GREENFIELD — In his first few months at the helm of the Greenfield Housing Authority, Executive Director Jack Redman is working to expand affordable and accessible housing.

Redman, who spent the last 17 years working in low-income housing management — the last seven years of which as the senior manager of public housing and Section 8 for the Northampton Housing Authority — is now in charge of overseeing the approximately 114 two-to-five-bedroom homes that the Greenfield Housing Authority operates. He was hired to serve following the departure of his predecessor, Thomas Guerino, who was hired in 2020.

In his new role, Redman applied for Community Preservation Act funding to start the Greenfield Housing Authority Security Deposit and Rental Assistance Fund and make renovations at the 1 Elm Terrace Winslow Building.

“It would help our voucher participants be able to stay competitive in the search for housing,” Redman said. “[Tenants] often struggle to utilize the rent vouchers we issue, because they may not have first, last and security; whereas, a typical non-low-income renter may have savings and may be more competitive when going into the private market, which is very, very competitive in this area.”

As of May 2023, individuals earning an annual income of less than $53,000, two-family households earning less than $63,800, and three-family households making less than $71,750 qualify for a rental voucher.

According to the U.S. Census, the median household income in Greenfield was $53,149 in 2022.

Under Redman’s leadership, the Massachusetts Housing Partnership awarded the Greenfield Housing Authority $35,000 to plan the development of a five-story housing structure at 300 Conway St. Greenfield Housing Associates Inc., for which Redman also serves as executive director, has contributed roughly $40,000 toward the construction project.

Redman said Massachusetts Housing Partnership leaders have already toured the Conway Street site and the Greenfield Housing Authority is already seeking additional CPA funds for the planned development.

Alongside an effort to build more affordable housing, Redman said that through the use of voucher programs, landlord education seminars and grant funds, he hopes to expand the city’s Section 8 — or government subsidized — housing stock.

“We’re working on next steps for that [project] and we are excited to continue down the path of creating housing here in Greenfield, which there’s such a great need for,” Redman said. “Our Section 8 expansion is something that myself and the team is working very hard on. We’ve already come up with the baseline for the education program, and we’ll be starting to advertise our first meeting for December.”

Housing Greenfield Coordinator Susan Worgaftik has previously estimated that another 600 to 1,000 housing units are needed to support the city’s current population.

“Overall, accessible housing for the disabled is going to be, and has always been, a great need throughout Massachusetts and throughout the housing world,” Redman said. “As I look at our existing land, I want to work with development partners in the area, work with the [Franklin County Regional Housing & Redevelopment Authority] to try to assist that population. That is a very difficult need to fill and a great one.”

Anthony Cammalleri can be reached at acammalleri@recorder.com or
413-930-4429.