Swampscott resident wins first-ever Marblehead affordable housing lottery

MARBLEHEAD – Swampscott resident Miranda Sullivan couldn?t believe her ears at first.When Fair Housing Committee member Ann Cohen drew the Sullivans? ticket from a plastic bucket Wednesday around 1:10 p.m., Sullivan and her family of four became the winners in the committee?s and the Marblehead Community Housing Corporation?s first-ever affordable housing lottery.The Sullivans were among 15 families entered in a drawing to purchase a four-bedroom condominium home on West Shore Drive for the bargain price of $207,900. Miranda and her 8-year-old son, Sam, were the only entrants attending the drawing.?Hey,” she said, and laughed. Then she and her son did a high-five and hugged. For Sam, a Hadley School student who spent Wednesday home with allergy problems, it was a big moment.?Gosh, I?m totally freaked right now,” Miranda said as she ducked outside to make a call on her cell phone.Upon her return, she said, “This is amazing. My birthday was April 17. I was hoping for a really big birthday present and this is the best present I ever had.”Consultants Haskell and Anne Dooley supervised the drawing. For the committee members in attendance n Cohen, Sarah Drewry, Paul Crosby and Don Davies n and Louis Meyu of The Connections Program, a Marblehead non-profit, the moment was also a gift.?Louis and I have been involved in drawings for 40B units before where we didn?t know who the people in the drawing were,” Cohen said. “This is much more personal.”