Dear members of the COS,

The work flow at Hubbard Brook is governed by the seasons and, at the HBRF, our housing program tracks the migratory patterns of summer researchers.  Like many of you, we are gearing up for the field season, and HBRF staff have been working to coordinate your on-site research housing.  With that in mind, I thought I’d share some information about our Mirror Lake business plan in hopes of demystifying our rental policies and practices.

As you probably know, HBRF purchased the Mirror Lake property in 2004 to protect the land and the lake from development and to provide communal housing for field research teams that were previously scattered across private rental units, with some researchers commuting up to 25 minutes one way to Hubbard Brook.  In order to cover expenses related to managing and maintaining the facility, in 2012 we implemented a business plan aimed at maximizing scientist occupancy while making units available to non-scientist residents in the off seasons.  The formula for long-term and seasonal rentals enables us to offer subsidized housing to our research community, with scientist rates 40% lower than comparable summer housing in the area.  

Making research housing available to Hubbard Brook’s scientific community when you need it and at reduced rates is our priority.  Our business plan, including non-scientist rentals, enables us to cover direct costs related to managing the facility (staff time, utilities, vendors).  Investments in large-scale repair or improvement projects are a challenge, but retiring the remaining mortgage (current balance = $138,000) will enable us to redirect loan payments to facility upgrades and public outreach programs.

Here are a few things that you can do to support our on-site housing program at Hubbard Brook:  

- If you haven't already, contribute to our $50,000 matching challenge toward property loan repayment before the end of July.  Your contribution will be matched dollar-for-dollar.

- Spread the word about summer housing opportunities.  This summer, the demand for research housing is relatively light.  We expect to have room for your visiting family and friends, and we always prefer to rent to people who are connected to Hubbard Brook.

Please don’t hesitate to contact me if you have any questions.

Looking forward to seeing you this summer at Hubbard Brook.

Sincerely,

Anthea