BRISTOL — Two Bristol apartment complexes that offer affordable housing options — Pleasant Hills Apartments on Mountain Street and Bristol Family Housing on Hunt Farm Road — are about to get major upgrades.
Burlington-based nonprofit developer Housing Vermont, which purchased Pleasant Hills in 2014 and has just announced its intention to purchase Bristol Family Housing, is planning major renovations for both complexes.
Built in 1980, the 16-unit Pleasant Hills complex provides Section-8 housing for low- and fixed-income seniors, who pay no more than 30 percent of their income toward rent.
Construction on Mountain Street, which is scheduled to begin in September and will require several months to complete, is aimed at increasing energy efficiency, said Housing Vermont Vice President for Development Kathy Beyer.
Buildings will get new windows and siding, as well as improvements to their thermal shells.
Each unit will also get a new kitchen and bathroom.
Funding for the $1.3 million project comes from a variety of state and federal sources, including the Vermont Housing & Conservation Board (VHCB), the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit.
While their apartments undergo renovation Pleasant Hills residents will have to relocate for a short period of time. Those unable to stay with friends or family have the option of relocating to one of Housing Vermont’s properties in Middlebury or to the Sonesta hotel in Williston. Housing Vermont intends to pay residents’ moving costs, Beyer said.
Housing Vermont also plans to purchase and rehabilitate Bristol Family Housing, which has nine two- and three-bedroom apartments on a 25-acre site on the edge of town.
Using $250,000 in VHCB funds, $90,000 in HUD funds and $705,000 in National Housing Trust funds, Housing Vermont will purchase the Bristol Family Housing property and perform renovations that will increase energy efficiency and accessibility and address deferred maintenance. A small office will be added for on-site property management functions.
Reach Christopher Ross at [email protected]