WestMetro HOME Consortium
City of Newton, Representative Member

Overview

The HOME Investment Partnerships Program is the largest Federal block grant to State and local governments designed exclusively to create affordable housing for low-income households.  

Since 1992, the City of Newton has received over $5 million from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development's HOME Program through the WestMetro HOME Consortium for the development of affordable housing in Newton. Because Newton is not individually eligible to participate in the HOME Program, in 1991, the City spearheaded an effort to form a consortium under the newly enacted Program. Brookline, Waltham and Watertown joined Newton in this effort. Since that time, the Consortium, through Newton as the lead member, has received and distributed over $35 million in HOME funds to its members.

The Consortium has provided grants and loans of HOME funds to for-and non-profit developers and directly to low-income households to create over 550 units of affordable housing. The developers have used these HOME funds to leverage over $12.5 million in other funds to produce this housing.

WestMetro HOME Consortium Reports

• FY16-20 Consolidated Plan
• FY18 Annual Action Plan
• FY17 Annual Action Plan
• FY16 Annual Action Plan
  
• FY11-15 Consolidated Plan
• FY14 Annual Action Plan
• FY13 Consolidated Annual Performance Evaluation Report 
• Quarterly Performance Snapshot

WestMetro HOME Consortium Regional Fair Housing Plan and Appendices

The 2015-2020 WestMetro HOME Consortium Regional Fair Housing Plan (RHFP or Fair Housing Plan) was developed for the Newton Consortium d/b/a the WestMetro HOME Consortium. The City of Newton serves as the Representative Member and is joined by twelve member municipalities: Belmont, Brookline, Concord, Framingham, Lexington, Natick, Needham, Sudbury, Waltham, Watertown, and Wayland. This RFHP builds on recent plans, including the annual analyses of impediments (AIs) that each Consortium municipality completed for 2013-2014, the FY14 City of Newton and WestMetro HOME Consortium Annual Action Plan, the 2011-2015 WestMetro HOME Consolidated Plan, and the 2014 Analysis of Impediments to Fair Housing Choice: Access to Opportunity in the Commonwealth.

 The WestMetro HOME Consortium (WMHC), which includes representatives from the thirteen member municipalities, worked in partnership with the Metropolitan Area Planning Council to prepare the 2015 – 2020 FHP. The RFHP was also developed with input provided during a public comment period posted in June 2015.

HM18 CHDO Operating Funds:

• Proposal from South Middlesex Opportunity Council
• Proposal from Citizens for Affordable Housing in Newton Development
• Proposal from Metro West Collaborative Development

The following projects were awarded HM17 funds from the consolidated pool:

• Proposal from Citizens for Affordable Housing in Newton Development - Auburn St
• Proposal from South Middlesex Opportunity Council - Hollis St.

Consortium Communties Homebuyer, Housing Rehab Programs and Rental Assistance (TBRA) programs:

• Newton Housing Rehabilitation Program (CDBG Funded) 
• Framingham Homebuyer Assistance and Security Deposit Assistance Program
• Waltham Security Deposit Assistance program
• Bedford Initial Rental Assistance Program

HOME Assisted Development Projects

• Olmsted Hill                       (Brookline - New construction of 10 single family lots/homes and
                                          24 affordable condominium homes)
• Memorial House                 (Framingham - Conversion of single room occupancy to 
                                          one-bedroom, accessible units)
• Bethany Hill School             (Framingham - Exterior rehabilitation of 42-unit affordable rental housing)
• Cedar Gardens                   (Natick - Rehabilitation and accessibility improvements to two affordable
                                          rental units)
• 1285 South Street              (Needham - New construction of group home residence)
• The Coolidge at Sudbury     (Sudbury - New construction of 64 units of age-restricted, affordable
                                          rental housing)
• 75-85 Myrtle Street            (Waltham - Energy efficiency and accessibility improvements to
                                          building containing 24 state-subsidized affordable rental units)
• Winchester Crane              (Waltham - Energy efficiency and accessibility improvements   
                                          to building containing 59 state-subsidized affordable rental units)
• Dana Court                        (Waltham - Energy efficiency and accessibility improvements to
                                          building containing 32 state-subsidized affordable rental units)
• St. Joseph Hall                   (Watertown - Acquisition and rehabilitation of 25 units of affordable
                                          rental housing)

For Administrators (Forms and Checklists)

For more information on the WestMetro HOME Consortium, please contact Elizabeth Valenta at (617) 796 - 1145 or via email at evalenta@newtonma.gov.