Healey administration awards affordable housing internet grants to western Mass. communities

By Beck Wehner

BOSTON (WWLP) – The Healey-Driscoll administration announced on Wednesday that it is awarding $22,260,701 in affordable housing internet grants to communities throughout the state.

These funds were granted to 54 Massachusetts communities, allowing them to work with housing operators and internet service providers (ISPs) to upgrade broadband infrastructure in affordable housing properties. The grants were provided by the administration in collaboration with the Massachusetts Broadband Institute’s (MBI) Residential Retrofit Program.

“The Residential Retrofit Program is an ambitious effort to revamp decades-old wiring affecting low-income families, and we’re already seeing how much of an impact this work has had,” said MBI Director Michael Baldino. “This round of Residential Retrofit Program grantees demonstrated a dedication to serving affordable housing residents and providing them with access needed to thrive in the digital age.”

Through these projects, modern fiber-optic cables will be installed in properties across the Commonwealth, increasing residents’ high-quality broadband service statewide. Internet access will be upgraded for 15,793 affordable housing units across the grant recipient communities, including many in western Massachusetts.

 

The following western Mass. providers and public housing operators received awards:

Aervivo Inc. ($20,113,689 for 15,063 housing units)

  • Adams Housing Authority – Adams (64 units)

  • Carr Properties – East Longmeadow (172 units)

  • Carr Properties – Wilbraham (44 units)

  • Hearthway Inc. – Adams (39 units)

  • Hearthway Inc. – Lee (108 units)

  • Hearthway Inc. – North Adams (81 units)

  • Hearthway Inc. – Williamstown (41 units)

  • Home City Development – Springfield (261 units)

  • Northampton Housing Authority, Easthampton Housing Authority, Hampshire County Regional Housing Authority – Easthampton (177 units)

  • Northampton Housing Authority, Easthampton Housing Authority, Hampshire County Regional Housing Authority – Northampton (117 units)

  • Preservation of Affordable Housing – Chicopee (50 units)

  • Springfield Housing Authority – Springfield (2,202 units)

  • Winn Properties – Ludlow (75 units)

  • Winn Properties – Springfield (531 units)

  • Winn Properties – Westfield (84 units)

 

Comcast Cable Communications ($1,100,200 for 485 housing units)

  • Northampton Housing Authority, Easthampton Housing Authority, Hampshire County Regional Housing Authority – Huntington (26 units)


RingSquared APC LLC DBA AccessPlus ($1,046,812 for 245 housing units)

  • Pittsfield Housing Authority – Pittsfield (245 units)

     

Read the article here.