>>> NORTHAMPTON.
AND AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
WITH AVERAGE RENT IN THE CITY ABOUT $1,200 A MONTH, YOU MIGHT
NOT PAIR THOSE TWO.
BUT THERE ARE SEVERAL AFFORDABLE HOUSING PROJECTS
EITHER NEWLY OPENED OR ON THE HORIZON THERE.
FAITH WILLIAMS OF WAY FINDERS AND JOANNE CAMPBELL OF VALLEY
COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT SPOKE WITH ME ABOUT THE PROJECTS.
>> OFTENTIMES IT'S ABOUT OPPORTUNITY AND WHAT'S AVAILABLE
AND IT IS A VERY WELCOMING COMMUNITY.
THE CITY MUNICIPAL MOTHERS AND FATHERS ARE VERY SUPPORTIVE OF
AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
>> I THINK I READ IN THE DAILY HAMPSHIRE GEORGIA ET, YOU SAID
YOU DIDN'T THINK THIS PROJECT, AND WE ARE TALKING ABOUT THE
LIVE 155 PROJECT IN PARTICULAR, WOULD GET DONE IN ANY OTHER
COMMUNITY THAT YOU'RE WORKING WITH AT THIS POINT.
WAS THAT ACCURATELY QUOTED IN THE PAPER.
>> THAT WAS ACCURATELY QUOTED.
WHAT I MEANT BY THAT IS BECAUSE NORTHAMPTON IS SO WELCOMING AND
THERE REALLY IS A HIGHLIGHT ON THE PLEASANT STREET CORRIDOR,
THE CITY OF NORTHAMPTON OBTAINED FUNDS TO REALLY ADDRESS THAT
CORRIDOR, HAS MADE IT MUCH MORE BIKE FRIENDLY, A LOT MORE
VISIBILITY, HAS INCORPORATED THE BIKE PATH INTO THE STREET
CROSSING, IN A WAY THAT I THINK WOULD HAVE TAKEN LONGER AND BEEN
MUCH MORE OF A STRUGGLE IN THE ANOTHER COMMUNITY.
THAT'S NOT TO SAY THERE AREN'T OTHER COMMUNITIES IN WESTERN
MASSACHUSETTS THAT ARE WELCOMING.
AMHERST IS ANOTHER EXAMPLE, WE HAVE TWO PROPERTIES IN AMHERST
THAT WERE VERY MUCH SUPPORTED BY THE TOWN OF AMHERST.
>> Reporter: WHEN WE LOOK AT AFFORDABLE HOUSING IN GENERAL
AND YOU SEE THE IMAGES OR WALK BY THE EXISTING OR YOU SEE
IMAGES OF WHAT LUMBERYARD WILL LOOK LIKE, I THINK MANY PEOPLE
WILL BE SURPRISED TO SEE THE QUALITY OF THE CONSTRUCTION, HOW
MODERN THEY ARE, THERE'S EVEN SOME ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY
ELEMENTS ROLLED INTO THOSE.
DO YOU THINK THAT -- WAS THAT AN INTENTION THAT YOU SET OUT WITH
THESE TO MAKE THEM VERY SLICK, VERY MODERN LOOKING?
>> I MEAN, I THINK THE FUNDING SOURCES, AS WELL AS OUR
ORGANIZATIONS, ARE VERY MUCH INTERESTED IN CREATING WELL
DEVELOPED PROPERTIES THAT WILL LAST FOR MANY YEARS AND WE'RE
ALSO OBVIOUSLY INTERESTED IN ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES, AND THAT'S
ONE OF THE REASONS WE WOULD WANT TO DEVELOP ON A PLEASANT STREET
BECAUSE IT'S CLOSER TRANSPORTATION, CLOSE TO THE
BIKE PATH, CLOSE TO DOWNTOWN, IT'S CLOSE TO SERVICES.
I WENT TO THE SALSA DANCING DOWNTOWN ON SATURDAY NIGHT, SAW
A NUMBER OF TENANTS THERE.
IT'S A PLACE WHERE FOLKS WHO LIVE DOWNTOWN CAN TAKE ADVANTAGE
OF WHAT'S HAPPENING DOWNTOWN, WHETHER IT'S FREE OR WHETHER
IT'S LOW COST.
SO I KNOW LIVE 155 HAS SOLER PANELS -- SOLAR PANELS, WE HOPE,
WE HAVE ENOUGH LEFT TO DO THE SAME THING.
THE CONSTRUCTION WAS VERY AIR TIGHT.
>> Reporter: THESE ARE MIXED USE DEVELOPMENTS, SO YOU HAVE RETAIL
ON THE FIRST FLOOR AND THEN THE RESIDENTIAL ABOVE.
WHICH I THINK ADDS TO THAT OTHER ELEMENT YOU'RE SPEAKING ABOUT IN
TERMS OF MAKING IT A -- REALLY INTEGRAL TO THE COMMUNITY
ITSELF.
>> ALSO, PART OF THE DESIGN IS DRIVEN BY THE ZONING BY LAWS IN
NORTHAMPTON, THE COMMERCIAL SPACE ON THE FIRST FLOOR IN THAT
PARTICULAR ZONE IS A REQUIREMENT AND ALSO THEY'RE LOOKING FOR THE
BUILDING TO FIT THE AESTHETIC OF PLEASANT STREET.
SO IF YOU GO DOWN PLEASANT STREET A LITTLE BIT FURTHER, YOU
SEE BRICK BUILDINGS WITH COMMERCIAL ON THE FIRST FLOOR.
THAT'S THE KIND OF THING THEY WERE LOOKING FOR.
>> Reporter: I THINK ONE OF THE CHALLENGES OF AFFORDABLE
HOUSING, THERE'S A STIGMA ATTACHED TO IT, THEY'RE NOT WELL
MAINTAINED OR NOT VERY SAFE SPACES, ARE YOU WORKING AGAINST
THE STIGMA?
>> I WOULD SAY WE ARE ACTIVELY WORKING AGAINST THAT STIGMA.
I THINK PEOPLE WALK AROUND WITH A PICTURE OF WHAT IT IS, AND I
KNOW I CERTAINLY GO TO ZONING BOARD OF APPEALS MEETINGS AND
PEOPLE HAVE AN IDEA OF WHAT IT IS IN THEIR HEAD.
THEY THINK OF CONCRETE TOWERS, WHERE THERE'S A LOT OF CRIME,
AND A LOT OF OTHER THINGS THAT GO ON UNSUPERVISED.
AND I ALWAYS INVITE PEOPLE TO COME TO OUR PROPERTIES BECAUSE I
THINK THAT THEY WOULD BE ASTOUNDED.
THAT THESE ARE CONSIDERED TO BE AFFORDABLE PROPERTIES.
>> PROPERTY MANAGEMENT IS KEY TO KEEPING WELL MAINTAINED AND
HAPPY TENANTS AND HAPPY NEIGHBORS.
>> ANOTHER PIECE OF THAT IS RESIDENT ENGAGEMENT.
WE HAVE AN ACTIVE -- WE HAVE TWO TYPE OF RESIDENT ENGAGEMENT, WE
HAVE FOR OUR ELDERLY PROPERTIES, RESIDENT ENGAGEMENT TO HELP
PEOPLE AGE IN PLACE, MAKING ADAPTATIONS TO THEIR UNIT OR
OTHER THINGS TO ALLOW THEM TO STAY IN THEIR UNIT LONGER.
IN OUR FAMILY PROPERTIES, WE ARE REACHING OUT TO THE COMMUNITY
THAT THEY'RE LOCATED IN, FINDING OUT WHAT THE RESOURCES ARE
THERE, DOING AFTER-SCHOOL HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENTS AND THEN
BRINGING RESIDENTS OF THE PROPERTY TOGETHER IN ADVISORY
COMMITTEES TO SEE WHAT'S GOING ON IN THEIR LIVES, WHAT WOULD
BENEFIT THEM AND WHAT WOULD BRING THEM TOGETHER AS A MORE
COHESIVE COMMUNITY WITHIN A LARGER COMMUNITY.
AND WE'RE FINDING A GREAT RETURN ON THAT INVESTMENT IN TERMS OF
THE SATISFACTION THAT PEOPLE HAVE IN LIVING IN OUR PROPERTIES
AND I'M HAPPY TO SAY, JOANN CAN SPEAK TO THIS, BECAUSE OF THAT
INITIATIVE, WE HAD A RESIDENT JOIN OUR LARGER WAYFINDERS
BOARD, WHICH IS VERY EXCITING.
>> I RUN VALLEY COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT, I'M ON WAYFINDERS
BOARD, PART OF OUR RELATIONSHIP, SO --
>> Reporter: WHEN YOU LOOK AT NORTHAMPTON OVERALL RIGHT NOW,
YOUR ORGANIZATION HAS A SPECIFIC PROJECT, THERE'S SEVERAL OTHER
AFFORDABLE OR SUBSIDIZED PROJECTS HAPPENING IN
NORTHAMPTON RIGHT NOW.
WHAT IS IT ABOUT NORTHAMPTON, THE OPPORTUNITY PIECE OR WAS IT
A COMMUNITY IN THE WESTERN MASSACHUSETTS REGION THAT REALLY
WAS LACKING FOR THESE UNITS AND THAT'S WHY THERE'S A FOCUS THERE
NOW?
>> I THINK THERE'S A COUPLE OF THINGS, ONE IS WE HAVE ANOTHER
PROPERTY WE'LL BE WITH WAYFINDERS, AN EXISTING 15-ROOM
SRO BUILDING.
SO I THINK THERE'S A LOT LIKE WITH THE LIVE 155 THAT REPLACED
NORTHAMPTON LODGE THAT BECAUSE OF THE STATE HOSPITAL AND V.A.,
THERE'S A LOT OF SINGLE PEOPLE LIVING IN LESS THAN DESIRABLE
LOCATIONS.
SO THERE'S A STRONG MARKET AND A STRONG DESIRE ON THE PART OF
PEOPLE IN NORTHAMPTON AND THE MUNICIPALITY AND ORGANIZATIONS
LIKE OURSELVES WHO ARE INTERESTED IN HOUSING FOLKS WHO
HAVE MAYBE SOME MORE CHALLENGES AND SO WE'RE LOOKING TO EXPAND
AND REDEVELOP THIS 15 UNIT SRO INTO 31 SMALL STUDIO APARTMENTS,
IT'S A SUPPORTIVE HOUSING.
>> Reporter: TAKING AN EXISTING SPACE AND RENOVATING IT.
IT DID HAVE TO BE DEMOLISHED AND REBUILT.
DIFFERENT APPROACHES THERE.
SOMETHING ELSE I'VE HEARD PEOPLE ARE CONCERNED WITH, THEY SAY
THIS IS UNFAIR TO THEM.
THEY FEEL LIKE IT IS A HANDOUT, IT IS SOMETHING THAT THEY FIND
REALLY TROUBLING WHEN THEY SAY, I'M WORKING HARD TO MAKE ENDS
MEET, WHY DOES THIS TYPE OF HOUSING EXIST?
WHAT WOULD YOU SAY TO THEM?
>> A LOT OF THE PEOPLE WHO LIVE IN OUR UNITS ARE ACTUALLY
WORKING AT PLACES LIKE WALMART AND CVS, STOP AND SHOP, AND I --
IT'S DIFFICULT WITH THAT TYPE OF A JOB TO EARN A LIVING WAGE, SO
THERE ARE A LOT OF FULL-TIME PEOPLE LIVING IN OUR
DEVELOPMENTS.
EVERYBODY, IN MY OPINION, DESERVES A SAFE, DECENT AND
AFFORDABLE PLACE TO LIVE.
AND THAT WE ARE AN INCREDIBLY WEALTHY NATION AND THAT WE WOULD
STAND FOR PEOPLE LIVING IN SUBSTANDARD CONDITIONS IS JUST
NOT REASONABLE.
AND THAT I BELIEVE BOTH OF OUR MISSIONS IS TO KIND OF MEET
PEOPLE WHERE THEY ARE, AND STABILIZE THEM AND HOPEFULLY
THEY CAN FIND A WAY UP.
HOWEVER, WHAT JOANN MENTIONED EARLIER IS THAT WITHIN MY
LIFETIME, I MOVED TO THE VALLEY IN 1976, LOT OF PEOPLE HAVE BEEN
DEINSTITUTIONALIZED, AND THEY ARE A DIFFICULT POPULATION TO
HOUSE.
NEVERTHELESS, THEY DESERVE A PLACE TO LIVE.
AND SO OUR SOCIETY USED TO DEAL WITH PEOPLE BY PUTTING THEM IN
STATE HOSPITALS.
THERE WAS A DECISION MADE TO DO AWAY WITH STATE HOSPITALS, BUT
THAT DIDN'T ALLEVIATE THE PROBLEM OF THESE PEOPLE NEEDING
A PLACE TO LIVE.
>> THANK YOU FOR COMING IN TODAY.