Funds Available for Affordable Housing

Sue Pimental, the Director of Finance and Compliance, told the Board of Selectmen Monday that the Town of Rehoboth has $76,000 designated in a special stabilization account earmarked for affordable housing.

Pimental said the Housing Authority was planning to hire a consultant to look into developing a type of affordable senior housing.

The Housing Authority has put together a warrant article and will be presenting it at the Spring Town Meeting.

The Town of Rehoboth made a land swap deal with the Housing Authority in 2022. In exchange for giving the town a six acre parcel of land off of Anawan Street, the Housing Authority was given control over 5.41 acres of land on Bay State Road which contains the Anawan School and the adjacent site where the former Council on Aging was located.

“The RHA has made multiple attempts in securing seed money to hire a consultant to assist in the creating an RFP (request for proposals) for the Anawan Senior Housing initiative,” Chairman Paul Jacques said last October.

“In 2024, thanks to Senator Marc Pacheco’s efforts, in the Senate Housing Bond Bill, an amendment was adopted providing $500,000 to the Rehoboth Housing Authority towards the design and construction of new Senior Housing Units.”

Jacques said the RHA attempted to secure state funds for the Anawan Senior Housing Initiative ($15,000). The budget amendments failed to pass in last spring’s legislative session.

“Currently, the RHA is seeking other funding sources for the RHA Anawan Senior Housing Initiative,” Jacques added.