Construction at The Elms, a nine-unit subsidized rental development, is nearing completion, and CHOICE, the development arm of the Chelmsford Housing Authority, is now accepting applications for the units located on a four-acre parcel at 105 Stow Road. Eligibility is based on income, and qualified applicants will be entered into a lottery, which will be held Aug. 31 in Volunteers Hall in the Harvard Public Library. The units will likely be ready for occupancy sometime in mid-to-late fall.
CHOICE’s original plan to renovate the farmhouse and cottage on the property and to add three new farmhouse-style structures was scrapped after permitting negotiations with the town dragged on, which escalated costs. The Harvard Board of Health’s refusal to waive a requirement for a public water supply well eventually made the larger project economically infeasible. The cottage and farmhouse were razed, and two new buildings will now house the nine apartments.
One building contains six one-bedroom units of 703 square feet each. The other contains three two-bedroom units of 867 square feet each. Each unit has a kitchen, living room, and one full bath. One-bedroom units have a maximum household size of two, and two-bedroom units have a maximum household size of five. A laundry facility is available in one of the buildings. CHOICE also provides social services to its tenants at no cost, including financial counseling, resume writing and job search, and child care assistance.
Applicants will be entered into a lottery based on which program they qualify for—either the Massachusetts Rental Voucher Program (MRVP), or the Section 8 Project-Based Voucher Program (PBV). Six of the units will be awarded to applicants that qualify for PBV, and the other three will go to those that qualify for MRVP. Rental amounts will also be based on the program tenants qualify for.
The MRVP program is available to any Massachusetts resident whose household income does not exceed 50 percent of the area’s median income. Harvard is in the Eastern Worcester County area, and the 2017 MRVP income limit ranges from $38,000 for a household of one person to $58,800 for a household of five people. This program also has a limit on assets, which may not exceed 1.5 times the gross household income of the applicant or $15,000, whichever is greater. The PBV program income limits are lower: $22,900 for a household of one and $35,300 for a household of five, with no limit on assets.
Local preference for five of the units will be given to Harvard residents, town employees, or those who work in town. Applications must be received or postmarked by Aug. 7 at 4 p.m., and they are available at Harvard Town Hall, the library, online at www.chelmsfordha.com, or by mail by calling the Chelmsford Housing Authority at 978-256-7425. More information on The Elms and the Chelmsford Housing Authority is available at www.chelmsfordha.com.
