It came down to the wire, but Harvard’s Municipal Affordable Housing Trust acted according to its mission of providing for the “creation and preservation of affordable housing in the Town of Harvard” by contributing some of its funds to delay the bank auction of The Inn and Great Elms, the only affordable rental complexes in Harvard not age-restricted.

The details of the deal worked out between the housing trust and North Middlesex Savings Bank have not been released, but it’s clear the trust contributed enough to get the bank to postpone the auctions of Dec. 8 and 15 to January. The bank says it’s ready to postpone again, and we hope we will be running news of that postponement in this paper.

Even better news would be a resolution that would allow the historic buildings to continue to serve as affordable housing and the current tenants to continue to live there. Perhaps it’s not too late to engage a consultant to study and report on the matter. The housing trust failed to do that this fall, even though its members voted in August to spend $10,000 to do so.

Affordable housing isn’t just a state mandate. It’s one of the keys to maintaining a diverse and welcoming community. By providing affordable housing in historic buildings in the center, rather than the outskirts, of town, Harvard does affordable housing right. It would be a shame to lose that.

Every board and official working on the immediate and long-term needs of this town should be making affordable housing a priority. Now is the time to come forward with creative solutions that will save The Inn and Great Elms.