Newburyport Daily News
City eyes affordable housing
Stephanie Chelf, Staff WriterJune 5, 2006
NEWBURYPORT - Across the city, several individuals and groups are trying to address affordable housing, holding public discussions and looking at developing lower-cost apartments.
Now those advocates are looking to City Hall for some sort of central figure or group to coordinate housing projects more effectively.
It is not easy, advocates say, to build affordable housing and eliminate the stigma that surrounds it. The city needs both a plan and a group to provide leadership and direction for lower-cost homes.
"Newburyport really needs an affordable housing partnership to be a springboard, a voice for affordable housing. It is time we formed that," said Karen Weiner, a Newburyport resident and director of special projects at the Citizens' Housing and Planning Association, statewide nonprofit agency that oversees affordable housing and community development.
Housing prices have soared over the last five years, making a 13 percent jump just from 2003 to 2004. As costs grow, the need for affordable homes becomes more and more prevalent.
Affordable housing is the designation for homes sold at reduced cost to low- to moderate-income individuals or families as set by federal standards using an area's median income.
"I'm one of those faces who can't afford to live in Newburyport without it," said Beth Horne, an associate pastor at a Manchester church. Following her divorce, Horne spent two years searching for a home or condominium in Newburyport that was within her $200,000 price range.
Her options were few and far between.
Horne, active with regional affordable housing groups, learned about the Moseley redevelopment project near Merrimac Street and Ferry Road. The project included 14 market-rate condominiums and two affordable homes. Horne applied for and won the lottery for one of the affordable homes.
"It's like this incredible gift," said Horne, who has two teenagers. "I can't believe it's mine."
Horne's two-bedroom condominium cost $165,000 and allowed her to continue to live in Newburyport, where she has lived for the past 20 years.
"I just feel so fortunate," Horne said. "I would love to see more of these opportunities for people like me, the schoolteachers, city workers, the artists, musicians, who can't afford to live here."
The city's 2001 Master Plan outlined a broad goal of increasing less expensive homes. To attain the state-mandated 10 percent affordable housing goal, the city needs 24 affordable homes each year for 20 years, according to the Master Plan.
"This will require a significant investment of public funds as well as a major shift in the pattern of housing development in the city," the plan states.
The Master Plan highlighted several strategies to add affordable housing:
- use regulatory techniques to promote wide-ranging housing costs
- examine zoning incentives and design standards to encourage affordable housing
- review potential barriers to multifamily housing by examining density and dimensional standards
Two goals in that plan have been achieved: The former DPW Foundry site on Merrimac Street is under construction for an affordable housing development and the Federal Street overlay district added affordable housing to the development of the former Archdiocese of Boston property.
Many point to the Foundry project as one of the city's successes in addressing the issue. The former public works site is under construction for 20 condominiums, 13 that will be sold to low- and moderate-income buyers.
The city in 2002 sought bids from developers to complete the project. In the partnership, the city donated the land for $1 to the selected developer.
The project was in the works for three years before construction finally began, as developer Trinity Financial worked through design, permitting and financial issues. The project was supported by more than $1 million in state grants.
"The Foundry project is a telling success of what the community can do," Horne said. "Because the price of land is so high in Newburyport, it really does take creative partnerships and incentives for developers. There are creative opportunities for the city to work with developers to provide affordable housing for the community. The gift: You are able to create and keep economic diversity."
The next step is a more comprehensive plan and a group to lead more efforts to build lower-cost homes, advocates said.
"A clear and concise strategy is critical," said Jennifer Raitt, executive director of the North Shore Housing Trust. "I hope that happens in Newburyport. You have to have someone who is a local champion of it — ideally someone in City Hall — to find the opportunities for affordable housing."
The North Shore Housing Trust is leading an education campaign to dispel myths about affordable housing and promote stories like Horne's.
The trust presented its Home@last program to the Planning Board last month and will present the program as part of a forum at the library tomorrow.
"Having a committee established is the way to go," said Doug Locy, chairman of the Planning Board. "The only way for the city to get ahead is to have a real good, comprehensive affordable housing plan."
The Planning Board is interested in learning more about creating a housing partnership.
The Massachusetts Housing Partnership offers programs to help communities establish partnerships. The Planning Board hopes to invite the state organization to an upcoming meeting.
Mayor John Moak said lower-cost housing will be a priority for the new planning director. However, a new director is not expected to be hired until July.
Moak said he did not intend to form an affordable housing committee or partnership.
"I consider this a priority of our planning office," Moak said. "Affordable housing in Newburyport is very difficult to do. As someone comes in (with a development project), encourage them to put this component in their design. We're famous for overlay districts. We don't have a plan in effect. There's many different avenues we can use."
Spread the wealth
Local resident Sheila Mullins said affordable housing was one of the reasons she got behind the Community Preservation Act.
Since voters adopted the act in 2002 and the first grants were awarded in 2004, the program has supplied hundreds of thousands of dollars to local projects.
However, affordable housing is getting just a small piece of the pie, advocates said. The Community Preservation Act authorizes a 2 percent property tax surcharge that is matched by the state and used to fund affordable housing, open space and historic preservation.
"Unfortunately, we do not have board or commission in town (for affordable housing) that does what the Open Space Committee or Historical Commission does where they identify things and work on projects," Mullins said.
In its most recent awards two weeks ago, the Community Preservation Committee allocated $100,000 to lower-cost residences. Open space and recreation received $430,000. Historic preservation received $166,000. The City Council must act on those recommendations.
The reason affordable housing received just the minium — 10 percent of the committee's revenue — is because the panel has not received many proposals.
"I think we are getting really unbalanced (in funding projects)," committee member Madeline Nash said at the committee's May 23 meeting. "It's frustrating. Hopefully next year we are in a situation with ideas and concepts for (affordable housing) proposals."
Moak agreed.
"I appreciate the conversation going on," Moak said. "We've made a very strong commitment through the Community Preservation Committee to fund open space and historic preservation. It is time to look at affordable housing."
Weiner said the city should find ways to merge affordable housing and open space.
"It doesn't have to be either, or," Weiner said. "There are ways to do both on one property. There are strong open space and affordable housing advocates. Why not work together on something?"
Former Planning Director Nicholas Cracknell and members of the Open Space Committee drafted a proposal for a small, affordable housing development on the Woodman property on Low Street. The development would line Low Street and the remaining farmland would be preserved as open space.
However, with Cracknell not being reappointed and the sale of the Woodman property tied up in Land Court, that project was withdrawn from consideration by the Community Preservation Committee.
"There is a stronger knowledge, awareness of open space," Weiner said. "People are less knowledgeable on affordable housing. People don't know how to implement it."
The Affordablity Gap
City Median Household income Median single family home price Maximum home price affordable to median income Maximum home price affordable to first-time buyer
Newburyport $67,206 $430,000 $305,340 $202,538
Newbury $85,889 $430,000 $390,405 $258,844
Salisbury $56,593 $310,000 $257,241 $170,554
Amesbury $59,572 $322,650 $270,783 $179,533
* Affordable home calculations based on federal standards that 30 percent of salary should cover housing costs
Source: Information based on 2004 data from The Greater Boston Housing Report Card, prepared for the Citizens Housing and Planning Association
Learn more about affordable housing
Two public meetings are coming up to discuss the issue in Newburyport:
- June 6, 7 p.m. at the Newburyport Public Library
- The Essex County Forum and North Shore Housing Trust present a joint program on affordable housing and open space preservation, including examples of projects that combine the two elements. Free to the public, but space is limited. Register with Susan Moses, Smart Growth circuit rider for the Essex County Forum, at 978-948-3713 or susanjmoses@comcast.net.
- June 14, 7 p.m. at the Newburyport Public Library
- Hosted by local residents, this meeting is an informal discussion of affordable housing, including current initiatives, ideas, strategies and planning.