Sharon Housing Trust acquires land for new affordable home

SHARON — The Sharon Housing Trust will host an informational meeting on Sunday, Jan. 12 from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. to review the Trust’s recent accomplishments, discuss upcoming projects, and highlight the importance of bringing affordable housing options to town. The meeting will occur at the Bok Gallery on the Sharon Playhouse campus, at 49 Amenia Rd., and will be free of charge and open to all.

Two recent achievements will be discussed. First, the recent donation of a parcel of land to build a single-family affordable home. Second, the repayment of a $100,000 bridge loan, as announced in a Jan. 3 press release from SHT.

The parcel of land is located within the Silver Lake Shores neighborhood near Mudge Pond, and will be developed to reflect the character of other nearby homes. The Trust hopes to begin construction this year, pending funding. In the press release, the Trust identified this type of affordable housing as “scattered site.” The land was gifted anonymously, and the Trust thanked the donor for their generosity.

Also donated anonymously was the $100,000 bridge loan, which the Trust received in June 2023 to aid the purchase of three adjacent buildings at 91, 93 and 95 North Main St. The Trust thanked those who offered private donations which enabled the repayment. The Trust has an option from the town to lease an adjacent building on North Main St., which would enable the construction of a unified affordable housing campus.

In the press release, Trust President Richard Baumann stated, “It is a testament to the generosity and community spirit of Sharon’s residents, foundations and businesses that the Housing Trust has been able to accomplish so much this year. We already provide affordable housing to tenants, we are poised to start renovations for our planned four-building campus on North Main Street, and we now have a new parcel on which to build a single-family, scattered-site affordable house. We are grateful for the enthusiastic support we have received from all corners.”

Latest News

Stissing Center announces expansive 2026 season
The opening of the 2026 season at The Stissing Center on Jan. 31 will feature Grammy winner Rosanne Cash(pictured with John Leventhal).
Vivian Wang

There’s something for everyone at the Stissing Center for Arts & Culture, the welcoming nonprofit performing arts space in the heart of Pine Plains, New York. The center’s adventurous 2026 season is designed to appeal to all audiences, with a curated mix of local and visiting artists working across a range of disciplines, from bluegrass to Beethoven, from Bollywood to burlesque.

The season opens Saturday, Jan. 31, with Spark!, a multimedia concert that will also preview the center’s fifth year of presenting performances that inspire, entertain and connect the community. Spark! features Grammy Award-winning Rosanne Cash, one of the country’s preeminent singer-songwriters, whose artistry bridges country, folk and rock with a distinctly literary strain of American songwriting.

Keep ReadingShow less
American Mural Project names new executive director

Jennifer Chrein is the new executive director of the American Mural Project.

Provided

When Jennifer Chrein first stepped inside the cavernous mill building on Whiting Street in Winsted and looked up at the towering figures of the American Mural Project, she had no idea what she was walking into.

“I had been invited by a friend to attend an event in May 2024,” Chrein recalled. That friend, she said, had a ticket they couldn’t use and thought she’d enjoy it. “I didn’t know anything about AMP. I didn’t Google it — nothing.”

Keep ReadingShow less