Joint Venture with Affordable Housing and Services Collaborative and Onyx Group Development
Braintree and Foxborough, MA (September 25, 2026) – Peabody Properties, an affiliate of The Peabody Companies, a group of award-winning property management and real estate firms now celebrating its 50th anniversary, proudly announces that Walnut Knoll in Foxborough, Massachusetts, has been named the recipient of the 2026 Vanguard Award in the New Construction, Over 100 Units category.
Walnut Knoll is a 200-unit affordable rental housing development for adults 55 and older. The property is owned by AHSC Peabody Developer LLC & Onyx Group Development, with Peabody Properties Inc. serving as management company. Situated on a 15-acre parcel at the corner of Walnut Street and Route 140 in Foxborough, the community opened to residents in September 2025.
The Vanguard Awards recognize newly developed or significantly rehabbed affordable multifamily housing communities that showcase high-quality design and resourceful financing. The awards serve to showcase exceptional new affordable housing nationwide; affirm the creativity required to develop such properties amid financial and operational challenges; highlight the results of essential public-private partnerships; and share innovative design and financing approaches that inspire continued creativity across the affordable multifamily industry. The judges for this year’s Vanguard Awards were distinguished NAHMA members from across the country.
“Walnut Knoll reflects what’s possible when committed partners come together to create high-quality affordable housing,” said Melissa Fish-Crane, principal and CEO of The Peabody Companies. “We’re proud to see this community recognized with a Vanguard Award and equally proud of our collaboration with AHSC and Onyx Group Development.”
The Affordable Housing Vanguard Awards winners will be recognized at an awards ceremony at the NAHMA Biannual Top Issues in Affordable Housing Conference in November in Washington, D.C.
NAHMA is the leading voice for the affordable housing management industry, promoting developing, managing and preserving quality affordable multifamily housing. NAHMA advocates for legislative and regulatory policy and provides affordable housing professionals with the knowledge to advance excellence in the communities they serve. NAHMA’s membership represents 75% of the affordable housing industry and includes its most distinguished multifamily owners and management companies.
