BURLINGTON — Gov. Phil Scott joined Burlington officials to celebrate the groundbreaking of 70 units of new affordable rental housing for older adults at the Cambrian Rise site.
Cathedral Square, a nonprofit, is leading the development of Juniper House, which will house 70 to 100 individuals at affordable and market rate units on North Avenue. Cathedral Square is aiming for a January 2021 move-in date, Cathedral Square CEO Kim Fitzgerald said.
Scott, Fitzgerald and Burlington Mayor Miro Weinberger attended the ceremonial groundbreaking Thursday morning.
“Having more homes that are more affordable to more Vermonters is critical to addressing so many of our challenges here in Vermont,” Scott said.
Juniper House will be part of the Cambrian Rise neighborhood, the 700-unit housing development between the Old North End and New North End of Burlington on prime waterfront land previously owned by Burlington College and the Roman Catholic Diocese of Burlington.
The lakeside development will include 150 new affordable housing units and a 12-acre public park, according to its website.
The $19 million building project has been funded through a wide range of sources. People’s United Bank is the lead funder, with $10.8 million in tax-credit equity. Vermont’s 2017 housing bond will contribute $2.3 million, and the Vermont Housing Finance Agency is providing $2.6 million.
The Burlington Housing Trust Fund, National Housing Trust Fund and state tax credits are also contributing to the construction.
Weinberger said the project’s North Avenue location is on the bus line, which will provide seniors living there with accessible transportation. The project will also be energy efficient and fill a gap.
“There’s a huge backlog, a huge need for affordable senior housing in this community,” Weinberger said. “And this project delivers on that need and brings it down.”
Weinberger said the project aligns with the city’s efforts to fight its affordable housing crisis. City leaders are considering a handful of housing policy reforms meant to aid in that fight.
“Days like today make us all remember that it is possible to make progress on this challenge, gives us energy and and hope that we can can succeed at that goal,” he said. “And it’s that kind of inspiration that we need.”
Gus Seelig, executive director of the Vermont Housing and Conservation Board, said the entire Cambrian Rise development was an inclusive community.
“This could have easily been a site, in some other community, which would have just been for people with great wealth with views of the lake,” he said. “That would have been one vision, and Burlington said no, we have a different vision of what that ought to be.”
At Juniper House, 25 of the units will be filled by people paying 30% of their income in rent, Fitzgerald said. Seven of the units are reserved for previously homeless individuals.
Fitzgerald said it was an exciting day, as the new building will provide older Vermonters housing with access to community and transportation.
“We celebrate that this building is permanently affordable, ensuring that future generations of older adults will have the same benefit,” she said. “So like Lake Champlain, our permanently affordable housing at Juniper House is truly a treasured resource.”
But Fitzgerald said there was still more work to be done. Cathedral Square has over 800 people on its waitlist for independent housing and 200 on its waitlist for assisted living.
There are already 200 people on the inquiry list for Juniper House, Fitzgerald said.
“There’s a huge, huge need,” Fitzgerald said. “We know older Vermonters on fixed incomes who do not have affordable housing have to make the very, very difficult choices between rent between food between medications and between care. Choices they should never have to make.”
