This issue isn't affecting Lincoln in a bubble. Almost all cities/towns affected by the act are likely to comply.
If Lincoln chooses not to comply: - new development would still have to go through the onerous process of town meeting - development opportunities in surrounding towns would have much less process to deal with - Lincoln would suffer from the penalties on non-compliance, losing out on significant state-aid Given this, I think developers would bypass Lincoln completely, instead focusing on areas where there is less red-tape and more project certainty. And, if that happens, we don't end up with %15+ affordable housing, or %10 - most likely there would be no new development, thus %0 affordable. If we *do comply*, there's no reason to think developers will descend on Lincoln like predators, given that opportunities will be opening up in most MBTA-sited cities and towns. We will just be one prospective candidate among many, with a limited supply of investment capital. And, I would expect many, if not most localities, will present more attractive development opportunities than our little town. -Bob On Fri, Nov 17, 2023 at 10:05 AM ٍSarah Postlethwait <sa...@bayhas.com> wrote: > The HCA was absolutely not written with affordable housing in mind. It has > ZERO requirements for affordable housing written into it and it caps the > amount of affordable housing that most towns can require at 10%. > > You also have to keep in mind that “affordable income units” are capped at > 80% of the median area income under HCA. > > *Lincoln’s median household income is $145k* > *80% of Lincoln’s median income is $116k* > > The reality is we will be paying developers *millions of dollars* out of > our affordable housing trust so people who make $100k+ a year can have > “affordable housing” and live side by side with those who make even more. > > Furthermore, Lincoln woods is a perfect example of how a higher percentage > of lower income, and moderate income housing next to market rate units > succeeds. Lincoln Woods currently has 72 affordable units and 53 Market > rate units. That is 53% affordable. And their units are in high demand, for > this very reason. > > So while I agree that some “affordable units” are better than none… it’s a > far stretch to think that the HCA was designed with affordable housing in > mind. > And an even bigger stretch to think this development will promote > diversity, or give elderly a modest place to downsize into, or be a place > where the retail employees in Lincoln will be able to call home. > > Our affordable housing trust should be dedicated to creating low and > moderate income housing for those who are truly in need, not wasted on > padding a developer’s pocket to make an already extremely profitable > project even more profitable. > > Sarah > > > On Fri, Nov 17, 2023 at 9:24 AM Allen Vander Meulen < > pastorall...@gmail.com> wrote: > >> There’s been a lot of discussion about the number of Actual Affordable >> units in town vs. each development’s impact on the town's SHI. >> >> That the number of actual units is less than what the town get’s “credit” >> for on our SHI is a valid concern, but there are reasons why this is done. >> >> For one, it allows a developer or owner to subsidize the affordable units >> out of the income derived from the development's market rate units - >> without using public money (beyond any incentives that may have been >> negotiated with the town at the outset). >> >> For another, it encourages “mixed income” developments where individuals >> and families with a wide range of income levels live together in the same >> neighborhood. This is far preferable (as supported by numerous studies >> over the years) to the failed monolithic “projects” of the mid 20th >> century, which concentrated large numbers of lower income folks into what >> were often described (rightly) as ghettoes. >> >> Lincoln has done a great job over the years of creating affordable >> housing scattered throughout the town, without creating neighborhoods that >> are exclusively “affordable” units. Even our largest single bloc of >> affordable housing, Lincoln Woods, has just 72 Affordable units out of 125 >> overall. >> >> So, while not perfect, the State’s method for handling the SHI does a >> relatively good job of encouraging the creation of affordable housing using >> private, rather than public, funds; and ensuring that affordable units are >> not concentrated in a single area. >> >> The HCA was clearly written with these two principles in mind. And, our >> HCAWG and Town Administration are doing a great job of advocating on the >> town’s behalf with the State, as well as crafting viable options that meet >> the HCA’s legal requirements while laying a solid foundation that will >> support these principles in a way that will respect Lincoln’s history, >> environment, and traditions, in the decades to come. >> >> - Allen Vander Meulen >> -- >> The LincolnTalk mailing list. >> To post, send mail to Lincoln@lincolntalk.org. >> Browse the archives at >> https://pairlist9.pair.net/mailman/private/lincoln/. >> Change your subscription settings at >> https://pairlist9.pair.net/mailman/listinfo/lincoln. >> >> -- > The LincolnTalk mailing list. > To post, send mail to Lincoln@lincolntalk.org. > Browse the archives at https://pairlist9.pair.net/mailman/private/lincoln/ > . > Change your subscription settings at > https://pairlist9.pair.net/mailman/listinfo/lincoln. > >
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