Ayer CPC Unanimously Approves Grant Agreements for Two Affordable Housing Projects

AYER -- June 3, 2026, Ayer's Community Preservation Committee approved grant agreements for two affordable housing projects at its June 3 meeting. The committee voted unanimously to execute agreements for Ayer Commons, a housing development planned for Fitchburg Road that has been in the works since 2022, and Devon's Crest, a 35-unit rehabilitation project whose agreement stipulates affordability restrictions between 60 and 80 percent of Area Median Income in perpetuity. Under the Devon's Crest agreement, CPA funds will be released unit by unit only after each rehabilitated apartment receives a state housing voucher approved by the town and the housing authority, a phased release mechanism developed in consultation with project attorney David Abramowitz. The committee also discussed ongoing questions about 71 Sandy Pond Road, a town-owned parcel purchased with CPA funds, where Town Counsel rejected a proposed grant agreement because the town owns the property; members noted the committee retains the right to reclaim funds if the site is not used for open space and recreation. Committee member Colleen reported that the Ayer Housing Trust has begun examining whether the 80 percent AMI threshold, which currently translates to a one-bedroom rent of approximately $2,400 per month in the Boston-Cambridge metro area, is producing units that are genuinely affordable to Ayer residents.