The $19.2 million affordable housing project was funded primarily by federal grants, loans and tax credits.
The Worthington Commons Apartments stand at the corner of Worthington and Federal streets in Springfield.SPRINGFIELD – The city has gained a national award for a $19.2 million affordable housing project, completed in 2007, that was funded primarily by federal grants, loans and tax credits.
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development announced recently that Springfield and the commonwealth of Massachusetts will share the “Door Knocker Award,” honoring “their outstanding work in producing affordable housing.” The award is tied specifically to the 149-unit, Worthington Commons housing revitalization project at Worthington and Federal streets.
The award was one of 14 issued nationwide, officials said. Of the 14 awards, three were awarded in Massachusetts.
“We are very proud of the fact that out of just 14 awards nationwide, five of them are in New England,” said Barbara Fields, the new regional administrator for HUD. “The project in Springfield is a great example of partnership.”
Worthington Commons involved the renovation of 12 apartment buildings, along with the construction of a community building and on-site office.
The project was boosted by a “great local, state and federal partnership” in working with the developer, Fields said.
The developer was First Resource Companies of Norwell and its president, Gordon A. Pulsifer, who has been involved in a number of housing projects in the region.
There has been some criticism of the extent of federal funding for affordable housing projects, questioning if the investment is justified. In 2006, City Councilor Timothy J. Rooke questioned the wisdom of adding units dependent on government funding, saying he would have favored demolition, citing the area as too dense and troubled for additional housing.
Fields said there is a great return on the dollars invested, including improvements to blighted conditions, returning properties to the tax rolls, and providing stable housing for lower income residents. The Springfield project also triggered additional private investments in the neighborhood, she said.
Primarily, it provides affordable housing and a decent place to live for working families, Fields said.
Geraldine McCafferty, the city’s director of housing, joined in praising the project.
“The city is pleased to be recognized for an important project which is transforming the Summit Hill neighborhood,” McCafferty said. “We are fortunate to be collaborating with Gordon Pulsifer, a highly skilled developer with the capacity to create healthy urban neighborhoods.”
Each year, HUD allocates approximately $2 billion to more than 600 state and local participating jurisdictions to increase the stock of affordable housing and provide tenant-based rental assistance for low- and very low- income households under its HOME program, according to a HUD summary.
All 149 units of the Worthington Commons project are affordable to families below 60 percent of area median income, while 15 units are reserved for those below 30 percent of the area median income, according to HUD.
Under the low-income guidelines, the income cap ranges from $45,100 for a single-person household to $64,400 for a four-member family, and higher for each additional person, according to HUD.
The development of Worthington Commons used green rehabilitation techniques including new roofs and windows, and improved the grounds, and has strong property management oversight, according to the HUD summary.