In partnership with Evernorth and with support from the Town of Colchester, Champlain Housing Trust began construction in March on a new building in Colchester featuring 36 affordable apartments that will add brand new one, two, or three-bedrooms to a very tight Chittenden County housing market. The energy efficient four-story building will be on newly constructed Stuart Avenue as part of Sunderland Farms, a larger development by SD Ireland on the southeast corner of Route 2 and Severance Road that will have 200 apartments and condominiums along with retail and commercial space.
Stuart Avenue Apartments and the Sunderland Farms development are located close to schools, bus lines to and from Milton and Burlington, and Exit 16 – this location is ideal for commuting to jobs in surrounding towns and cities like Essex, Winooski, and Burlington. Designated as a growth center by the Town of Colchester, this new community development is adjacent to the Sunny Hollow Natural Area which has miles of trails for walking, biking, or skiing that residents can enjoy. A new playground near Stuart Avenue Apartments is also in the plans. Future work by VTrans will increase bike and pedestrian safety and ensure access to the nearby Green Mountain Transit bus stop.
Expected to be move-in ready by April 2023, Stuart Avenue Apartments will have 14 one-bedroom; 14 two-bedroom; and eight three-bedroom apartments available. Designed to meet the need for larger apartments with permanently affordable rents, the overall living space will range between 600 to 1,200 square feet. Building plans include a community room, on-site laundry, a parking garage, and space for garden beds.
The lack of available apartments has been widely publicized, as has the skyrocketing rents. According to the National Low Income Housing Coalition, in Chittenden County the household wage to afford a two-bedroom apartment is more than $31 per hour.
The rents for the apartments include heat and hot water and will be well below market rents and be affordable to a wide range of incomes. Applications are now open for Stuart Avenue Apartments.