Morrisville, VT - Nonprofit affordable housing developers Lamoille Housing Partnership (LHP) and Housing Vermont (HVT) have proposed development of a new construction project in Morrisville. Village Center Apartments will create 22 brand new affordable rental apartments for low and moderate-income residents on a previously unused in-fill lot in the heart of the downtown.

“Village Center Apartments will reinvigorate Morrisville’s downtown, supporting the community’s continued success and vibrancy into the future. LHP, HVT and LHP’s board of trustees are extremely excited about this project,” says Jim Lovinsky, Executive Director of Lamoille Housing Partnership. “We believe that success starts at home, and Village Center Apartments creates opportunities for all community members to thrive.”

“Housing Vermont and Lamoille Housing Partnership have a successful history developing affordable housing together,” said Nancy Owens, President of Housing Vermont.  “In partnering on the development of Village Center Apartments, we believe we will improve the lives of the residents and strengthen the economy of Morrisville.”

Comprised of a mixture of affordable studios, one and two bedroom rental apartments, Village Center Apartments are income eligible and designated for the community’s low and moderate-income residents. Located on Hutchins Street, the building design includes two staircases, an elevator, a common area with Wi-Fi, indoor bike storage and sidewalk bike racks. Standing at four stories, the upper level apartments and community sunroom afford views of the surrounding mountains. On site amenities include mail and laundry.

Monthly rental rates range from $650 to $1,000 including heat and utilities. According to the “Lamoille Housing Needs & Assessment Study,” a recent housing analysis of the Lamoille region, fair market rents for similar types of apartments range from $1,000 to $1,400 per month excluding heat and utilities.

Recent zoning changes enacted by the Town of Morrisville opened up the possibility for the affordable housing development duo to transform the unused lot into apartments. “These zoning changes are a win for affordable housing, downtown development, and inclusive communities,” says Lovinsky. Acknowledging that the project includes some challenges, such as the small and steep nature of the site, and soil remediation to clean up past fire damage, Lovinsky is unphased.

“Far outweighing the development challenges are the many opportunities and multitude of benefits shared by our residents and the larger community,” says Lovinsky. “The site’s central location reduces transportation barriers, because of downtown Morrisville’s walkable nature, as well as proximity to public transportation.” He opines that Village Center Apartments’ residents may not need to own a vehicle and bear the associated costs. “Residents will have increased access to important local resources including human service agencies, Copley Hospital, and the library, as well as grocery stores, local schools and jobs, and all that the downtown has to offer. Opportunities for outdoor recreation and the arts are right around the corner with valuable community assets such as Lamoille Valley Rail Trail, Oxbow Park and River Arts.”

The project has garnered community support from State Representative Dave Yacovone and Clarina Howard Nichols Center (CHNC) Executive Director, Becky Gonyea.

“What a win-win project this is! Not only will it improve our village but it will help our neighbors in need with affordable housing,” says Yacovone.

Gonyea says her organization has experienced “an increase in calls from individuals who are in unsafe, shared living situations due to the lack of safe, affordable housing in the area.” She adds, “many homeless households receiving housing vouchers cannot find a unit that meets the voucher requirements due to high rents and substandard conditions.”

The building’s design team includes Housing Vermont, Vermont Integrated Architects, Neagly & Chase Construction Company, Engineering Ventures, Vermont Energy Investment Corporation, Engineering Services of Vermont, and Stowe-based Mumley Engineering Incorporated.

Village Center Apartments is currently phasing from schematic design towards finalizing cost estimation. Anticipated funding sources include Vermont Housing & Conservation Board (VHCB,) Vermont Community Development Program (VCDP,) Low Income Housing Tax Credits (LIHTC,) LIHTC investors, Vermont Housing Finance Agency (VHFA,) and Housing Ministries of New England (HMNE.) Notably, a significant portion of the funding comes from the $37 million housing bond, passed by the Vermont Legislature in 2017.

“In the past 28 years, LHP has invested more than $50 million dollars in community development projects across Lamoille County and Hardwick, resulting in the addition of 281 affordable rental apartments including projects such as Arthur’s on Main and Lamoille View in Morrisville, and Sylvan Woods in Stowe,” says Lovinsky. The nonprofit’s housing portfolio also includes affordable housing sites in Jeffersonville, Johnson, and Hardwick.

LHP expects to break ground on Village Center Apartments in October 2020, with residents moved in by the following year. “We’re eager to share news and information about Village Center Apartments, and invite the community to join us for a cup of coffee at our upcoming Open House,” says Lovinsky. LHP’s Open House happens December 4th from 7am – 9am at Black Cap Coffee & Beer in downtown Morrisville. Open House details available at www.lamoillehousing.org/events or by emailing LHP’s Public Relations Manager, Kerrie Lohr, kerrie@lamoillehousing.org. 

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Lamoille Housing Partnership develops, rehabilitates, and maintains safe, decent, energy efficient affordable housing through rental, home ownership, and other means to low and moderate-income persons and families living within Lamoille County and the Town of Hardwick. Additional community development projects are located in Stowe, Morrisville, Jeffersonville, Johnson, and Hardwick. Lamoille Housing Partnership provides such assistance without discrimination or prejudice, using a combination of private and public funding partnerships. Lamoille Housing Partnership is an IRS approved 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization. Learn more at www.lamoillehousing.org.

Housing Vermont is a private, nonprofit development company founded in 1988 to produce permanently affordable rental housing for Vermonters through partnerships with communities and the private sector. Since its inception, Housing Vermont has raised more than $360 million in private equity to finance 180 affordable rental housing developments throughout the State.  This equity has leveraged an additional $470 million in private financing and public investment.  The 6,000 apartments created or renovated in these efforts serve low and moderate income Vermonters including seniors and those with special needs. Housing Vermont's New Markets Tax Credit program, Vermont Rural Ventures, has created favorable financing in excess of $163 million for 19 economic development projects in low-income areas.  Housing Vermont is an active member of the National Association of State and Local Equity Funds (NASLEF).  www.housingvermont.org