Burlington Housing Needs Assessment Study

The following was submitted by the Town of Burlington:

At the September 2021 Town Meeting, members will have the opportunity to vote favorably for an independent housing needs assessment, proposed by the town's Housing Partnership Committee (HPC).

This committee was formed because of the first two unfriendly 40B projects approximately 30 years ago. The HPC has recently been invigorated and includes four new members, all of whom have relevant backgrounds and are strong advocates for affordable housing and related
programs.

The housing needs assessment will be conducted by the Metropolitan Area Planning Council, a nonprofit regional planning agency, with a cost of approximately $30,000 to be paid from the existing cash balance in the town's affordable housing fund.

A comprehensive, independent housing needs assessment has never been done in Burlington and will provide a wide-ranging overview of our town's demographics and trends, current housing inventory, and housing needs for seniors, families, singles, and those with disabilities. It will have both quantitative (data) and qualitative components (community outreach done through forums and interviews).

The report will serve as a guide to develop equitable housing policies, budgets, programs, and strategies. The process will also inform and educate the community on the concept of "affordable housing," which is often misunderstood to mean subsidized housing when, in fact, the term affordable simply refers to housing that is affordable to median-income residents.

We are excited to kick off this project to better understand the diverse housing needs of our community. Knowing what currently exists and what our community needs and wants for housing is the first step in developing an equitable plan for ourselves, our children, and all those who want to live and enjoy Burlington.

We plan to update the town's website over the coming weeks with information about the housing needs assessment and its timeline as well as our plans for future housing-related activities. We ask for your support for this important and long overdue analysis. You can let your voice be heard by contacting your Town Meeting Members and ask them to vote favorably on this warrant article.

You can find the contact information for your Town Meeting Members by visiting this site.

Thank you for your support.

Respectfully, the Housing Partnership Committee Members:

Mike Runyan, Chair
Ernie Covino, Vice Chair
Kerry Donahue, Secretary
Rita Shah
Eileen Sickler
John Sullivan
Henry Wu