The Challenge
Through a combination of extreme rainfall, sea level rise, and storm surge, Housing Authorities across Massachusetts face difficult choices. Their developments are oftentimes in need of capital improvements, but with limited resources prioritizing resiliency-focused improvements is challenging. In particular, developments at the Gloucester, Melrose, and Chelsea Housing Authorities are vulnerable to sea level rise, storm surge, and riverine flooding. Given that residents of public housing, be they elderly residents or families, are among the most vulnerable people in Massachusetts. Ensuring their homes are more resilient is a form of environmental justice.
Project Scope
This project consisted of three specific projects, one per development at each Housing Authority. The projects were as follows:
- Chelsea Housing Authority- this 128-unit family development is close to a tidal stream, Mill Creek, which already floods during heavy rainfall and strong storms during king tides. When this happens, portions of the development would be damaged during significant flood events. Foundation walls have various sized penetrations, and there is an unreliable sump pump system. The project here is to seal penetrations of all sizes through the foundation walls, as well as provide adequate sump pump capacity.
- Melrose Housing Authority- this 150 unit development is for elderly residents, and has an electrical transformer six inches off the pavement behind a building and five inches below the design flood elevation. This area is projected to flood during extreme rain in the future. Recent storms already flood an adjacent poorly-drained ballfield, and these floodwaters reached a rear portion of the building where the transformer is located. This project is to elevate the transformer above the design flood elevation.
- Gloucester Housing Authority- this 160-unit family development is located next to Gloucester’s Mill Pond. Large portions of the development are exposed to flooding during sea level rise-fueled storm events, and portions of the development already flood during storms. This project is to install backflow prevention valves, enlarge catch basins, install yard drainage, add or expand sump pump capacity, install a new stormwater drainage system into which new gutters will flow, and floodproof exposed foundation surfaces.
Metrics
The metrics for all three projects are similar. These three projects are designed to reduce the likelihood of damage to the developments in the event of flooding. Metrics for success are that the developments either do not flood in the future or flood less severely. Equally as important is that if the developments do flood, critical infrastructure and buildings components are not damaged and can remain online until waters recede. These enable residents to remain safely and comfortably in their homes.
Results
These projects are still under construction.
Best Practices and Lessons Learned
Best practices learned from these projects to date are as follows:
- When making improvements to critical electrical infrastructure, engage with utility companies as early as possible.
- Projects at Housing Authorities take a long time to develop due to the interconnection between Housing Authorities, local municipalities, and utilities, as well as the nature of public procurement. Therefore, in order to make resilient projects of this nature more routine, beginning feasibility studies to build a pipeline of projects is necessary.
Project Alignment with ResilientMass Plan Priority Actions
All three projects are aligned with EOHLC’s priority action under the 2023 MA State Hazard Mitigation and Climate Adaptation Plan to Implement Resiliency Strategy at State-Aided Public Housing Developments.
Further Action
EOHLC intends to continue feasibility studies at developments across the state-aided housing authority portfolio. Many of these studies will turn into resiliency-focused capital projects.