Arlington’s First All-Electric, 100% Solar Powered Affordable Home!
HCA developed a modular, all-electric, net-zero Passive House-certified affordable accessory dwelling unit (ADU). This innovative product was provided for us by our development partner, Reframe Systems with funding from the Arlington Affordable Housing Trust Fund.
This is a rental unit. The tenant will be selected by lottery. See more below.
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THE DEADLINE TO APPLY FOR THIS UNIT CLOSED ON OCTOBER 7th.
The Lottery was held on Tuesday, October 22nd, 2024 at 4:00 pm by Zoom.
Applicants did not need to attend the lottery to be the “winner” of the unit.
Click Here to See Lottery Results
Here is the recording of the Lottery from October 22nd:
If you submitted an application you should have received a notice letting you know your application number.
As soon as we have the ordered list of lottery numbers, we will post the results on this page, listing each applicant’s lottery number, and where they fell in the lottery order. Applicants with lottery numbers 1 – 3 will be contacted right away to start the additional vetting process.
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Project Updates
October, 2024: The application deadline to apply for this unit closed on October 7th. We received a total of 289 applications for the single affordable home. The lottery was held by Zoom on October 22nd.
September, 2024: The unit received its Certificate of Occupancy from the Town of Arlington!
August, 2024: The unit received its Passive House Certification from Phius! This means the home is confirmed by a third party to be rigorously energy efficient.
July 22, 2024: Ribbon Cutting! What a wonderful day! Thanks to all who attended, from Arlington and well beyond. Thanks to Frank Tadley and Lucas Pinto for the photographs, and Stephanie Ford of Beacon Group Real Estate for the unit staging!
Also thanks to our many speakers: Reframe Systems CEO and Co-founder Vikas Enti and Head of Business Development and Strategy Jessica Boatright; Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities Policy Chief Eric Shupin; Arlington Select Board and Housing Trust Member Eric Helmuth; Arlington Town Manager Jim Feeney, and (respectively) HCA’s President, Executive Director and Board Member and tenant: Neal Mongold, Erica Schwarz, and Makeelia Parker.
May – July 2024: “Buttoning Up” Reframe Systems and their construction team are completed the unit on site.
4-25-24: Module Delivery Day! Reframe Systems delivered and placed the two modules on the site, with the help of a very large crane.
Late March/Early April: Trenching and other work are underway to establish water and electrical connections for the new unit. The ground level structural system is being finalized to get ready for the modular unit to be placed there.
3-8-24: Demolition day! The garage behind HCA’s two-family on Dorothy Road has been demolished to make way for the new affordable home.
3-6-24: Field Trip! HCA staff, board, and real estate committee members visited Reframe Systems’ factory in Andover to see our unit being built.
News Media About the Dorothy Road ADU
7-28-24 Your Arlington: 100-plus turn out to tour solar-powered energy-efficient ADU home in East Arlington (yourarlington.com)
Project Summary
HCA is placing an Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) on one of our properties, under the Town’s ADU ordinance. This 900-square foot, 2-bedroom modular rental home will be built in a micro factory in Andover and will be installed behind our existing 2-family home on Dorothy Road. It will face a wooded site with a conservation easement, providing lovely views from the home’s windows.
At first, it may seem like developing just one unit of affordable housing is a fraction of a drop in the ocean compared to what’s needed in this housing crisis.
But this home could serve as a model for future development! The company building the home, Reframe Systems, is working to develop a lower cost way to create high quality, highly energy efficient modular homes. They also want to support the development of affordable units. Learn more about how Reframe is creating their units in this Feb 2024 Boston Globe article.
This product may help us create housing at a lower cost than traditional construction, while still creating beautiful, sustainable, affordable homes for Arlington families.
The unit was approved for zoning from the Arlington Zoning Board of Appeals in December 2023. The ADU will be placed where there is now a degrading, unused garage. The home is expected to be completed by June 2024.
PROJECT BUDGET
Total Project Cost: $316,170
Project Funding
Arlington Affordable Housing Trust Fund
Future Bank Loan