Amherst's Affordable Housing Project Ready To Roll

An affordable rental housing project in Amherst is ready to go forward after a grant approval from Gov. John Lynch and the Executive Council today.

They approved a $500,000 Community Development Block Grant that the town will use to assist NeighborWorks Greater Manchester in acquiring land for 28 units of affordable workforce rental housing.

Hidden Pond Apartments will consist of two-bedroom, townhouse style apartments within 14 acres of land at 104 Amherst Street in Amherst. The housing has been designed to fit the historic style seen from the buildings within the Amherst Village Historic District.

The construction will benefit low and moderate income households, being affordable for people earning between $45-54,000. The units will rent for about $900 per month, which includes utilities.

Families will also be provided services from NeighborWorks, including connection to social services, assistance with job searches, resume workshops, homework help and school vacation activities.

Robert Tourigny, Executive Director at NeighborWorks Greater Manchester, said that Neighborworks had already received local approval from town departments and secured the funding earlier this year, but can now officially move forward with the project. The construction should begin in late summer/early fall and should take about a year to complete. 

He said that there has received a very positive response from the community, and has many people interested both inside and outside of town.

“We haven’t even advertised  the project yet, and we already have a waiting list,” said Tourigny. “It shows a demand and an interested for rental housing that is affordable.”

$475,000 of the amount will be subgranted to Neighborworks, with $25,000 kept by the town to provide for a consultant, any financial audits and advertisements. The grant is entirely federally funded and is provided to New Hampshire from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

The total cost of the project is $6,526,000 and it will be managed by Stewart Property Management.

Amherst has very few rental options available with the majority of housing being owner-occupied, according to Tourigny.

“It is definitely a good move and I think it will be a nice fitting project for the town, and will fill a great need,” he said.

NeighborWorks Greater Manchester is a non-profit organization dedicated to the improvement of the lives of individuals and families living in the Greater Manchester region by providing access to quality housing services, revitalizing neighborhoods and supporting opportunities for personal empowerment.