LETTER: 'The More Important Issue is Bringing Affordable Housing to our Towns'

To the Editor:

For political purposes, I see many people in Letters to the Editor simplifying the complex issue of affordable housing. My interpretation of the Chapter 40B law is that it is a symptom of the lack of affordable housing in Massachusetts and not the issue itself. As someone who has been searching for nearby affordable housing for my now retired mother for the past few years only to be put on a multi-year waitlist for public housing, I am gladdened to learn that our State Representative, Michael Day, is not just talking about changes to a law, but is working at the state and local level to advocate for solutions to the lack of affordable housing in Winchester and Stoneham.

Chapter 40B was enacted in 1969 to address the lack of affordable housing, and allows property developers to override local zoning regulations if ten percent of a town’s housing stock is not designated as affordable units reserved for households making less than 80% of median household income for the area, which for Winchester roughly translates into an annual income of $99,705. Winchester has, by most accounts, less than 3% of its total housing stock devoted to affordable housing, and is therefore subject to the rules of Chapter 40B.

In 2010, Winchester voters overwhelmingly rejected a referendum that would have abolished Chapter 40B, with approximately 60 percent of voters in town opting to maintain the law. Perhaps, that is because the law has resulted in the creation of more than 60,000 units of affordable housing across Massachusetts since its enactment, with much of that housing being utilized by people who work as teachers, retirees, nurses and firefighters in the towns where they live.

While regulatory changes may make sense for Chapter 40B (it actually has been updated over the years, such as in response to new smart growth guidelines), the more important issue is bringing more affordable housing to our towns. We can meet the 10% affordable unit threshold directive of Chapter 40B proactively through direct development of public housing, zoning reform, seeking out partnerships intended to stimulate the production of affordable housing, and improved long-term housing plans, and I support Representative Day’s work in attempting to incentivize Winchester and Stoneham to increase our affordable housing stock on our own. With some proactive thinking, we can provide housing for all of our residents in an appropriate, pragmatic, and compassionate manner.

-Stacey Irizarry

Lockeland Rd.

Editor's Note: The views expressed above are that of the author and do not reflect those of Patch.