Beginning in March 2022, RDI has been assisting Clinical & Support Options, Inc. (CSO), a regional non-profit community behavioral and mental health agency, with transforming the existing emergency shelter at 60 Wells Street, Greenfield, and adding 36 studio apartments for chronically homeless individuals.
The proposed design includes substantial renovation of the existing building and addition of a new 3-story building to create a total of 36 housing units. Total shelter beds for men and women will increase from 30, currently, to 40. Shelter guests and housing residents will have access to an array of 24/7 services specifically designed to meet the needs of formerly homeless residents.
CSO currently operates a combination of shelter, housing resource center, and supportive housing at its Friends of the Homeless campus in Springfield. At 60 Wells Street, this successful model will be scaled to meet the needs of Greenfield and Franklin County. It is a low-threshold model with a “Housing First” approach. Services at 60 Wells Street will include on-site meals and case management as well as helping individuals connect to CSO or partner agencies who provide a wide array of services within blocks of the site. CSO was the only respondent to the State’s Individual Homelessness Service System Request for Responses for Greenfield earlier this year and is slated to take on the shelter operations at 60 Wells Street in spring 2023.
CSO is partnering with RDI for development and project management services, along with Valley Housing Consultants, Jones Whitsett Architects, and Berkshire Design Group. To date, funding commitments include an acquisition loan of $1.59 million and a pre-development loan of $400,000 from the Community Economic Development Assistance Corporation (CEDAC), $12.6 million in 4% Low Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) bonds from MassDevelopment, and construction loan commitment from Greenfield Savings Bank. The Massachusetts Housing and Shelter Alliance (MHSA) awarded CSO up to $500,000 annually towards the development and operations of the permanent supportive housing units. Local funding commitments from the City of Greenfield’s Community Preservation Act and Community Development Block Grant funds are pending. Total development cost is estimated at $23.5 million.
In October 2022 the project team applied to EOHLC’s supportive housing one stop funding round for State affordable housing, shelter, and American Rescue Plan Act funds. Awards are expected to be announced in early 2023. If awarded, construction could begin as early as next summer. CSO is committed to ensuring the continuation of shelter services during construction.
Greenfield Recorder article: CSO to lead $23M expansion of housing homeless services in Greenfield