Lawrence, Massachusetts: From Textile Mill to Affordable Housing

June 23, 2020  

Lawrence, Massachusetts: From Textile Mill to Affordable Housing

HUD User publishes a series of case studies based on federal, state, and local strategies that increase affordable housing opportunities and support inclusive community development. The projects and community development efforts featured in these reports have demonstrated innovation through a multitude of partnerships and initiatives.

The redevelopment of the historic Duck Mill building in Lawrence, Massachusetts, into affordable housing is helping to transform a 19th-century industrial district into a 21st-century mixed-use urban neighborhood. The new Duck Mill apartments honor Lawrence’s longtime status as a magnet for new Americans in search of opportunity. Completed by local community development corporation Lawrence Community Works (LCW), the 73-unit building provides workforce housing to individuals and families earning up to 60 percent of area median income (AMI), with more than a fourth of the units further restricted to households earning up to 30 percent of AMI. In recognition of the high level of design achieved in service of preserving the historic structure, LCW received a 2018 Vanguard Award from the National Affordable Housing Management Association.

Visit HUD User's Case Studies page to learn more about affordable housing and to view other promising examples of how communities across the nation are raising the bar on inclusive community development.

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