Waltham Eyes Increasing Affordable Housing Units

WALTHAM, MA — Waltham is considering altering a zoning rule so that it would ensure that as developers come to town, they will create more housing units specifically for low to moderate income residents.

Monday night the city council discussed a proposal that would require developers building projects with more than 18 units, to set aside at least 20 percent of the units in that building as "affordable."

The zoning practice is called "inclusionary zoning" and would mean that if a developer proposed to build 100 units in a new building in Waltham, instead of the current requirement of 15 units, they'd have to set aside at least 20 units of affordable housing for residents earning less than 80 percent of the Area Median Income to meet the proposed zoning change.

Until 2019, Waltham's zoning laws required developers set aside only 10 percent of new units as affordable to residents earning less than 80 percent of the Area Median Income.

In Greater Boston, a person living alone would have to make $67,000 or less to qualify to rent a home at 80 percent of the Area Median Income. A family of two would have to make $77,000 or less and for a family four would have to make $96,250.

But many people in the city earn well below that Area Median Income. And recently housing advocates have expressed concern that with the pressures and job loss that residents have felt amid the pandemic, a wave of housing-related issues is imminent.

"We are seeing a surge of middle-income families that are also struggling to pay rent because of the inreasing costs not only in housing, but in food, medicine, transportation, and education," said Genoveva Taverna of WATCH CDC.

According to WATCH, a local community organization that focuses on affordable housing, some 30 percent of Waltham families earn less than $35,000 a year.

To afford the average two-bedroom apartment in the city, you need an annual income of at least $50,000.

WATCH has previously advocated the Waltham City Council to consider setting aside the additional affordable housing units for residents earning less than 50 percent of AMI, to expand housing affordability for Waltham’s low income residents.

"This is one piece of a bigger picture of expanding access of affordable housing in Waltham," said WATCH executive director Daria Gere. "We also need to projects that are 100 percent affordable units to meet the needs of working families, seniors and disabled Waltham residents."

Waltham Councilor George Darcy spoke in favor of the zoning change, reminding the council that two years ago a proposal before the council — the one that ultimately resulted in the 15 percent requirement — was water downed.

Darcy said the change would mirror what surrounding communities have already been requiring when it comes to affordable housing development.

It would also help the city get closer to meeting a 10 percent minimum threshold that would give the city more control about incoming development.

Currently, a state law referred to as Chapter 40B allows developers to skirt local zoning laws in municipalities that don't have at least 10 percent of their housing stock dubbed affordable. The loop hole for developers helps them get around height and setback restrictions, if the developer dedicates 20 to 25 percent of the residential units as affordable. The law is part of the Massachusetts Comprehensive Permit Act, which was enacted in 1969 to address the shortage of affordable housing statewide and local municipalities' reluctance to create them by reducing barriers to the permit processes.

About 7.2 percent of Waltham's housing stock is considered affordable.

"Unfortunately Waltham is still approximately 700 units short from meeting the 10 percent minimum that would keep out 40B," Darcy said.

The proposal is set to go before the Board of Survey and Planning and Ordinances and Rules Committee, which will make a final recommendation and send it back to the full council before the end of the year.

Waltham City Councilors Kathy McMenimen and Darcy along with Councilor Kristine Mackin and former Councilor Sharline Nabulime were behind the push.

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