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Selectman Outlines Importance Of New Housing Committee
By
Selectman Ken Elstein, Selectman
Tuesday,
February 2, 2010
To the Editor:
Where we live, our homes in Belchertown are central to our lives. We now
have a chance to decide what kind of homes we will have ten or twenty years
from now.
Item: The number of people over age 60 is expected to increase in
Belchertown by over two thousand in ten years. Where are we all going to
live? [Source: State Data Center]
Seniors on limited incomes need low-maintenance alternatives so they are not
forced to move away.
Item: Most Belchertown teachers cannot afford to live in Belchertown.
[Source: Pioneer Valley Planning Commission]
Young people should not be forced to move away because there is nowhere to
live. We all need more choices.
Until now, no group has focused on all aspects of housing. Working with the
Community Preservation Committee, the Board of Selectmen is asking for
volunteers for a new Housing Committee. Community groups of all ages,
churches, and interested individuals should participate. The committee would
benefit with participation of builders and REALTORS®. Letters of interest
should be forwarded to the Board of Selectmen: Finnerty House, One South Main St., Belchertown, MA 01007
Together, we can start to think seriously about our lives in our town in the
next ten to twenty years.
Ken Elstein
Selectman
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