On December 4, the Mattapoisett Council on Aging Board of Directors met with Grant King, director of Comprehensive Planning at the Southeast Regional Planning and Economic Development District (SRPEDD) to learn of SRPEDD’s plan to prepare a study on affordable housing in the town.
King explained that the town had applied for and received a grant to fund the study and that the results would eventually become part of the town’s Master Plan.
The current Master Plan is some 10 years old and will soon begin a review and updating process by the Planning Board.
A Master Plan, King said, includes a housing plan.
King had previously discussed the Housing Production Plan at a meeting with the Planning Board in October. At that time, he had touched on the necessity to engage with what he called “housing champions,” community leaders who could drive a housing plan forward. To the COA, he said, “I’m here to listen to you, to find out what your experience is of living in Mattapoisett.”
The primary barriers to affordable housing, King pointed out, are high real estate values and the oftentimes capped incomes of an aging population. Regarding the demographics, King presented data that shows the aging of Mattapoisett and the shrinking of household sizes. The data found that 42.2 percent of residents are 65 years of age or older, up from 29.8 percent in 2000, and 22 percent of all households are single-person homes with half of that figure being 65 and older. Households with children 18 and younger came in at 24.9 percent of the whole, down from 32 percent from 2000.
The top hurdle to buying a home in Mattapoisett, King said, is cost. He stated that about 20 percent of the housing stock is seasonal, and that there is very little in the way of multi-family units. King also commented that the majority of housing in town were single-family homes, 54.7 percent of which were built prior to 1969. With housing that old, he said renovations would be costly and nearly impossible to qualify as affordable.
The data noted that an affordable price tag for a single-family unit stood at $252,300 while Mattapoisett’s median house price was $423,500 – a gap of $171,200.
The board members were asked to consider how current zoning bylaws might also create barriers for seniors and those with restricted incomes to make modifications to their homes that could create multi-family units out of existing structures.
With the study, King said he hoped to develop “common-sense solutions, like allowing apartments.” He pointed out the number of large homes in the community that could possibly one day be renovated into apartment buildings.
There was a cautionary mood when the subject of state-regulated housing was discussed. King explained that communities that currently do not meet the state guidelines for such housing stock may find themselves with 40B housing developments beyond their local control. “Licensed developers, licensed by the state, can ignore local zoning,” he said.
The state mandate for affordable housing is a minimum of 10 percent of all housing stock in a town. Currently, Mattapoisett stands at around 2 percent.
There was a free flow of thoughts and ideas with Jackie Coucci, director of the Mattapoisett COA, sharing some of the issues she sees; issues facing seniors and their ability to stay in their own homes. She said that rising taxes was a problem for those on fixed incomes and the need to make modifications to homes that would accommodate the use of mobility devices.
“People can’t stay where they want to stay,” said Coucci. “Taxes push people out, income is stagnant, the ability to stay in their homes is threatened.” She said that she sees a lot of families where seniors are not only supporting themselves but also adult children and even grandchildren. “There is a lot of unmet need.”
Coucci offered the concept of home-sharing, but said that current bylaws most likely would not allow such an idea to become reality.
King said he plans to meet with elected officials, police, and fire department heads, the Community Preservation Committee, Housing Authority, and others as the plan continues to evolve. He hoped for what he called an “organic groundswell” of community members who could make an affordable housing plan a reality.
Mattapoisett resident Liz DiCarlo wondered if there was any town-owned property that might be viable for 40B housing. Planning Board Administrator Mary Crain who was also present said that was not currently being considered.
DiCarlo commented on the need of attracting younger people, saying, “We need younger folks in our town.”
King had also noted that 40B housing, according to state guidelines, had to have easy access to transportation or major roadways.
“You can’t stick it in the middle of the woods,” said King.
In a follow-up with Selectman Paul Silva, he said there is no argument that the town needed more housing, but that location was a problem, given the massive watershed the town sits atop and the associated wetlands. He said that the most suitable location would be one serviced by public water and sewer connections with easy access to transportation.
King welcomed any additional feedback the COA and its members might have to share moving forward.
The final Housing Production Plan will be months in the making.
To reach King directly, the community is encouraged to contact him at gking@srpedd.org, or by calling 508-824-1367.
By Marilou Newell