Marchetti Details Housing Efforts in State of City Address
PITTSFIELD, Mass.— Upcoming housing projects aim to bring new life into underutilized properties and improve neighborhoods.
He outlined the administration's efforts to find opportunities for additional units in the city while addressing the growing unhoused population. Running parallel to this is the Mental Health and Substance Abuse Task Force created upon Marchetti's inauguration.
"The COVID-19 pandemic amplified the housing challenges we face, not only in Pittsfield but across the state and nation. There's a limited inventory of quality housing and housing that supports our most vulnerable residents," Marchetti told the audience at Taconic High School on Thursday.
"As the number of unhoused individuals and families has increased over the past several years, I have created an internal working group comprised of several city departments to help me brainstorm new ideas in addressing homelessness. Not every individual that is experiencing homelessness has the same story and there are many factors to consider."
He reported that "plans are well in the works" to look at the feasibility of housing at the former Hibbard School. The city received an award from Mass Housing to help complete a structural review of the building and a financial feasibility analysis.
The school, located at 280 Newell St., closed its doors in 2009 and has been underutilized for storage since. The three-story building sits on nearly two acres and is surrounded by paved open space and a front lawn.
Pittsfield is working with a consultant to determine various redevelopment scenarios for the property, facilitate community engagement, and draft a request for proposals for mixed housing.
The city has also engaged in a comprehensive housing study that has identified 10-12 potential downtown development spots.
"We have demonstrated time and time again our commitment to revitalizing our downtown," Marchetti said.
"Including increasing development of housing stock, rehabilitating blighted buildings, expanding opportunities for a more walkable downtown, and creating new economic development and employment opportunities."
Last year, Allegrone Construction Co. was awarded more than $4 million through the state's Housing Development Incentive Program to redevelop the historic Wright Building and the Jim's House of Shoes property.
The nearly $18 million project will combine the two buildings into one development, retaining the commercial storefronts on North Street and providing 35 new rental units, 28 of which will be market-rate units and seven of which will be affordable. It will retain the historic facade of the Wright Building and the commercial store frontage on North Street.
Marchetti reported that the city has received a $1.37 million grant for pedestrian improvements that accompany this project.
"We plan to convert a vehicular alleyway into a pedestrian way, supporting the Wright Building development. This block just steps away from Pittsfield's BRTA transportation hub is currently blighted, vacant, and underutilized," he explained.
"As a result of the public-private partnership between the city and the local, family-run developer Allegrone Companies, the streetscape improvements will unlock additional housing units on the ground floor of that vacant, underused, building that Allegrone is redeveloping by creating a second means of egress."
He reported there will be a beautification project for this neighborhood, turning the blighted vacant block into a pleasant place to work, live, and walk the pedestrian way.
"Coupled with mixed-use development, it will be transformative for this neighborhood."
The Mental Health and Substance Use Disorder Task Force includes 30 members who represent service agencies, nonprofits, law enforcement, and other city and state departments. Marchetti said that it takes a long time to build trusting relationships and he has been working with the team to develop new approaches and strategies to connect individuals with services.
"During the campaign, I placed a large focus on mental health and substance use disorder because many families experience troubles finding health resources," he said.
"Many of the members of the task force are with us tonight."
During a press briefing earlier in the day, Marchetti was asked how he measures the success of these efforts. While the hopeful end result would be no more unhoused people, he knows that it is more complicated than that.
He said the panel will focus on measuring the efficiencies and the programs of the various agencies that work in this field, explaining "We've never had the opportunity for all of us to be in the same room, both the agencies and the folks with lived experience and city government."
"The success will be measured as to watching a downward trend of our houseless population, which right now we're seeing a major uptick in," he said.
"And two, finding ways for those that need the mental health and substance use help to make sure they can get it."
Marchetti also highlighted the Pittsfield Police Department's Joint Diversion Response Team which consists of three patrol officers, one patrol supervisor, and three crisis co-responders.
"When active, two plain-clothed officers and one co-responder go out on a four-hour block to start and then extend if necessary. Since its inception, 83 hours have been logged by this team," he said.
"Through this work, the team began to develop communications and connections with social service agencies and aided these agencies with follow-up with residents that they were working with. The partnership with co-responders allows the department to respond to calls or situations in which there could be a mental health component, which requires a totally different type of policing."
In 2024, the Police Department co-responders had a total of 1,015 calls for service within the city, which is an increase of 255 calls from 2023. Of the calls, about 132 of those individuals were referred to the Community Behavioral Health Center, while about 152 individuals were referred to emergency services at the hospital. About 1.38 percent resulted in arrest.
Tags: housing, state of the city,
