Housing Trust receives matching grant for North Main Street apartments

SHARON — Building upon the June 2023 purchase of three neighboring multi-family homes for future conversion to affordable housing opportunities, the Sharon Housing Trust (SHT) announced this week that it has been awarded a $50,000 matching grant from a local foundation to assist with immediate repairs to the buildings that one day will become affordable rental units.

Located at 91, 93 and 95 North Main Street, the three buildings hold a total of six apartments that are conveniently located adjacent to the Sharon Center School and close to shopping. Five two-bedroom apartments and one three-bedroom apartment are within the complex.

Announcing the grant award from The Low Road Foundation, Bob Whelan, SHT building chairman, indicated that because the grant calls for donations to be matched prior to the closing date of Dec. 31, 2024, the community will have an added incentive to respond to SHT’s ongoing appeals this year. If the match is fully successful, then $100,000 could be available for needed repairs to the buildings.

The initial repairs are an important hurdle before the SHT can apply to the state Department of Housing for more funding to accomplish upgrades to convert the buildings into workforce housing.

The SHT was founded in 2005 with an initial mission to build affordable single-family homes. The current mission, defined by the 2022 Affordable Housing Plan, is responding to a town goal to increase the number of affordable housing opportunities by 15 or 20 units by 2027. Hoping to achieve that goal, the trust has begun identifying and working with rental units.

For more information about the matching grant and the work of the SHT, go to www.shtct.org.