By DONNA KENNY KIRWAN

PAWTUCKET — The smile on first-time homeowner Tanya James' face on Wednesday morning as she cut the ribbon to the doorway of her new house was as bright as the surroundings. Thanks to the Blackstone Valley Community Action Program (BVCAP), James was able to purchase a stylish residence at 125 West Ave. despite the difficult economy and housing market.

James' single-family home is one of two development projects that are being unveiled this month by BVCAP. In a housing environment in which little new construction is taking place, BVCAP has recently completed construction on two homes in the city. A ribbon-cutting for the second project, a two-family house at 644 Main St. was scheduled for Tuesday morning.
According to Cindy Paliotto, Community Projects Coordinator for BVCAP, James' house on West Avenue was formerly two small units and a garage. It was completely rehabilitated as a handicapped accessible home according to Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) specifications, and is lead-free and energy efficient. The purchase price was $114,999, said Paliotto. 
The airy, modern-looking home was designed by Ed Wojcik Architects, Ltd. and was built by Pezzuco Construction Company. The project was funded by the City of Pawtucket HOME Program, the Rhode Island Housing Lead Hazard Reduction Program, the Rhode Island State Energy Office Weatherization Program and a construction loan from Citizens Bank.
The other house at 644 Main St., soon to be taken possession of by another proud owner, Javier Centeno, was constructed on the site of a five-unit house that had been destroyed by fire. The new lead-free, Energy Star-rated home was designed by Ayoub Engineering, Inc. and was built by The Bailey Group. It sold for $160,000, according to Paliotto.

Paliotto said that each unit is very spacious, with three bedrooms, and the project is part of BVCAP's Affordable Housing Development Program. This project was completely funded by the City of Pawtucket HOME Program and the Rhode Island State Energy Weatherization Program. She added that Centano was chosen to be offered the home through a lottery system from a pool of qualified applicants.

At Wednesday's ribbon-cutting, BVCAP Executive Director Vincent Ceglia praised all of the parties involved in making James' home ownership happen, from city officials to Citizens Bank, and the architect, building, and others involved in the actual construction work.

“The city is our partner in carrying out our agenda to get more affordable housing,” noted Ceglia.

Pawtucket Mayor James Doyle said, “This is a true success story,” and praised BVCAP for being instrumental in making several programs work successfully to achieve more housing “in tough economic times.” He also singled out Citizens Bank for being willing to provide financing to help put more housing into urban areas. “There is a critical problem of housing, and we made a small dent today,” said Doyle.

A visibly excited James, who currently lives in East Providence, took to the podium to “thank everyone for being part of one of the biggest, best things happening in my life.” She also thanked city officials, BVCAP, and “the people behind the scenes for making this opportunity for people like myself to buy their first home.”

James, who works as a health care specialist and is also a student at the Community College of Rhode Island for paralegal studies, said she had been looking to buy a property for a long time, but find there were few opportunities available for someone with limited income. She learned about BVCAP's program for first-time home buyers, which includes classes on the ins and outs of the experience, and said, “It was great.”

Paliotto said that those who are found to be eligible for first-time homeowner grants are sold the properties a deed restriction that includes a 30-year affordability covenant. This means that any homeowner who wants to sell their property must do so under the federal Housing and Urban Development median income guidelines for the local area so that the property continues to remain affordable.