Powder House Village
Some people think Affordable Housing is about its physical characteristics. Affordable Housing is not  about bricks and mortar. Affordable Housing is about people. It's about families, and it's about community. Simply put, Affordable Housing is about opportunity... opportunity for individuals, opportunities for families, opportunities for young and for old. It's about the choice to live where you work or the privilege to develop or keep your roots in a community you love. Affordable Housing is an opportunity to strengthen and enrich a community.Affordable Housing is the identified number one need in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Ask any local business owner attempting to hire staff... or inquire with local town officials who struggle to find housing for town employees... or contact the United Way of the North Shore who conducted "A report on Critical Community Needs" that illustrated the essential need for affordable rental housing throughout the North Shore. There is no mistake about it - affordable housing is the number one priority for all of our local, North Shore communities. What is Affordable Housing?
The term "Affordable Housing" can be confusing. Affordable Housing is not only low-income housing for the homeless. In almost all cases, affordable housing serves individuals and families that make below median household income. Powder House Village will serve people who make less than 60% of the median household income in Ipswich. Individuals that make less than $35,340 and a families making less than $50,460 will be eligible for selection. This means starting teachers, firefighters, town employees, non-profit workers or seniors on a fixed income will live in Powder House Village. These are the Faces of Affordable Housing in Ipswich.
Powder House Village
Powder House Village will provide 48 individuals and families the ability to live in Ipswich. At the same time, it substantially helps the Town of Ipswich to meet its state mandated quota for affordable housing. The buildings are located contiguous to the 19-acre YMCA property on Route 1A and will provide a natural connection to the rest of the community through membership, program services, and ample indoor and outdoor recreational facilities. With the unanimous support of the Town of Ipswich Board of Selectman and the Ipswich Planning Board, the YMCA completed a thorough 9-month approval process with the Ipswich Zoning Board of Appeals and the Ipswich Conservation Commission. This public process consisted of 18 meetings culminating in the YMCA receiving approval for the 48-unit Powder House Village development: - 12 one-bedroom units
- 24 two-bedroom units
- 12 three-bedroom units
- 4 commercial rental spaces
- YMCA preschool child care space
When complete, the Ipswich Family YMCA will be the on-site manager of Powder House Village armed with the expertise and resources of the North Shore YMCA.
The YMCA is Perfectly Positioned to Help
The YMCA began in the United States over 150 years ago and provided housing for young men who moved to growing cities and towns during the early industrial revolution. Affordable housing has been an important part of the YMCA from the beginning. 150+ years later the YMCA continues to meet today's affordable housing needs. The YMCA of the North Shore operates multiple housing developments throughout its 26 North Shore communities. The YMCA currently manages five (5) housing properties that provide affordable housing through SRO (single room occupancy) style housing, as well as affordable family housing. To learn more about each YMCA affordable housing development click here.
Important Powder House Village Links
Should you have any questions regarding Powder House Village, we encourage you to stop by or call Gerry Beauchamp, Executive Director of the Ipswich Family YMCA at 978.356.9622. Or feel free to e-mail a question to the YMCA of the North Shore.
Affordable Housing in Ipswich is important. We hope that every Ipswich citizen has a clear understanding regarding Powder House Village's role in meeting the town's need for affordable housing and the Commonwealth's requirements.  | PDF Documents: Our web site contains several .pdf documents. If you do not have Adobe Acrobat, please click here for a free download. |  
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