Applications to enter the lottery to buy the home at 21 Eleanor Road are now open through the city of Pittsfield’s purchasing department.
“The property is a property that was a vacant property that was acquired by the city a number of years ago, through tax title foreclosure process," said Community Development Director Justine Dodds. “The city used Community Development Block Grant funds to rehab this project. It took a number of years to complete, COVID was in the middle of it, but it was a great project. We have fully rehabilitated the whole property. It's a single-family house, it's a three bedroom, two bath.”
The over 1,500 square foot property is in a residential neighborhood just off of West Street, one of Pittsfield’s major thoroughfares.
“We've done a couple of these projects in the past," Dodds told WAMC. "They're few and far between, because it's rare that we do actually acquire property like this. This is the fourth one through this office over the last, I think, 15 to 20 years.”
Dodds says the sale is a good representation of Pittsfield’s approach to dealing with its considerable challenges around housing.
“This is a really good example of how we are constantly trying to create a diversity of housing in the city," she said. "Whether it's adding units, market rate units, affordable housing units, single family homeownership is also a priority. And this just shows that it's the diversity that we're looking for.”
To that end, the lottery is only open to potential buyers who meet the city’s criteria.
“Basically, you have to show what your income is, that you're a first-time homebuyer, and that it's going to be your principal residence," said Dodds. "And you have to have pre-qualification to show that you could qualify for a mortgage at the price point.”
After the rehab, the property was appraised at just over $264,000. Dodds says the city is putting it up at a discount.
“The purchase price is $200,000," she said. "We're expecting usually about 5% down, and so we've figured out, based on a number of different factors, that a low-income household or an income eligible household with three people would be able to qualify for a mortgage based on based on those numbers.”
WAMC asked Dodds to break down how Pittsfield arrived at $200,000 and how the city thinks it will address affordable housing needs.
“It is, based on our numbers, accessible or appropriately affordable for a person who meets the income eligibility requirements, which are 80% of area median income," she answered. "And in order to be a homeowner, you do have to have some stability there. I mean, things go wrong when you own a house. So, you're going to have to be financially stable enough to be able to pay for homeowners’ insurance, to make sure that you can, you can sustain that housing.”
Over the summer, Dodds was among local leaders who met with Attorney General and gubernatorial frontrunner Maura Healey to discuss housing. She underscored to the Democrat that Pittsfield – with its aging housing stock and shortages at every income level – is in desperate need of more affordable housing.
“Homeownership is really part of the American dream," Dodds told WAMC. "And what this does is, this makes something that's fully rehabbed, up to code, basically all renovated to be all brand new, we have accessibility on the first floor, it's got a new gas burner, it's in perfect condition for someone to just take ownership of and just realize that dream and build stability for their household and be in a neighborhood in Pittsfield.”
Pittsfield is accepting applications for the purchase of the newly rehabilitated single-family home at 21 Eleanor Road through November 21st.