In 2021, Wayfinders was awarded $250,000 in CPA funding in support of the development of affordable housing adjacent to their Library Commons I project. In Library Commons 2, forty-one new and rehabilitated rental units will be constructed at 188-190 and 213-215 Chestnut Street, 344 Appleton Street, and 207 Elm Street. This equates to funding $6,000 per unit. CPA funds represent 1.48% of the total project, which is largely funded through state and federal grants. The award of CPA funds was a crucial elements of community support of the project, which in turn gave Wayfinders access to necessary state and federal funding. This project is exciting because it builds on the success of Library Commons 1 by developing adjacent properties in a high-need area. This project preserves Holyoke's historic urban character and valuable architectural resources while addressing blighted properties, improving quality of life in its neighborhood, and increasing the tax base in the city center through bringing abandoned properties back onto the tax rolls and increasing the property value of area properties. This project will continue to build positive community momentum for the area around the newly renovated Holyoke Public Library.
