ERVING — State and local officials are feeling optimistic after a Tuesday afternoon presentation detailing Erving’s planned affordable senior and multi-generational housing project called Evergreen Circle at Care Drive.

State officials from the Executive Offices of Housing and Livable Communities, Economic Development, and Aging and Independence, and the governor’s office gathered to learn more about the project that would extend Care Drive into the empty lot behind the Erving Senior and Community Center and the Erving Public Library.

Rural Development Inc., a nonprofit created by the Franklin County Regional Housing & Redevelopment Authority, has contracted with the town and the Austin Design Cooperative to facilitate this multi-million-dollar housing and public infrastructure project. The plans involve building 18 one-bedroom units of senior housing for those ages 62 and older, and eight multi-bedroom townhouses for multi-generational families.

RDI received $227,553 in predevelopment funding from the Community Economic Development Assistance Corp., marking the first large amount of funding for the project. Residents will likely be able to move into the completed housing complex between 2028 and 2029.

This is the first time Erving will have access to senior housing and affordable housing for residents, speakers at the event noted. Robin Lipson, secretary of the Executive Office of Aging and Independence, said Erving has “hit it out of the park” with its plans based on her knowledge of what older adults are seeking.

“We spent about six months traveling around the state in this past year, getting input from more than 600 older adults about what mattered to them in your communities as they grew older,” Lipson said.

In her experience, Lipson said, seniors want to age in place somewhere that is familiar to them, where they won’t feel isolated, and where they can be among people of all ages in an environmentally friendly setting.

“You have captured it all in this plan,” Lipson said.

The need for senior housing was identified in Erving’s 2002 Master Plan and has been a priority of the Senior Housing Committee. The most recent project developments came in 2024, when the committee and RDI refined proposed site layouts, and Annual Town Meeting voters approved having RDI use the two lots for housing.

Franklin Regional Council of Governments (FRCOG) Housing and Livability Program Manager Megan Rhodes spoke to the need for senior and multi-generational housing, noting that the current vacancy rate for rental units in Franklin County is about 0.2% and the vacancy rate for homes is 1.9%.

“We really need more housing here in Franklin County, and we need to make sure that it’s affordable and accessible for all ages,” Rhodes said, adding that this project is exciting as it is new housing.

Rep. Susannah Whipps, I-Athol, and Sen. Jo Comerford, D-Northampton, were in attendance. Whipps said after the presentation that she is able to help the town as a liaison between it and the state.

“There’s so many great people that sometimes they just need to be brought into the same room, and I think that’s something [Comerford] and I do,” Whipps said.

Director of Rural Affairs Anne Gobi said she is happy to see the progress the town has made on the project thus far.

“One thing is that this is a community that cares. They have done an extraordinary amount of planning, and they are looking ahead to the future and trying to meet the needs of the members of this community,” Gobi said. “I’m very excited to have an opportunity to hopefully do my part to help them out as they’re putting some [grant applications] in.”

When asked about next steps, Town Administrator Bryan Smith pointed to the grant application process for the Community One Stop for Growth program, which combines 12 of the state’s most popular community-focused economic development and housing grant programs into a single application portal and collaborative review process, the state website explains.

This visit marks the first time state officials have had the chance to be briefed on Erving’s housing proposal, and Smith said he felt they were very receptive to the plans.

“We’re very appreciative of representation from the governor’s office. We had [Housing Secretary Edward] Augustus, Secretary [Robin] Lipson and Director Anne Gobi from Rural Affairs and the Office of Economic Development,” Smith said. “So to have all of those folks join us to hear about our project and give us feedback, we’re thrilled.”

Erin-Leigh Hoffman can be reached at ehoffman@recorder.com or 413-930-4231.