELD — The 275 Chestnut Supportive Housing project, sponsored by Home City Development Inc., has received $4.4 million in subsidy from the Baker-Polito administration.

The former YMCA of Greater Springfield facility, at 275 Chestnut St., is where the $15 million housing renovation project will take place.

The facility will have 29 single-room occupancy units for chronically homeless and extremely low-income individuals. All renovated units will have restrooms, kitchens and energy-efficient upgrades.

Home City Development, a nonprofit, will work alongside Allegrone Construction on the project. The Mental Health Association will offer extensive support services to residents.

“These folks need a little extra help navigating the bureaucracies, managing affairs, getting better health care,” said Thomas P. Kegelman, executive director of Home City Development. “Mental Health Association is going to help us with providing those support services. They will have offices on-site to work with that population. We’re also partnering with Baystate, who is going to bring a mobile doctor’s office to the site to work with the folks, who need medical assistance.”

Kegelman said the project offers “wraparound service.”

“The goal is to take people who just seem to have a really difficult time maintaining permanent housing to, at last, find a way to be successful and stay in their home,” Kegleman said. “It’s not transitional. It’s not a shelter. It’s not a place where people go and have to move on. This is intended to be their home for as long as they need it.”

Since the project is still in its beginning stages, information on its tax credit allocation and the amount that will be funded by the city have not been announced.

The $4.4 million award is a part of the $31 million the Baker-Polito Administration has awarded to 11 affordable housing projects across the state.

“Building and preserving supportive housing is a critical part of ensuring a healthy housing market that meets the diverse needs of our Commonwealth,” Gov. Charlie Baker said in a statement. “We are pleased to direct state and federal funds to bolster the pipeline of housing projects and provide stable housing options for all households.”

The housing renovation project previously received a $9.2 million tax-exempt bond, issued by MassDevelopment. MassDevelopment also assisted the state Department of Housing and Community Development with approving federal low-income housing credits, which provides $5.2 million in equity for the renovation project.