Housing costs may not rival the astronomical prices found in Greater Boston, but the affordability crunch in the north central part of the state has also left prospective homebuyers on the sidelines.
With prices still rising amid a chronic lack of inventory, the state housing secretary said that the region will need to produce an additional 6,400 housing units over the next decade to prevent a bad situation from getting worse.
Massachusetts Housing and Livable Communities Secretary Ed Augustus shared that grim picture during a May 15 conversation about affordable housing hosted by Fitchburg-based NewVue Communities, a nonprofit community development corporation that serves 22 cities and towns in North Central Massachusetts.
The sitdown, which residents attended in person and virtually, included Leominster state Rep. Natalie Higgins and Doug Bushman, chief executive director of the Fitchburg Housing Authority. It was part of a nine-week training program for community members interested in solving the affordable-housing crisis.
NewVue Communities hopes the training will educate and inspire residents to become advocates for developing affordable housing across the region.
NewVue holds several steward training sessions each year. Topics have included development barriers, regulatory issues such as zoning and permitting, the federal, state and local environment, and ways for residents to get involved.
Gov. Maura Healey’s administration has made housing production a priority, which the secretary said represents a vital component of the state’s overall economic health.
Augustus said the low inventory and high prices are driving people out of state, especially those between the ages of 25 and 36.
Higgins said North Central Massachusetts used to be more affordable than many other parts of the state, but that advantage has eroded, especially since the onset of the COVID pandemic in 2020.
Now, families face excessive, non-refundable deposit and application fees, which adds to the burden of sky-high rents, with increases that far outpace salary increases.
She said legislative efforts to cap rent increase at 10% have not been successful.
To help address the housing crisis, the Healey administration in February released the initial results of the commonwealth’s first comprehensive statewide housing plan “A Home for Everyone: A Comprehensive Housing Plan for Massachusetts.
A soon-to-be-released, detailed version of the plan will include an in-depth analysis of the state’s housing needs, and identify strategies for increasing production, preserving and upgrading existing housing, and supporting individuals and families struggling with homelessness.
It will include data and strategies specific to each region in the state, including an analysis of each region’s housing needs over the next 10 years, Augustus said.
The report says the state needs to increase its year-round housing supply by at least 222,000 units by 2035 to stay competitive.
Augustus said a key part of the Affordable Homes Act allows for accessory dwelling units, also known as in-law apartments or tiny homes, by right. The legislation also increases funding for programs that support first-time homebuyers and creates the Momentum Fund, a new revolving account to increase development of mixed-income, multifamily housing.
Additionally, more than 115 communities have approved new multifamily zoning near transit lines under the MBTA Communities Act.
Secretary Augustus could also have mentioned that a significant boost to the area’s housing stock could come from the recommendations of the Devens Housing Working Group, which recently submitted its final report.
The working group, established to develop strategies for increasing housing production in the former Army base, focused on the feasibility of allowing up to 400 multi-family residential units.
The final report outlines the process, recommendations, and proposed zoning amendments to facilitate this housing development.
Established by an act of the Legislature in 1993, Devens, with a focus on economic development, previously had a cap of 282 residential housing units. The area, which currently has 256 residential units, is governed by a unique regulatory framework.
MassDevelopment, a quasi-government agency, oversees the economic development and educational services in Devens, which encompasses 4,400 acres.
The Working Group focused on strategies to promote housing in the 90-acre Innovation and Technology Center (ITC) zoning district, which currently allows no housing. Recommendations include amending zoning to permit a variety of housing types, including duplexes and townhomes.
The report outlines the process for amending the zoning bylaws, emphasizing the need for community engagement and public hearings.
The Working Group recommends super town meetings or a special act of the Legislature to approve zoning changes.
Public hearings will be held to gather community input before any zoning changes.
Super town meetings have proven to be roadblocks to allowing additional residential construction, since all three Devens towns — Ayer, Harvard, and Shirley — must agree simultaneously for a measure to pass.
Harvard, designated as the community that educates Devens’ children, has been reluctant to approve more housing without assurances of additional financial resources to accommodate the expected increase in students.
That’s an issue that must be resolved if revising the current zoning takes the super town meeting route.
Even that can’t ensure that all three towns will agree on the specifics of the proposal.
It might just take the Legislature, which allowed the repurposing of Devens as an economic empowerment dynamo, to make this badly needed housing happen.