BURRILLVILLE – A $500,000 Community Development Block Grant will likely help to fund the planned construction of a 65-unit affordable housing complex on Steere Farm Road following an initiative approved unanimously last week by members of the Burrillville Town Council.
The council passed a resolution allowing NeighborWorks Blackstone River Valley, a Woonsocket-based agency under contract to purchase a 15-acre portion of a town-owned lot for the project, to apply for the funding, following a public hearing on Wednesday, July 9. The move came after a study of the need for affordable housing in town and use of a $250,000 grant for design.
“We still have more work pending,” said Town Planner Ray Goff of design plans. “Our engineers are working on that now.”
The Planning Board recommended the approval following its own public hearing on Monday, July 7, a step required for use of the federal funds, distributed to communities annually through the Department of Housing and Urban Development.
Goff noted that the state has between $1 million and $3.5 million in grant funding available for such projects.
“We are – as a small city – eligible to receive funds through CDBG,” Goff said.
The non-profit NeighborWorks signed a purchase and sales agreement in January to pay $315,000 for the land – subdivided from a larger 50-acre town-owned parcel adjacent to Steere Farm Elementary School. Preliminary plans envision a 60-65 unit housing complex open to residents age 55 and older.
“We are in total support of this,” said Town Manager Michael Wood. “I think that the town is once again being proactive in terms of its ability to try and stay ahead of the state and the feds in relation to affordable housing.”
The effort in town to create more housing for Burrillville’s older population began in 2021 with an initiative by Councilor Stephen Rawson to form a Senior Housing Exploratory Committee. Rawson chaired the board, which looked at potential sites for the project.
A feasibility study completed by real estate advisors Bonz and Company, Inc. in 2022 found that the target market contains approximately 7,969 income-qualified senior households, and that projects currently underway in surrounding communities would not be sufficient to meet the local demand.
“The reason why we’re doing this project is because there’s a need in Burrillville for senior housing,” said Goff at the meeting last week.
The town secured a $250,000 grant for design in 2023 with the idea of creating one and two bedroom income qualified units available to older residents with household incomes of between $0 and $42,000. Town officials called in the city-based non-profit NeighborWorks in hopes that the complex could be privately run with a transfer to the organization. The organization previously worked with the town to develop the award-winning Clocktower Apartments in a blighted former mill building, along with other successful housing projects.
“NeighborWorks is going to be taking over the project, so they will manage it,” said Goff of the current initiative.
“We are partnering again with Joe Garlick and his group who have done excellent work in Burrillville,” Wood said of NWBRV and its director. “I can’t suggest strongly enough that you support this application.”
State law requires that every community dedicate at least 10 percent of its housing stock to affordable units, and Councilor Dennis Anderson noted that Burrillville is officially above the threshold.
“We’re one of the few communities that can say that,” Anderson said. Of the new housing development, he added, “This will give us a very substantial cushion to absorb other kinds of development. If you’re under ten percent developers from way out of town can come in and do anything they want in your town and you can’t stop it.”
“Local control has been continually eroded each and every legislative session of the General Assembly,” agreed Council President Don Fox.
Goff noted that some details, such as how many units will fit on the site, are still in the planning, but that all apartments will be made available for seniors.
“Our demographic is getting older by the year,” said Rawson, adding that plans for the building look toward Burrillville’s future. “This is going to be a modern facility for seniors and I think it’s going to be a good thing for the town. I think people are going to be proud of it when it’s finished.”
Garlick commended the town for spearheading the initiative.
“It’s a pleasure working with everyone to come up with a great plan,” he said.
While I applaud the development of affordable senior housing and the town reaching the goal of 10% affordable units, we must also have some development for housing that brings in families to support our school system and revitalize our community while also keep us rural. It is a fine line but the loss in school funding is directly attributed to student population and this is the responsible avenue to reach that goal.