New affordable housing units open in Kent

KENT — On June 1, Kent Affordable Housing will inaugurate five new affordable apartments, which have been in the works for five years.

The opening celebration takes place from 3 to 5 p.m. at Stuart Farm Apartments, Phase II, 15 Maple St. Ext. and will feature refreshments and tours of the apartments

Two two-bedroom units and three one-bedroom units (one handicapped accessible) will welcome new residents in the next weeks. The below-market rents are approximately $400, $900 and $1100 for families making up to 25 percent, 50 percent and 80 percent of area median income, according to a news release from the organization. Three of the apartments have garages.

The development was funded by the state Department of Housing. The allvolunteer nonprofit KAH organization received guidance from Housing Enterprises Inc., support from the Town of Kent, and contributions from a broad sector of individuals and businesses in the community. Stephen Lasar Architects designed the bright, comfortable apartments, with high environmental value from Energy Star construction and photovoltaic solar installations to reduce energy costs. The general contractor was Montagno Construction.

The new units are next to the original five Stuart Farm Apartments opened in 2012.

Smaller than most affordable housing developments, the 10 homes are more like a family compound than an apartment complex. The sloping, wooded site, only one-quarter of a mile from town, was once the center of a 200-acre farm that has passed through local families whose history goes back before the American Revolution.

The land is graced by stone walls and mature trees (including a champion surviving American elm) and is bordered by land preserves on two sides. A restricted covenant on the property will guarantee the affordability of the apartments for at least 15 years.

Additional Kent Affordable Housing projects for the near future include three more units nearby at 19 Maple St. Ext. and an extensive updating of the 24 apartments at South Common (off Route 7 south of town).