Mass. awards $158 million to 14 affordable-housing projects; Cranberry Commons will add 62 senior units in Plymouth

Gov. Maura Healey announced state awards totaling $158 million to 14 affordable-housing projects, including Cranberry Commons, a planned 62-unit senior housing development in Plymouth, at an afternoon event in Plymouth.

The funding, distributed through the Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities and augmented by federal and local partners, is part of the administration’s initial round of awards under a statewide housing initiative intended to expand affordable supply. Secretary Ed Augustus said the 14 awards “represent the creation, preservation, or preservation of an additional 1,138 affordable units located in 12 cities and towns.”

Why it matters: Massachusetts officials say increasing the supply of affordable housing is central to lowering housing costs and maintaining local communities. Gov. Healey framed the awards as part of a broader plan she has promoted to add 225,000 homes statewide and to use tax credits, state subsidies and local partnerships to accelerate production.

The Plymouth project: Cranberry Commons, led by the Grantham Group and supported by AD Makepeace, will be a 62-unit development reserved for residents age 62 and older. Walter Ohanian, managing director of the Grantham Group, said, “Cranberry Commons will be 100% affordable senior housing development…