Western Mass towns recognized for housing efforts on ‘413 Day’

GILL — Town Hall was flush with pride on Monday as Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll, Housing and Livable Communities Secretary Juana Matias and members of the local delegation marked the newly proclaimed “413 Day” by announcing that Gill and four other Franklin County towns earned the state’s Rural and Small Town Housing Choice Communities designation.

This title is a new aspect of the state’s Housing Choice Initiative, and opens access to exclusive state housing grants and programs. Twenty-nine towns have been named Housing Choice Communities, with Bernardston, Buckland, Deerfield, Gill and New Salem earning the Rural and Small Town Housing Choice designation, specifically. Easthampton and Great Barrington were also recognized as new Housing Choice Communities.

In her remarks, Driscoll praised the local delegation, the staff of the Franklin Regional Council of Governments (FRCOG), and the Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities for their work and support of the Housing Choice Initiative, and particularly for the creation of the Rural and Small Town designation.

“The challenges are the same, but how we solve them is different,” Driscoll said on Monday. “And today’s a perfect example of that, with these new changes we’ve made in Housing Choice designation, and to have so many of our small and rural communities [represented].”

According to the Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities, the state now has 92 towns designated as Housing Choice Communities. This year marks the most rural and small towns to be recognized through this initiative.

“Massachusetts needs more housing in every part of our state, and that means recognizing that communities have different needs, different challenges and different opportunities,” Gov. Maura Healey said in the statement. “We are working with communities to create more homes, bring down costs and make it easier for people to stay in the places they love. By expanding this program to rural and small towns, we are making sure every region has the tools to be part of the solution.”  

Joining Monday’s announcement were state Sen. Jo Comerford, D-Northampton, and Reps. Aaron Saunders, D-Belchertown, and Susannah Whipps, I-Athol. Saunders said Franklin County “punches above its weight” in working to address housing needs, with support from the Healey-Driscoll administration and FRCOG.

“Qualifying for this program, qualifying for these grants, is an incredible step in recognizing the work, but when we’re at those ribbon-cuttings,” Saunders said, describing when housing development comes to fruition, “that’s when we get to really say, ‘Mission accomplished.'”

The announcement of the new Rural and Small Town Housing Choice Communities is part of the larger “413 Day.” Healey declared April 13 to be “413 Day” — aligning with the numerical writing of the date 4/13 that matches with the 413 area code encompassing all of Berkshire, Hampshire and Hampden counties, and most of Franklin County.

According to the governor’s proclamation, western Massachusetts is known for its “diverse landscapes.” The governor highlighted the farmland of the Connecticut River Valley, and the Quabbin Reservoir as a destination for outdoor recreation and for its role in supplying water to Boston. The proclamation also mentioned the Bridge of Flowers in Shelburne Falls in a list of popular attractions in western Massachusetts.

“I can’t imagine a better way to celebrate ‘413 Day’ in the 413 than being here celebrating these communities who are working hard to ensure more people can call the 413 home in rural and small towns,” Matias said in her remarks.

Matias explained that the Rural and Small Town designation came from the realization that housing development methods in eastern Massachusetts are not as effective in rural communities. She said the Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities heard from local leaders in western Mass that the existing Housing Choice framework “did not always reflect” what was happening in smaller communities, noting how rural and small towns were doing the work to prepare for housing, but were often not eligible to receive state grants that would support it.

“Our job here at HLC is to be a real partner to the communities of every size and every region, and to make sure our programs reflect what communities need on the ground,” she said. “That is what today reflects. It reflects localities stepping up to support housing, and reflects local leadership, and it reflects what is possible when we listen and respond.”

Gill Town Administrator Ray Purington explained that in Gill, the average assessed value of a single-family home has surged by 34% over three years, from $251,000 in 2023 to $337,000 in 2026. Additionally, Gill has limited space for housing development, and in areas where it could take place, there’s no connection to public water and sewer infrastructure. Notably, he said, 115 homes and businesses are served by a single pump station with a decades-old computer interface.

“By receiving the Housing Choice designation, our town will be eligible for the Housing Choice Grant Program and get access to state funds that can assist in solving those problems,” Purington said. “For instance, a grant can fund the feasibility study to identify properties that could be used to create housing that fits seamlessly within the surrounding neighborhood, or maybe a grant can fund the engineering design and installation of a new control panel for the sewer pump station.”

To be eligible for the Rural and Small Town Housing Choice designation, a town must have a population of less than 7,000, or have a population density of less than 500 people per square mile. Additionally, towns must meet one of four housing development criteria between 2021 and 2025.

FRCOG Senior Livability Planner Mariah Kurtz helped Gill assemble its application for the Rural and Small Town Housing Choice designation. She said the town has had a 1.95% housing stock growth rate since 2021, with largely single-family homes developed, meeting the base 1.5% growth criterion. She said it’s “exciting” to see the state recognize how housing production and development look different across the state, and that there’s progress toward addressing Franklin County’s needs.

When asked what it means to announce the newly designated Housing Choice Communities in the town of Gill, Driscoll said she was grateful to start the day in a “quintessential” western Mass town.

“For me, it’s the best way to start my day in a community like Gill, and understanding that there are unique needs in Massachusetts, we want to try and meet them,” the lieutenant governor said. “Even though the State House is in Boston, we pay attention to what’s happening in Gill and all 351 cities and towns.”