Thirteen years of partnership and collaboration have resulted in the completion of Easthampton Meadow, a mixed-income housing and community development for older adults and families with foster children, in Easthampton, Hampshire County, Massachusetts. Early last month the project’s funders, the State Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) and NHC member MassHousing, and developers Beacon Communities LLC and Transformations, Inc. celebrated the completion of the project.
Easthampton Meadow sits on 46 acres and combines three interconnected neighborhoods and housing options. The development consists of Treehouse at Easthampton Meadow, The Homes at Easthampton Meadow and seven single-family lots for custom-built homes. Easthampton Meadow incorporates many principals of sustainable development, including open space, higher density development and Energy Star rated homes. DHCD and MassHousing contributed roughly $16 million in financing for the development, with MassHousing specifically providing over $5 million in loans for Treehouse at Easthampton meadow and The Homes at Easthampton Meadow.
“The completion of this multi-phased community is a remarkable accomplishment on many different levels,” Thomas R. Gleason, executive director of MassHousing said in a press release. “Beacon Communities and its development team created top-quality, highly energy efficient housing for senior citizens and families, particularly for those who have selflessly taken mentoring, fostering and adoption roles in the lives of foster children who are among the most vulnerable members of our society.”
This comprehensive community development initiative has received many awards and praise for its innovative and cost-effective approach to providing affordable housing and services to special-needs populations. This year, our Annual Gala will honor two comprehensive community development initiatives, one in Ohio and the other in Atlanta, that have helped to revitalize low-income communities and those hit hardest by the foreclosure crisis. Read about our 2015 Gala honorees here.
The Easthampton Meadow community is now fully occupied.