Great Barrington — Residents from throughout Berkshire County attended the “Call to Action: Solution for Housing Crisis” event at Race Brook Lodge on Wednesday, October 25, organized by Construct Inc.
According to its website, the nonprofit organization was founded in 1969 and provides affordable housing and supportive services to 15 towns in Berkshire County.
In an interview with The Berkshire Edge, Construct Inc. Executive Director Jane Ralph said that, going into winter, organizations that provide housing aid to Berkshire residents need as much financial help as possible. “Virtually, everyone is out of funds right now,” Ralph said. “Sometimes, funds from the state flow again to the organizations at the beginning of October. However, it doesn’t appear to be happening right now. There’s going to be a lag time in getting those funds out from organizations to the state. People are already struggling going into winter, and it’s already getting very cold.”
Ralph said that Construct Inc. is working together with other organizations to brainstorm on how to help people get the resources they desperately need. “But it’s hard without all the dollars to back these resources up,” Ralph said. “People are really struggling right now. Utility prices and rent prices continue to go up. People need to have these expenses stabilized so that they can afford to continue to have a place to live if they are housed. Of course, we also need to create more affordable housing because so many people who already work here can’t afford to live here.”
Ralph said that, as of the event on October 25, Construct Inc. had 362 residents for the organization’s 90 affordable housing units. “Add to that, the homeless situation continues to grow,” Ralph said. “Last winter, we did a survey that showed that the homeless population has doubled in Berkshire County. We’re seeing more seniors who are homeless, and more parents with children who are homeless. We started emergency family housing in Great Barrington at the former Windflower Inn, but it’s at maximum capacity. This year is definitely going to be a challenge.”
Construct Inc. Board President Elizabeth Rosenberg said that, while the nonprofit raised $200,000 in donations this year, “we need a lot more because there is such a need.” She explained, “On top of affordable housing services, one of the things our organization does is provide heating assistance during the winter. We have a continuously growing need. We have tough situations that sometimes cannot be solved. We hope to keep working towards the solutions, but for that, we need a lot more money and a lot more housing.”
“We have an enormous number of families joining our affordable housing waitlist,” Construct Inc. Community Engagement and Communications Director Leigh Davis said. Davis is also the vice chair of the Great Barrington Selectboard and is the chair of the town’s Selectboard and Planning Board Housing Subcommittee. “Part of the reason why we are seeing an increase on our waitlist is due to rising rent prices. There’s a kind of connection between a lack of housing and increasing rental prices.”
Davis added that, along with the need for heating assistance that Rosenberg cited, there is also a growing need for assistance in paying utility bills. “With the increase in electricity rates, we’re seeing more utility shut-offs than we’ve ever seen before,” Davis said. “We have a housing crisis in Berkshire County, and it takes a village to solve this crisis.”
For more information about Construct Inc., visit its website.
