Village Street homes for sale after decade-long rehabilitation

By Max Bakke
Journal Inquirer
Published: Saturday, May 9, 2009 1:10 AM EDT

VERNON — Three Village Street homes, rehabilitated through the efforts of a local nonprofit, are now for sale, according to the Vernon Nonprofit Housing Development Corp.

The homes — a single-family home, as well as a two-family and three-family home — were completed this year as part of a $3 million undertaking by the organization, which has seven additional homes on Orchard and Village streets nearing completion, according to the organization.

“We’re just hoping for them to sell as soon as possible,” resident and nonprofit member Christy Vale said.

According to Vale, work began in the neighborhood starting in the late 1990s as the group sought to purchase the then-unsightly houses to rehabilitate and resell to new owners. The homes had been foreclosed on due to unpaid taxes, and several of the properties were in disrepair, decrepit, and boarded up, Vale said.

The project was financed through federal and state grants, as well as local assistance from the town and the Housing Authority, and a $1 million loan from Rockville Bank.

“This first time homebuyer/owner occupancy program will create a solid base for the rebuilding of a strong neighborhood and should provide inspiration for future projects throughout the town,” the organization says in a statement.

The town also may provide down-payment assistance to homebuyers, the statement continues.

“There are a variety of different homes there that can accommodate a variety of different family types,” Vale said, referring to the single and multifamily homes the corporation is selling.

The remaining seven homes in the neighborhood are expected to hit the market this year, and two more Village Street homes are scheduled for demolition and rebuilding when funds become available.

“We’ll get that done as soon as we sell the first house,” Vale said.