Berkshire Home Works, LLC
PO BOX 549, WILLIAMSTOWN, MASSACHUSETTS 01267 (413) 458-9983

Community and Economic Development

Berkshire Home Works partners have over 38 years combined experience working on community and economic development projects assisting more than 28 communities out of the 32 in Berkshire County Massachusetts as well as two communities in Bennington County, Vermont.

They have researched and written over 33 grants and managed a total of 40 grants utilizing over $25,000,000 in federally funded Community Development Block Grants. They have also written and managed 10 USDA Housing Preservation Grants for a total of $940,000. The grants that they have managed have rehabilitated over 1,020 units in Berkshire County, MA and Bennington County, VT. They have also managed the construction of three senior centers, utilized funding for ADA renovations, completed numerous infrastructure projects that include water line installations, road paving and sewer systems.

One of the partners is a Massachusetts Certified Public Purchasing Officer and has overseen state and federal requirements for public bids. He has also overseen Davis Bacon requirements (prevailing wage) and conducted on site interviews and wage rate reviews for public bidding projects.

Berkshire Home Works manages the Massachusetts Housing Finance Agency (MHFA), Get The Lead Out (GTLO) program for 30 of the 32 communities in Berkshire County. The GTLO program provides loans to homeowners and landlords to assist them with the deleading of their properties. The GTLO program provides financing from $30,000 for a single housing project up to $45,000 for a four family. Click this link MHFA for additional information.

Berkshire Home Works, working with the Williamstown Housing Authority, is the Foreclosure Prevention Counseling Agency for Berkshire County. The Foreclosure Prevention Initiative has been developed by NeighborWorks America in partnership with the Massachusetts Housing Finance Agency to assist homeowners who are facing foreclosure proceedings and those who may have been victimized by predatory lending.

The purpose of the counseling is to assist homeowners with the foreclosure process and in those cases where home owners have been victims of predatory lending there is a mortgage product that may be available to them to refinance their property through the Massachusetts Housing Finance Agency, with a fixed rate mortgage. Please keep in mind that although counseling is available to anyone facing foreclosure, the available mortgage funds are only for homeowners who have fallen victim to predatory lending. Additional information is available at the web sites listed here or by calling Berkshire Home Works (413) 458-9983. www.foreclosurehelpandhope.org/index.html or www.995hope.org