Submitted by The Hinesburg Affordable Housing Committee
So far this year, the Hinesburg Affordable Housing Committee (HAHC) has provided information about the Town’s Housing Needs Assessment (which can be found on the HAHC page on the Town’s website). We now turn to an active affordable housing project – Kelley’s Field.
In between the stop sign at Lantman’s Market and the turn to Mechanicsville Road, there is a small road to the east – Kelley’s Field Road, named after a long-gone community baseball field. If you turned in, you would see three established buildings to the north and new construction to the south. In other words, two affordable housing projects – Kelley’s Field 1 and Kelley’s Field 2.
Kelley’s Field 1, which has 24 one-bedroom units, was originally owned by Loren “Tinker” Palmer and his wife Nancy. They developed the project in 1979 with USDA Rural Development Financing – including rental assistance for all 24 apartments. There is a large gathering room with a communal kitchen and laundry facilities in one of the buildings. Residents are generally lower income older adults (age 62+) on fixed incomes, some with disabilities.
In 2012, the owners were considering whether to sell the property or increase its density. Eventually, they agreed to sell the property to Housing Vermont (now Evernorth), who then partnered with Cathedral Square. Evernorth serves the low-and-moderate income people of Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont by raising capital and investing it in affordable housing. Cathedral Square is a national leader in the creation of high-quality, affordable, service-enriched housing communities for older adults and people with special needs. By purchasing the property, the two partners were able to preserve Kelley’s Field 1 as affordable housing – a key housing policy goal in Vermont.
But by then, Kelley’s Field 1 was 35 years old – and it looked it. Cathedral Square and Evernorth launched a $1.6 million renovation that included new kitchens, bathrooms, flooring, windows, siding, and roofs. There were also a range of other upgrades to improve accessibility, energy efficiency, and a facelift for the communal areas. Over 10 funding sources were involved, including federal, state, and private funding, plus federal and state tax credits. As Cindy Reid, Director of Development for Cathedral Square recalls, “The Town of Hinesburg was very supportive of this project, and continues to be supportive.”
One of the renovation’s biggest challenges was to temporarily relocate residents and their belongings as the project proceeded in phases. While this no doubt was stressful, the residents were very cooperative and came back to beautiful “new” homes. A Kelley’s Field celebration, along with a tour, was held on Sept. 17, 2015, and long-time residents were happy to open their apartments to those on the tour.
The upgraded Kelley’s Field 1, located in the town center, is a walkable location for the residents. The apartments are well designed and there is a sense of privacy. The green space and gardens make it an attractive place to live, and the rent subsidy makes it a very affordable place to live.
Before too long, another 24 units will be available for occupancy when Kelley’s Field 2 is complete. But more on that in our next article. (Please note: Cathedral Square has a waiting list of 130 at Kelley’s Field 1 but is now sending out applications for Kelley’s Field 2. They can be reached at 802-863-2224 or info@cathedralsquare.org.)