Submitted by the Hinesburg Affordable Housing Committee
In our last article, we reviewed the long history of Kelley’s Field 1 – a 24-unit affordable independent living community. We now turn to the latest project on Kelley’s Field Road – Kelley’s Field 2.
When Cathedral Square and Evernorth purchased Kelley’s Field 1 in 2015, they knew there was additional buildable land on the site. And during the pandemic, the housing crisis really heated up. As a result, Evernorth and Cathedral Square decided to develop additional housing – and the project called Kelley’s Field 2 was born. The new building will have 24 dwellings (23 one-bedroom and 1 two-bedroom). Michael Wisniewski of Duncan Wisniewski Architects is the project architect, and J.A. Morrissey Inc. is the general contractor.
The multi-story new building will have air conditioning, a laundry, and an elevator. Other indoor amenities will include a large community room with a kitchen for all of the residents, a lounge, an exercise room, indoor bike storage, and a telehealth room.
Outdoor amenities will include garden planters and a pavilion with seating for residents, as well as an outdoor walking loop and an electric vehicle charger.
On-site Support and Services at Home (SASH) will be available to Kelley’s Field residents.
There will be a SASH coordinator and a part-time wellness nurse to support safe and positive aging in place.
Kelley’s Field 2 is a $11.4 million project. When it comes to any affordable housing project, it usually takes many participants to provide the funding. Kelley’s Field 2 is no exception. Funding has come from a variety of sources, including:
- Federal – American Rescue Plan Act funds and National Housing Trust Fund, both allocated by the Vermont Housing and Conservation Board; Community Development Block Grant, granted by the State of Vermont to the Town of Hinesburg.
- Financial institutions – Vermont Housing Finance Agency, Federal Home Loan Bank of Boston, Mascoma Bank, Union Bank.
- Not-for-profits – Housing Ministries of New England, Efficiency Vermont, TD Charitable Foundation.
- Private Investment – Housing New England Fund V.
- Private foundation support.
In addition, the Town of Hinesburg provided a $50,000 grant through the Town’s revolving loan fund. By adopting Kelley’s Field 2 as a Neighborhood Development Area, the Town helped exempt the project from ACT 250, which saved both time and money.
Because affordable housing requires rent subsidies to actually achieve the affordability, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) calculates the Area Median Income (AMI) for affordable housing projects. For Hinesburg, and therefore Kelley’s Field 2, the majority of the units will serve households with income at or below 50 percent AMI ($41,650). Most of the other units will serve households with income at or below 60 percent AMI ($49,980). Two of the units will serve households with income at or below 80 percent AMI ($66,600). The goal is to try to keep rent at 30 percent of gross income.
The completion date for Kelley’s Field 2 is December 2024. The building is expected to be ready for occupancy in January 2025.
Cindy Reid, Director of Real Estate Development for Cathedral Square, sums up the Kelley’s Field story this way: “Vermont is experiencing a severe housing crisis, in terms of lack of supply and high cost. Vermont is also an aging state, and needs accessible and affordable options for our older adult population. This is an important consideration, as many long-term care facilities have been closing over the past decade, leaving fewer appropriate options for housing with services for older adults.”
Note: The SASH (Support and Services at Home) program is a nationally recognized model of care available in Vermont and Rhode Island. It helps older adults and people with disabilities remain living independently at home as they age, and it saves Medicare and Medicaid dollars.
If you or someone you know is interested in getting an application for Kelley’s Field 2 or wants additional information, please reach out to 802-863-2224 or
info@cathedralsquare.org.
If you have an interest in helping Hinesburg bring housing to our community, especially affordable housing, the Hinesburg Affordable Housing Committee has two openings on the committee. Please contact Carl Bohlen at larcredsox@gmavt.net or contact the Town Manager’s office.