Affordable housing
is one of those topics that seems to sit at the intersection of many
of the major trends and driving issues affecting Newton. There's
good news and bad news. Newton's great location, excellent schools,
friendly neighborhoods and great quality of life mean that people
want to live here. That's great in terms of rising property values
for those of us that already own a home. On the other hand, it means
that real estate prices keep spiralling upward and have put Newton
out of reach for many people.
At the opening
of Kayla's House
Affordable housing
in Newton is not a "low
income" issue
- housing in Newton is out of reach for moderate income, "middle
class" folks
like teachers, firefighters, and policemen. Many different programs
and ordinances
have an impact on affordable housing, some of which are listed
below.
COMMUNITY
PRESERVATION ACT - Newton has made some very real progress recently,
with passage of the Community Preservation Act, which provides a
pool of funds to be used for projects in affordable housing, open
space, and historic preservation. Already a significant number of
proposals have been submitted to the Community
Preservation Commission.
INCLUSIONARY
ZONING - Major changes were made this year to the Inclusionary
Zoning Ordinance, providing significant new incentives to developers
to include affordable units in any new development. The new ordinance
was approved by the Board of Aldermen on April 22nd and should provide
another valuable tool to help increase affordable housing in Newton.
POTENTIAL
ZONING TOOLS - From large multi-unit projects to McMansions and
Rear Lot Subdivisions, Newton faces continuing pressure from new
real
estate development in a city with little if any undeveloped land.
We need to develop new 'tools in the toolbox' that open new ways
to
help preserve the unique character of neighborhoods while
allowing reasonable development. Overlay Districts and Design
Review Guidelines are just two promising approaches that may help - serious
work is underway.
