Maverick Landing

          

Year Completed: 2006
Total units: 396
Total Development Cost: $120 million
Developer: Trinity Financial, Inc. and East Boston CDC
Property Manager: Trinity Management Co.

Awards:

• Affordable Housing Finance Magazine's 2006 Reader's Choice Award for the Nation's Best Housing Development
• NAMHA’s 2008 National Award for Best Turnaround of a Troubled Property
• 2009 Terner Prize for innovation and leadership in affordable housing

Contact:  For more information or to apply for housing contact the Maverick Landing management office at 617-569-7455.  

Project Background:

In October 2001, BHA was awarded a $35 million HOPE VI grant for the redevelopment of the Maverick Gardens public housing development, located near Maverick Square in East Boston.

The original Maverick Gardens consisted of 413 severely distressed public housing units in three-story barracks-style brick buildings. The development has been replaced with 396 mixed-income rental units both on the Maverick Gardens site and on an offsite vacant lot known as Carlton Wharf, which is directly across Sumner Street from the Maverick Gardens site.
 
The new Maverick Landing offers a variety of housing types, including townhouses, duplexes with individual entries, and mid-rise apartment buildings. The development provides 396 rental units on five full city blocks (including the Carlton Parcel), with a total site area of nine acres, at an approximate urban density of 44 units per acre. This HOPE VI project also includes a loan-to-purchaser homeownership program and a community and supportive services program ("CSS") for the residents. 

Green Building Initiative:

The Maverick Gardens project received a Green Building Design and Construction Grant in the amount of $477,675 from the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative through its Renewable Energy Trust Fund Program. The purpose of the grant was to implement measures in the Phase 1 midrise building that produced valuable energy savings and new sources for renewable energy. Using funds from this grant, the Maverick Garden’s development team facilitated a fully integrated design process, which resulted in an integration of a broad hierarchy of green, energy efficient, healthy, safe and durable initiatives to enhance the living experience for the residents. Under the Energy Star Home initiative, the project has adopted standards for insulation, windows, air leakage, HVAC equipment, appliances (refrigerators, dishwasher), and light bulbs. Additionally, the project includes solar panels, cogeneration (Tecogen), absorption chiller/heater, and material recycling. 

Best Practices:

BHA and its developer for the Maverick Landing HOPE VI project, Trinity Financial, Inc. agreed to contribute construction cost savings to an endowment fund that would secure the ongoing provision of supportive services at the Maverick Landing site. This foresight and cooperation between BHA and its developer resulted in the accumulation of $1,960,567 in savings that are now being used to fund supportive services. With these funds, BHA and Trinity created the functional equivalent of a CSS endowment trust.  Upon HUD approval of the Maverick Landing Endowment Proposal an additional $1,150,947of remaining HOPE VI funds was deposited in this endowment for a total CSS endowment of $3,111,514.
 
Maverick Landing Community Services, Inc. (“MLCS”) was created as a 501(c) (3) corporation for the charitable purpose of providing supportive services to the residents of Maverick Landing.  MLCS exists exclusively for the charitable purpose of improving and enhancing the Maverick Landing community and the surrounding East Boston neighborhood for residents of all ages through the provision and coordination of social services. These services include but are not limited to job training and job placement assistance, computer education, after school and summer programs; educational programs and sponsorship of civic activities that foster improved personal and community life. MLCS was officially awarded 501(c)(3) status by the IRS on December 26, 2007.
 
The MLCS Board of Directors consists of representatives from the following organizations: Trinity Financial, Inc., Boston Housing Authority, East Boston Community Development Corporation, Maverick Tenants Organization, and a resident of East Boston.
 
MLCS sought to build upon the existing BHA CSS Program and partnerships and to seamlessly transition service provision.   The four key elements of the MLCS supportive service program include resident service provision, employment counseling, youth programming and computer center operations.