By Gordon Anderson

On a recent Thursday evening, a stalwart group of some 30 local leaderrs and citizens gathered at the Norfolk Hub for a presentation on the state of affordable housing in Norfolk.

The Hub itself was warm and welcoming, seamlessly demonstrating its multi-purpose role as art gallery and conference center. On one side, the walls were hung with compelling photographs by Katharine Griswold, while on the other side were specification sheets, blueprints, flow charts and topographical site maps, produced by the Foundation for Norfolk Living (FNL) in developing its affordable housing projects. Artifacts also included before-and-after photographs of the recently renovated rental homes in the town center and a scale model of the proposed Haystack Woods development on Old Colony Road.

State Representative Maria Horn spoke of the importance to communities of providing access to affordable housing in general and congratulated FNL on successfully completing the first cycle of its affordable project in Norfolk. The houses purchased by or donated to the Foundation have successfully been rehabilitated to accommodate 12 rental units, all now fully tenanted, 10 of which qualify as affordable. The benefits to the town of Norfolk are already being realized, said Horn, as the renters include young singles, families, and seniors. 10 of these units qualify as affordable, and 2 are unrestricted by income. Horn closed with a salute to Norfolk’s sense of unity as demonstrated by the remarkable support of the townspeople and the blend of private donations, low interest loans, and state grant funding which made the process possible.

Founding FNL member and past president Lou Barbagallo described the foundation’s long trajectory since its creation in 2005. Guided by the principal that quality takes time, and undergirded by the strength of its community relationships, FNL navigated a complex and often challenging route to “help people move into affordable homes, and to create housing available to diverse families, including those of low income.” Barbagallo credited the commitment of FNL’s board, their partnerships with other nonprofit agencies, the help of David Berto of Housing Enterprises, Inc., and the generosity of Norfolk residents for the fact that the rental projects have been completed and are debt free.

Kate Johnson, FNL’s current president, gave a status report on the foundation’s latest endeavor, Haystack Woods. These homes would be built off Old Colony Road, on 44 acres owned by Mark Burke, and the goal is to make them part of a “net zero” affordable housing community. Based on a design originally created by Kate Johnson and builder David Jones of Revival Homes LLC, these houses will produce as much energy as they use, by incorporating solar panels on the roofs of their carports. Once the various zoning regulations and site requirements have been met, the hope is that ground can be broken for an initial cluster of 10 houses, followed by as many as 9 additional homes. 

During the course of the evening, consultant David Berto provided a synopsis of the factors a neighborhood-supported affordable housing committee requires to be successful: a dedicated local group, an experienced team, local support from the community, established market need and the willingness to “do it right.” The Foundation for Norfolk Living has certainly gathered together all these elements.