2011 Planning Board Mar 10 Housing Plan
Northampton Housing Needs Assessment/Strategic Housing Plan 1 Northampton Housing Needs Assessment and Strategic Plan Mary Clare Higgins, Mayor Prepared by the Northampton Housing Partnership
• Gordon Shaw, Chair • Lynne Wallace, Vice Chair • Martha Ackelsberg • Jen Dieringer • Margaret Murray • Richard Abuza • Betsy Siersma Technical support from Peg Keller, Housing and
Community Development Senior Planner; Teri Anderson, Director of Community and Economic Dev.; and Wayne Feiden, Director of Planning and Development Karen Sunnarborg, Consultant; photos
courtesy of Dietz & Company Architects, Inc. and Kraus-Fitch Architects, Inc.
Northampton Housing Needs Assessment/Strategic Housing Plan 2 Benefits • Serves as a local resource/reference on wide range of housing issues including characteristics, trends, market
conditions, resources and priority needs • Assists the City in making funding decisions including CPA and CDBG funds • Assists the City in promoting affordable housing • Provides information
to non-residents, including developers, on housing needs in Northampton
Northampton Housing Needs Assessment/Strategic Housing Plan 3 Benefits • Assists City and developers in obtaining grant and loan funds for affordable housing • Proposes actions that
the City can take to meet the range of local housing needs • Establishes accountability for proposed actions by indicating the entities that are responsible for implementation • Provides
information on the implementation of each strategy • Helps increase the City’s Commonwealth Capital score
Northampton Housing Needs Assessment/Strategic Housing Plan 4 Guiding Principle “Support a wide variety of housing types that increase rental and homeownership units to create and preserve
a range of affordability and choice in housing options.” Sustainable Northampton Comprehensive Plan
Northampton Housing Needs Assessment/Strategic Housing Plan 5 What is Affordable Housing? Subsidized affordable housing/Chapter 40B definition: • Deed restricted • Affirmatively marketed
• Available to households earning at or below 80% of area median income with housing costs of no more than 30% of income Community housing: Affordable to households earning at or below
100% of area median income Workforce housing: Affordable to households earning between 80% and 120% of area median income
Northampton Housing Needs Assessment/Strategic Housing Plan 6 What housing is affordable in Northampton? • Of the 12,282 year-round housing units, 1,452 units or 11.8% are currently
included in the state’s Subsidized Housing Inventory (SHI). Also, 93 units are eligible for inclusion, bringing the percentage to 12.7% (10.9% without Hathaway Farms). • Planned development
should push Northampton beyond 12%, but expiring affordability restrictions threaten to eliminate some units from SHI in the future. • The number of affordable units needed will increase
over time based on housing growth, projected to be almost 13,000 for the next census.
Northampton Housing Needs Assessment/Strategic Housing Plan 7 Demographic Trends • Population stability with small recent declines in population and slow future growth • Increasing number
of households --substantial increase in smaller families, more non-family households and more single-person households • Aging population • Fewer children • Somewhat lower incomes on
average in comparison to the county and state
Northampton Housing Needs Assessment/Strategic Housing Plan 8 Housing Trends • Slow but steady growth • Decrease in number of persons per unit • About half rental housing but limited
growth in rental units • High housing prices despite poor market conditions
Northampton Housing Needs Assessment/Strategic Housing Plan 9 Priority Housing Needs • Homelessness prevention • Shelter system/Housing First model • Producing and preserving affordable
housing
Northampton Housing Needs Assessment/Strategic Housing Plan 10 Producing and Preserving Affordable Housing --Needs 1. Rental housing for individuals 2. Rental housing for families 3.
Preservation of existing affordable rental stock 4. Housing rehabilitation 5. Affordable homeownership for families 6. Housing for at-risk and special needs populations 7. Nontraditional
models that meet local needs (such as artist live-work space and workforce housing)
Northampton Housing Needs Assessment/Strategic Housing Plan 11 Housing Goals 1. Create new housing along range of income levels – ownership & rentals 2. Preserve and sustain existing
affordable housing 3. Work to end homelessness
Northampton Housing Needs Assessment/Strategic Housing Plan 12 Goal #1: Organizational Strategies • Conduct community education • Capitalize the Affordable Housing Trust Fund • Monitor/report
on implementation of this Plan • Formalize the affordable housing review process
Northampton Housing Needs Assessment/Strategic Housing Plan 13 Goal #1: Regulatory Strategies • Adopt inclusionary zoning • Ease restrictions on development near city and village centers
• Promote mixed-use development in more locations • Revise cluster zoning provisions • Modify accessory apartment requirements
Northampton Housing Needs Assessment/Strategic Housing Plan 14 Goal #1: Regulatory Strategies • Rewrite TDR ordinance • Revise parking requirements • Explore form-based zoning • Establish
a new mixed-use innovations zone
Northampton Housing Needs Assessment/Strategic Housing Plan 15 Goal #1: New Housing Production Strategies • Continue to pursue nontraditional housing models • Fund small infill development
• Establish a subsidy guarantee program • Make suitable public property available • Provide down payment and closing cost asst.
Northampton Housing Needs Assessment/Strategic Housing Plan 16 Goal #2: Promote the Aff/Sustainability of Existing Housing • Monitor and maintain SHI units • Convert existing housing
to affordability • Rehabilitate the Grove Street Inn • Promote sustainable energy conservation
Northampton Housing Needs Assessment/Strategic Housing Plan 17 Goal #2: Help Preserve Affordable Market Units • Sustain and expand housing rehab programs • Sustain and improve existing
SRO units • Create a climate of public support for landlords
Northampton Housing Needs Assessment/Strategic Housing Plan 18 Goal #3: Continue Active Support for Efforts to End Homelessness • Continue to facilitate/support the Three-County Continuum
of Care • Continue to participate in WMNEH • Support homelessness prevention programs • Support Housing First efforts • Work on economic development and poverty issues
Northampton Housing Needs Assessment/Strategic Housing Plan 19 Next Steps • Conduct public meeting to present draft and obtain feedback • Adoption of Plan by Northampton Housing Partnership
• Obtain endorsements/approval from the Mayor, Planning Board and City Council • May submit Plan to the state at some point under Housing Production requirements
Northampton Housing Needs Assessment/Strategic Housing Plan 20 For more information, visit the City’s web site at http://www.Northamptonma.gov\CEDO