Interest High in Amherst Community Homes: On-line Information Sessions Scheduled

Report on the Meeting of the Amherst Municipal Affordable Housing Trust, September 11, 2025

This meeting was held over Zoom and was recorded.

Present
Gaston de los Reyes (chair), Alex Cox, Allegra Clark, Rob Allingham, Bob Pomeroy, Karla Rasche, and Heejae Kim. Staff: Greg Richane (Housing Coordinator)

Substantial Interest in Buying an Amherst Community Homes House
Laura Baker, Real Estate Project Manager for Valley Community Development Corporation (Valley CDC) told Amherst Municipal Affordable Housing Trust (AMAHT) members that the 30 affordable homeownership units in North Amherst are now 25% complete and four months ahead of schedule, with expected completion of the homes in the spring of 2026 and the site work that summer. Homebuyers will be chosen through a lottery in the early spring of 2026. Seven units are reserved for Amherst residents or those who work in Amherst. Ten are for families making up to 80% of area median income (AMI) and 20 are for those making up to 100% of AMI.

Baker said that more than 300 households have expressed interest in purchasing one of the homes, with 115 of those being from Amherst, and 62 (29 from Amherst) have or are expected to qualify for a mortgage by the time of the lottery . However, Valley CDC has had trouble reaching households with incomes between 80 and 100% AMI. Most of the applications are from households earning 80% AMI or less. The marketing division of Valley CDC is trying to reach more interested people in the higher income group and would welcome other suggestions to promote the development among local workers in that income bracket. For a two-person household, 100% AMI is currently $96,000/ year; for a four-person household, it is $120,000.

Interested homebuyers can get more information at ownamherst.com, where people can fill out a form indicating interest and register for an upcoming free online information session. The information sessions will be held on September 18, October 23, and November 6. In addition to providing updates on the project, the sessions will present options for financial services for homebuyers to get pre-approval for a mortgage, downpayment assistance programs, and first-time homebuyer classes.

The 15 duplexes at the site are being built with a passive house design, so that there are ample windows on the south-facing side. Each unit has a front porch at the entryway. A large portion of the nine-acre site will be preserved as open space.

AMAHT has contributed almost $725,000 to the project, and the town has pledged an additional $750,000 from Community Preservation Act funds. The $20.5 million project will provide 30 units of affordable housing.

AMAHT Receives $1.1 Million Payment in Lieu of Affordable Units from Roberts Group
With the opening of the Amherst College apartment-style dorm scheduled to open at 45-55 South Pleasant Street in a few weeks, the Roberts group has paid its $1.1 million obligation to AMAHT in lieu of providing the three affordable units required by the Inclusionary Zoning bylaw. 

With this deposit, the trust has over $1.4 million to support affordable housing projects in Amherst.

Because the Inclusionary Zoning bylaw is meant to increase affordable housing in town, a proposed revision in the bylaw will make it more costly for developers to buy their way out of constructing the required units. The proposed amendment, which raises the payment-in-lieu to five to eight times AMI, was recommended to the Town Council by the Planning Board in August.

Liberatory Visioning Project Highlights Amherst’s Housing Challenges
The recently completed three-year Liberatory Visioning Project led by Dr. Barbara Love asked various stakeholders: “What does an equitable and just Amherst look like to you?” Over the course of the project, trained facilitators held 20 listening sessions in person and over Zoom, as well as individual interviews and a survey to gather input from a diverse group of residents. Director and Assistant Director of DEI Pamela Nolan Young and Philip Avila gave AMAHT a summary of the results as they pertain to housing. The Liberatory Visioning Project was recommended by the Community Safety Working Group’s 2021 final report, and was funded with ARPA funds. A 19-page draft report was recently submitted to be reviewed and accepted by the Town Council.

Participants noted the affordability gap between the cost of housing and the income of Amherst residents. The average house costs over $500,000, while the average household income in town is $65,000. They cited the need for first-time homebuyer assistance and more affordable rental units. They also noted the need to balance student and family housing and to eliminate overcrowding. Also stressed was a need for a year-round shelter with available social services for unhoused residents.

In addition to affordable housing, project participants indicated a need for more community space for people to gather and increased support for education.

Nolan Young and Avila said that they hope to continue the liberatory visioning by applying for a grant from Community Heart and Soul, a nonprofit organization aimed at building stronger, healthier, and more economically vibrant small cities and towns.