Wenham, MA Harborlight Homes, a nonprofit affordable home developer and manager, celebrated the completion of its newest community, Maple Woods, with project team Windover Construction and SV Design with a ribbon-cutting event. The event commemorated the project’s success and acknowledged all the stakeholders who helped bring the much-needed affordable housing to town. The ribbon cutting also marked the start of resident move-in. 

“We are very happy to have reached this milestone,” said Andrew DeFranza, executive director of Harborlight Homes. “Maple Woods represents the hard work of many project partners and donors who helped bring this to fruition. Designed for aging in place, it will serve vulnerable seniors for decades to come.”

Located on a four-acre wooded lot, Maple Woods is comprised of 45 one-bedroom apartment homes, all built for aging-in-place with ADA accessibility. Maple Woods will not only be affordable – supporting low- and fixed-income seniors – but will also offer on-site property management and service coordination. Amenities include community gardens, a computer room, a library, laundry rooms, a salon, private porches, common lounge areas, and walking paths.

The project emphasizes sustainability and energy efficiency and expects to be LEED Gold Certified.

Construction began in early 2023 with a focus on an environment of wellness for the residents. The need for affordable homes for people of all ages was evidenced by the number of applications received from elders seeking an affordable place to live. Close to 400 applications were received for the 45 available units, from those who currently reside across the North Shore, and Greater Boston.

The event began with building tours and a Massachusetts Senate Citation presented by senator Bruce Tarr and representative Sally Kerans. It also included remarks by several funding partners. In addition, Wenham town representative Huntley Skinner of the Wenham Affordable Housing Trust spoke on behalf of the community, and presentations were made to honor posthumously Anthony Feeherry and Harriet Davis by dedicating benches in their names for their work and support of Maple Woods. 

“Maple Woods will provide seniors with an affordable and serene setting to call home,” said Thad Siemasko, founding principal at SV Design. “In planning, we carefully considered how best to create a space here for residents to live life to the fullest, and we’re grateful to be a part of bringing this community to Wenham.” 

“The Windover team is proud of our partnership with Harborlight and SV Design to bring this important project to our community, and excited to mark its completion with a celebration,” said Stuart Meurer, president and CEO of Windover Construction. “This project is a testament to true purpose-driven collaboration, and I look forward to this special place being a home for local seniors.”