The town, Marblehead Housing Authority and Sustainable Marblehead have been awarded from the Metropolitan Area Planning Council to advance “Resilient by Design: Cooling Marblehead’s Housing for the Future,” a climate resilience initiative aimed at improving community spaces within public housing sites and to reduce urban heat island effect while protecting vulnerable residents. The four public housing sites that will be involved with the project are New Farrell Court, Powderhouse Court, Green Street and Barnard Hawkes Court.
This project will focus on safeguarding elderly, low-income and disabled residents, groups disproportionately at risk during increasingly frequent and dangerous extreme heat events driven by climate change. Through the design of nature-based solutions, “Resilient by Design” will work to create shaded and welcoming outdoor spaces, foster stronger social connections among residents and to lower ambient temperatures.
“Extreme heat is certainly a pressing climate challenge facing many communities. Many of our residents are vulnerable and at real risk,” said Marblehead Housing Authority Executive Director Cathy Hoog. “This grant will allow us to creatively transform developments into cooler, greener, more resilient community hubs. Creating cool, comfortable spaces encourages socialization and decreases isolation, which is beneficial and impactful for residents. We are so thankful to work with our partners in the community on this exciting project.”
This grant will not be impacted by the town’s noncompliance with the MBTA Communities Act, according to Sustainability Coordinator Logan Casey.
Editor Leigh Blander is an experienced TV, radio and print journalist.
