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 in
recent years, including usage of the Community Preservation
Act, which provides a
pool of funds for projects in affordable housing, open
space, and historic preservation. Many significant projects have
been funded and valuable work is being done through the Community
Preservation Committee.
INCLUSIONARY
ZONING - Major changes have been made to the Inclusionary
Zoning Ordinance, providing significant new incentives to developers
to include affordable units in any new development.
POTENTIAL
ZONING TOOLS - From large multi-unit projects to teardowns, 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 as the Zoning and Planning Committee
moves foward on Zoning
Reform.
