26 get affordable units at ex-Symmes site

Following a Nov. 18 lottery, 26 are getting affordable housing among the 164 rental units at Arlington 360.

Laura Wiener, town housing director, said 53 eligible households applied and were in the lottery. Among all applicants, 55 percent were minority households, and 30 percent were Arlington residents.

Apartments are considered affordable to households with incomes at or below 80 percent of Area Median Income (AMI).

Nine apartments considered middle income are available to households with incomes below 120 percent of the AMI standard.

Earlier, the rental ranges were reported for the homes with a view of Boston on the site of the former Symmes Hospital.

Globe, Oct. 13: Buyers seek townhomes, rentals | Globe, Oct. 31: Larger units limited

The income limits for affordable and the middle range are reflected in the chart below.

A public-information session about housing for these income ranges was held at 6 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 8, in the Arlington Senior Center, main room, 27 Maple St., next to Town Hall.

Completed applications and required income documentation for this housing must have been received, not postmarked, by 2 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 5. Read the information packet here (.PDF).

Those receiving this housing found out after a lottery, held at 6 p.m. Monday, Nov 18, in the Senior Center, mural room.

Apartments include designer finishes, such as plank flooring, stainless-steel appliances and designer cabinetry in the kitchens, tile floors in the baths, and in-unit washers and dryers.

Community amenities include a pool, fitness center, clubhouse, two business centers, tot lot, sport court, community garden and easy access to two public parks.

Caution about condo conversion

One caution: The apartments may be converted to condominiums. The date of conversion is unknown but eligible tenants in the units will be given the first opportunity to purchase their unit at affordable or middle-income prices. See the information packet for more details.

For lottery information and application, or for reasonable accommodations for persons with disabilities, go to www.s-e-b.com/lottery or call 617-782-6900, extension 3, and leave a message.

Applications and information also available at the Robbins Library, 700 Mass. Ave. (Monday through Wednesday, 9 to 9; Thursday, 1 to 9; Friday and Saturday, 9 to 5; Sunday, 2 to 5) and Arlington Town Hall Planning Department, 730 Mass. Ave. (Monday through Wednesday 8 to 4, Thursday 8 to 7, Friday 8 to noon).

The information about the affordable units was listed in a classified advertisement published in the Sept. 5 Advocate. The weekly newspaper has not yet published a news story about the prices — rental or purschase — at Arlington 360.

Laura Wiener, director of housi9ng for Arlington, confirmed Sept. 9 the information in the classified ad.

She said the AMI is a number set by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. The numbers affecting Arlington are those set for the Boston/Cambridge/Quincy area.

This story was published Monday, Sept. 9, 2013, and updated Nov. 24.