Ribbon cutting at new modular energy-efficient home on July 22. / Jacob Posner photos
A new two-bedroom home on 40 Dorothy Road recently joined Arlington’s affordable-housing stock and is expected to be a hot property albeit an opportunity designated for those of low to moderate income. Not only is its rent set at $1,670 per month, representing 60 percent of average median income, but it also achieved “Passive House” status, proving that it meets high standards for sustainability. 
“I’m not sure this project could check any more boxes from the perspective of the Town of Arlington. It’s truly remarkable,” Town Manager Jim Feeney said during the July 22 ribbon-cutting ceremony in East Arlington.
More than 100 industry experts, elected officials and other interested people came to see the 900-square-foot accessory dwelling unit, or ADU. Reframe Systems, which built the modular home in its North Andover factory, offered tours of the interior before and after the speeches. The audience heard from town officials, Reframe Founder Vikas Enti and representatives of both Arlington’s Affordable Housing Trust and of the Housing Corporation of Arlington (HCA), which will decide on the tenant. Starting at 2 p.m., the event began winding down by 3:30 p.m.
A ‘pilot’ and ‘experiment’ in sustainability
The modular ADU, which Enti said was installed in less than 48 days, is designed to be sustainable, minimize construction costs and create lots of storage in a small space.
“In many ways it’s a pilot, in many ways it’s an experiment, but we’re so happy to be able to provide another unit of affordable housing,” said Neal Mongold, president of HCA’s board. 
The crowd observing the new unit; more than 100 attended.
Walking into the house, tourgoers were required to take off their shoes or put white covers on them.
The flooring is made of cork, which is sustainable, cheaper than hardwood and looks better than other options, HCA Executive Director Erica Schwarz said. The first floor has a small living room, half bath and kitchen, and the second floor has a full bathroom and two bedrooms.
Large windows let in lots of natural light, and shelves built into the walls offer space-efficient storage. Solar panels stud the roof.
Leading a tour, Reframe Senior Operations Manager Caleb Mayerson said that the structure is well insulated, meaning that windows, walls and doors are built to trap heat, decreasing emissions related to temperature regulation. The wall insulation is made of sustainable materials, including recycled cellulose.
Why modular matters
Julia Hansen, who works at GreenStaxx, of Cambridge, a company similar to Reframe, peppered Mayerson with technical questions about finishes, mechanisms and materials. Whether for market-rate or affordable housing, taking the modular approach decreases costs, which have exploded since the pandemic, she said.
Reframe Senior Operations Manager Caleb Mayerson led tours of the unit’s interior.Modular homes are those that are built at a separate location in stages and then installed at the site.
“The focus is really on shaving off construction costs that have to do with reinventing the wheel each time a building is built, like starting with fresh designs each time,” she said. “That makes your architecture fees go up for every single building, if you’re starting afresh.”
A “standardized design,” adjusted slightly for each site, decreases architectural and engineering fees, she added.
Housing helps people ‘start … fresh’
With the new tenants to be chosen by lottery, Schwarz said that the winner should be able to move in by mid-November.
Another HCA board member, Makeelia Parker, told the audience how affordable housing in Arlington helped her get back on her feet some time back.
“I came from Pittsfield because I was in a car accident, so I was staying with family in Arlington,” she said. “When it was time for me to go home, my son loved it here and didn’t want to leave.” Plus, there weren’t many opportunities for her back in Pittsfield, she added.
“It was really overwhelming to think, ‘How am I going to find an apartment within the couple months before [his] school starts?’ ”
After putting her name into the lottery, she said she got a “brand-new” first-floor apartment near her son’s school. 
HCA board member Makeelia Parker advocates for affordable-housing options such as the new ADU.
“The community helped a lot. People that I don’t even know were offering me rides, picking my children up from camp, showing me places to bring them to play, taking them for me because I couldn’t take them myself.”
Thanks to neighbors’ generosity and the HCA, she’s now in school full time herself. As a member of the board, her aim is to help people “get somewhere where they can build roots and start somewhere fresh.”
Policy in action
Eric Shupin, director of policy at the state Executive Office of Housing & Livable Communities, said he was excited to see policy in action.
“Homes like this ADU offer opportunities for a parent taking care of their child with a disability, or for an aging homeowner who wants to stay in their home . . . or for the young professional just starting out.”
Gov. Maura T. Healey’s Affordable Homes Act, which is well on its way to becoming law, would allow ADUs byright across the state. Arlington adopted permission for the use of ADUs into its zoning bylaws in 2021.
July 17, 2024: Ribbon-cutting for all-electric ADU took place in East Arlington
This news summary with photos by YourArlingotn freelancer Jacob Posner was published Friday, July 26, 2024.
