Once known for its apples, and its sheep and dairy farms, Colrain, like all the hilltowns of Western Massachusetts, has seen the decline of its agricultural base. Today, a half-dozen dairy farms, two commercial orchards and several specialty or niche farms (raising llamas, angora goats and organic produce) are the only ones remaining. However, despite the widespread loss of manufacturing jobs throughout the Commonwealth, a cotton bleachery and a cotton products factory provide employment for many townspeople.

Many craftspeople and artists, attracted by the fact that the town offers privacy but also access to nearby college communities for marketing and supplies, have built or purchased homes and studios in Colrain. Revitalization of the town's major center at the junction of two tourist routes to Vermont is being actively pursued by the newly formed Colrain Business Association, which also sponsors the annual Coleraine Village Fair in September. Two of the town center's churches are currently being restored, one as a community cultural center, the other as a retail and studio shop.

Colrain Massachusetts is located in Northwestern Massachusetts, bordered by Halifax, Vermont, on the north; Leyden on the east; Greenfield and Shelburne on the south; Charlemont on the southwest corner; and Heath on the west. Colrain is 17 miles northwest of Greenfield and 112 miles northwest of Boston.

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Complaints alleging housing discrimination may be filed with the nearest office of the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), or by calling HUD's toll free number, 1-800-697-6967 (voice), or 1-800-543-8294 (TDD). HUD may also be contacted on the Internet at www.hud.gov/fhe/fheo.html.