Evaluation committee hears Affirmative Investments’ proposals for Orange Street, Vesper Lane and Bartlett Road

The Nantucket Affordable Housing Evaluation Committee met July 31, 2025, to hear a presentation from Affirmative Investments on proposals to develop three town-owned parcels at Orange Street, Vesper Lane and Bartlett Road and to begin the committee’s scoring of Proposal 2.

Why it matters: the projects combined would create 57 income-restricted rental units across three sites, require a significant town subsidy and use layered state and federal funding. Committee members said the design and program would expand local affordable and workforce housing but flagged repayment risk to the town and property-management experience for LIHTC-funded units.

Affirmative Investments’ presentation and sites

David Anderson, president of Affirmative Investments, introduced the team and the firm’s experience developing tax-credit and community-based housing across Massachusetts. Virginia (Affirmative’s design lead) described site layouts and building designs. Orange Street: 28 units in four buildings (12 one-bedrooms, 12 two-bedrooms, 4 three-bedrooms) with 28 parking spaces, a preserved central tree and a proposed bus shelter/pull-off. Bartlett Road: 12 units (8 one-bedrooms, 4 two-bedrooms) with concealed parking between buildings. Vesper Lane: a senior (55+) design with 17 units (15 one-bedrooms, 2 two-bedrooms), an accessible single-floor design in most buildings, a circular walking path and on-site solar panels and climate-controlled tenant storage. Virginia noted elevators and shared management space where planned.

Financing, timing and program differences

Tara (Affirmative presenter on finance) laid out two financing paths the proposer submitted: (1) a workforce-housing approach in which the Orange Street and Bartlett Road buildings would be…