Community Preservation Committee backs $200,000 seed for 1178 Main Street affordable housing project

The Community Preservation Committee informed the Millis Finance Committee on April 8 that it unanimously voted to recommend $200,000 in community housing seed funds for Metro West Collaborative’s proposed 1178 Main Street affordable housing project. The funding is intended as local match to support a future state and federal financing application.

Nathan Molinski, CPC chair, said the committee voted March 24 to approve several annual appropriations and to set aside seed money for the 1178 Main Street proposal. Metro West Executive Director Barney Heath, who appeared to answer committee questions, said the requesting entity is a nonprofit and that the completed project would be taxed like any other property once built. Heath said the developer would apply the maximum local preference at initial lease up, "which would be 70%."

Bob Weiss, the town’s economic development planning director, said the project would add roughly 48 units targeted mainly at households at 60% of area median income and a subset at 30% AMI, and would help the town move toward its affordable‑housing goals. Weiss cited an estimated local gap: the town’s target of roughly 340 subsidized units versus about 146 existing units, leaving about 153 additional units needed.

Committee members asked about project cost and funding sources. Heath said the project budget was projecting about $28 million and that financing would rely primarily on low‑income housing tax credits, state and federal funds, mortgages supported by operating revenues and other gap sources. The $200,000 seed is intended to demonstrate local commitment and enable Metro West to apply for larger state allocations.

Molinski said the CPC’s recommendation will be placed on the May town meeting warrant for voter consideration; the town meeting — not the CPC — must approve spending from the community housing reserve.