Housing Authority seeking donations to furnish veterans' house
After sitting idle for years, construction is well underway at the O’Connor-Sisson House.
“The first time I saw somebody working on it, I was driving by early in the morning,” said Connie Desbiens, the executive director of the Dartmouth Housing Authority. “There was someone climbing out of the window onto the porch. It was exciting.”
Once finished, the building on Route 6 will be used for low-income veterans’ housing, complete with housing units, a community center and an office for supportive services.
Desbiens said the layout of the main building has been established and the foundation has been dug and poured for the addition. There will be four bedrooms in the main building and five rooms in the addition.
“The guys work as long as it’s not freezing out there,” she said. “They want to frame as long as it stays in the 40s, but there’s lots of work to do inside. There won't be any stopgap at all. The goal is the end of June, so we're pretty much on time right now.”
While construction is ongoing, the Housing Authority is planning to start fundraising for furnishings. She intends to reach out to local businesses, organization and people who want to sponsor a bedroom or sponsor part of a room.
Fully furnishing a bedroom is estimated to cost around $5,000. They’re also looking for additional money to fund other areas in the house, like a laundry room.
She said that, because she’s running a nonprofit, all donations are tax-deductible.
“People or organizations who donate $5,000 are going to have a room with a plaque in it, thanking them,” she said.
She aims to have a display in the main lobby for everyone who donated to the project, no matter what the size of the donation.
The O’Connor-Sisson House was formerly used as a State Police barracks. The Dartmouth Housing Authority acquired the property three years ago and spent the past few years seeking funding. The project will cost around $2.6 million, most of which is funded through the state’s Department of Housing and Community Development.
The tenets of the house will pay 30 percent of their income toward rent and the rest will come from the Massachusetts Rental Voucher Program.
The first round of occupants will be selected through a lottery system, and the process will begin in February, Desbiens said.
“I drive by, and to the average passersby, it doesn’t look like much is being done,” she said. “But the inside of the building is just remarkable. I remember the first time I went in, they have actually had an outline on the floor of where each room is going to go, and you kind of get a feel of how things are going.”
Those interested in donating can reach out to the Dartmouth Housing Authority at 508-994-1424.