Orleans Housing Trust Declares Old Tote Road Property Surplus, Clears Path for Transfer

ORLEANS — June 16, 2026 — Orleans Affordable Housing Trust advances 22 Old Tote Road transfer to Housing Assistance Corporation. The trust voted unanimously at its June 16 meeting to declare the four-unit property at 22 Old Tote Road surplus to its needs and authorized staff to publish the declaration in the state's Central Register, a required step before the town can transfer the property it purchased in December 2025 for $484,000 to Housing Assistance Corporation for $1. Housing Assistance, the sole respondent to the town's 2025 RFP, has committed to investing an additional $474,000 to convert two commercial units into apartments, with one unit permanently deed-restricted at 80 percent of area median income, a second at 120 percent AMI, and two remaining as unrestricted market-rate rentals; all four units will appear on Orleans's Subsidized Housing Inventory under Chapter 40B. Member Fran argued the town needs mechanisms to recapture appreciation on such investments in future deals, saying "I frankly don't think that this kind of expenditure is tenable for the type of ambitions that we have unless we begin to find ways to generate some money coming back." The board also voted 7-0 to send a letter of support for the Governor Prince affordable housing project ahead of its June 24 Zoning Board of Appeals hearing, and elected Tom Drachowski as chair, Fran as vice chair, and Susan as clerk, with outgoing founding member Alexis attending her final meeting after seven years of service.