Habitat for Humanity Worcester affiliate outlines plan to expand affordable homebuilding in central Massachusetts

Paul Rebello, construction manager for the Habitat for Humanity Worcester affiliate, told the Town of Southborough Affordable Housing Committee on Zoom that the affiliate is aiming to increase production and partnership with area towns.

Rebello said the affiliate, headquartered in Worcester and serving 42 towns in Central Massachusetts, is targeting a goal of 30 new affordable housing units over three years and plans to scale its home-repair program to about 12 repairs per year. "Our board set a new strategic agenda for us, and they would like us to achieve or grow to achieve 30 housing units over a 3 year period," he said.

The proposal matters to Southborough because Habitat typically partners with towns that own vacant lots or properties acquired through tax taking, transfers a site to Habitat (often for $1) and signs a development agreement that involves the local housing trust and review by the state agency Rebello identified as EOHLC. "All of this is regulated by EOHLC, the state agency that covers affordable housing," he said, describing the required…