Affordable housing lottery applications open for Needham 55+ community; State announces heating assistance plan

Affordable housing applications for One Wingate East, a new independent living community located at 589 Highland Ave in Needham, will be accepted through Nov. 9 at 2pm. One Wingate East is conveniently located near Interstate 95 and less than a half mile from the Needham Heights MBTA station.

To be eligible for this lottery, at least one member of the households must be 55 years of age or older. There will be 9 affordable apartments within the community that will be made available to households with incomes at or below 80% of the area median income through this application process.

Those who qualify (and win the lottery) will pay $2,743 for a 1 bedroom unit or $3,085 for a 2 bedroom unit.

You can see a recording of the information session here.

Key dates

• November 9, 2026, 2pm, application deadline
• November 23, 2026, 6pm, lottery, via Zoom. Go to zoom.com/join or call (646) 558-8656 and enter Meeting ID: 857 2736 5609, Passcode: 276410

State announces Massachusetts Home Energy Assistance Program (HEAP)

With heating costs expected to rise this winter, the federal government has announced the release of Fiscal Year 2027 funding for the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (HEAP), including $142.3 million for Massachusetts, as part of a nationwide allocation to help low-income households afford home heating and cooling costs. The program prioritizes households with high energy burdens, as well as seniors, individuals with disabilities, and families with young children.

Applications for HEAP assistance are open for eligible Massachusetts households starting Nov. 1, 2026.

New middle class home heating oil assistance benefit

Massachusetts is creating a new home heating oil assistance benefit for households earning between 60% and 100% of State Median Income, extending assistance to middle class families that have traditionally fallen outside eligibility for existing heating assistance programs. For a family of four, this means households earning more than $103,049 and up to $171,749 may qualify for the new one-time emergency benefit.

Approximately 50,000 Massachusetts heating oil households are expected to qualify and receive up to $680 per household. Assistance will be available beginning in December until the end of the heating season on April 30, 2027, or until funding lasts.

More information is available at www.mass.gov/heatinghelp.