On Wednesday a large crowd gathered to celebrate the opening of Harrington Village and the Wright House in Shelburne, Vermont. Three local nonprofit housing development groups – Champlain Housing Trust, Housing Vermont, and Cathedral Square, came together to build this mixed-income, mixed-generation neighborhood consisting of 78 new homes. In addition, Champlain Housing Trust and Green Mountain Habitat for Humanity are working together to build four affordable homes on the property. As of now there are 42 family apartments in Harrington Village and 36 senior apartments in Wright House. The Wright House also offers SASH (Supportive Services at Home) at no additional cost to residents.
Photo credit: Jon Shenton/Champlain Housing Trust Governor Peter Shumlin, who was present to speak to the crowd and celebrate the efforts of everyone involved, made this statement in yesterday’s press release:
“After many years of planning and persistence, this new neighborhood in the heart of Shelburne is now a reality. Harrington Village, including Wright House, brings together homes for all ages and a variety of income levels. Surrounded by open land but in the center of the village, it is providing both affordable housing and a good quality of life for residents.”
While there is great need for more safe and affordable housing across the state of Vermont, it is in particularly high demand for Chittenden County where vacancy rates are currently less than one percent. In their coverage of the event, this New England Cable News article mentions some of these issues facing Chittenden County and the fact that while many are already benefiting from this new housing, there is also a long waiting list of people looking to live in both Harrington Village and Wright House.
For further coverage of the event, click here and here. You can also view the video coverage from WCAX in the embedded video below:
Comments