The Housing Corporation of Arlington (HCA) has announced the completion of its solar-powered accessory dwelling unit (ADU) — a project in the works since December.
The affordable, all-electric ADU at 40 Dorothy Road in East Arlington. / Courtesy: Erica Schwarz
A ribbon-cutting ceremony to celebrate the town’s first all-electric affordable home took place at 2 p.m. Monday, July 22, at 40 Dorothy Road, in East Arlington, according to HCA’s executive director, Erica Schwarz. RSVPs are encouraged but not required; this can be done by contacting Schwarz.
Those attending can expect to hear from public officials, communiy leaders, local residents and clients of HCA. This is to be a free event with light refreshments served, and is to include an opportunity for guests to tour the unit.
According to the HCA website, the town of Arlington is viewing this project as a model for future development.
The company building the home, Reframe Systems, is working to create a lower-cost way to create high-quality, energy-efficient modular homes and also wants to support the development of affordable units.
The Boston Globe reported in February about how the company is creating units; read more here >>
According to Schwarz, this unit is limited to households earning 60 percent of the Area Median Income or below, and households requiring two bedrooms are expected to be prioritized. The application should be available by month’s end; a lottery process among qualified candidates will be used to select the resident, with expected move-in some time in November. Those interested in receiving the application may email: eschwarz@housingcorparlington.
The construction was approved by the town’s Zoning Board of Appeals in December 2023. In March of 2024, HCA began demoliton efforts of the garage behind the corporation-owned two-family home there.
The new residence is a 900-square foot, two-bedroom modular rental home. According to HCA, it was built in a micro factory in Andover and later installed in its existing Arlington location.
HCA has posted a timeline of the project, viewable here >>
This home is a fully equipped family unit engineered and designed to be net-zero energy and to meet PHIUS Zero standards (commonly referred to as “Passive House” certification), according to Reframe System’s website.
According to its website, HCA provides affordable, stable housing and empowers residents in order to build a supportive and equitable community.
Learn more here >>
March 24, 2023: HCA gets $20,000 from Mount Auburn Hospital
This news announcement was published Wednesday, July 17, 2024, based on information from Erica Schwarz, executive director of Housing Corporation of Arlington. It was updated the evening of July 22, to note that the event took place. More will be reported.
