By Eva Erlich, Vice President, and Michael Lozano, Senior Project Manager
Washington Village is the oldest public housing site in Connecticut and experienced significant damage and flooding during Superstorm Sandy in 2012. Over the past few years, Trinity and the Norwalk Housing Authority have worked with the residents and local and state agencies to develop a plan to replace the housing on site with a design for the new buildings that pairs style with sustainability and flood resiliency. When completed, this revitalization will replace the existing Washington Village with 273 new, safe, modern apartments, including a one-for-one replacement of the 136 public housing units that existed there at the start of construction.
On the afternoon of Wednesday, October 24, we gathered with dozens of our partners, community members and elected officials, including Gov. Dan Malloy, U.S. Representative Jim Himes and Norwalk Mayor Harry Rilling, to celebrate an important milestone in our redevelopment of Norwalk’s Washington Village – the completion of Phase One and the start of Phase Two! Now at the close of Phase One, there are 80 new thoughtfully modern apartment homes at 13 and 20 Day Street.
The revitalization of this community started with the search for a new name. We worked with the NHA and polled the Washington Village residents to select a name, and when the votes were tallied, the winner was clear: Soundview Landing. This name pays homage to the City of Norwalk’s maritime history and the beautiful views of the Long Island Sound.
At the ribbon cutting, Governor Malloy told the crowd, “Housing is fundamental to who we are and how we raise our children. We need a broader brush of affordable housing through our state.” At Trinity, we could not agree more. We are proud to now be able to share Phase One with the South Norwalk community, and also look forward to the completion of the whole project!
Phase One is now complete and leasing and the entire site will be complete in 2022. Check out the new website to learn more about Soundview Landing!
At the core of all Trinity projects are the community, its residents, and 
Orient Heights, a public housing development, was originally built in 1951 and has been owned and managed by the Boston Housing Authority. The dated property sorely needed improvements to provide residents with quality housing within a healthier, more vibrant living environment. We were selected, along with the East Boston CDC, to bring this transformation to life. 
As we cut the ribbon to celebrate the completion of this first phase, MassHousing Executive Director Chrystal Kornegay reminded us all that, “We always remember what we do this for – at the end of the day it’s about the residents and we all know that and keep our eyes on the prize.” This is something we take to heart at Trinity, as we always work to develop communities that enhance the quality of life for residents and the surrounding neighborhood.
Like most of our projects, the Overlook Terrace at Orient Heights revitalization is a collaborative effort between both public and private partners, and we were proud to stand alongside many of them at the ribbon cutting. Phase Two of construction is now underway, and will consist of 88 rental units in a combination of townhouse and mid-rise buildings, as well as new and improved open spaces. We’re hoping for a smooth construction phase and are as eager as the residents to fulfill the vision of a renewed community in this Orient Heights neighborhood!
