State Chips In $84 Million For Affordable Housing Projects

Two dozen affordable housing projects across Massachusetts will receive nearly $84 million from the state.

Gov. Deval Patrick said the money will help build or preserve more than 1,300 units of affordable housing while creating 2,000 construction jobs.

The projects include new housing in Boston, Cambridge, Dartmouth, Duxbury, Greenfield, Haverhill, Lunenberg, Northampton, Revere, Provincetown, Springfield and Williamstown. The funding will help construct 36 affordable housing units for families at "Dartmouth Village at Lincoln Park" off Route Six.

Affordable housing may also help some of the homeless find a place to live.

In December there were about 2,000 families finding temporary housing in dozens of hotels and motels, with about an equal number in family shelters. Officials said that number has begun to ease.

Patrick said since 2007, Massachusetts has spent more than $1 billion in state and federal money to create about 22,000 units of affordable housing.