FITCHBURG — With rising prices and low availability, families continue to struggle to find and afford housing in North Central Massachusetts. And, during a recent visit with city and state officials, the state housing secretary said that, without an additional 6,400 homes over the next decade, the housing crisis in this region will get worse.
Massachusetts Housing and Livable Communities Secretary Ed Augustus shared the startling data during a conversation about affordable housing hosted by NewVue Communities, a nonprofit community development corporation that serves 22 communities in North Central Massachusetts.
The conversation — which included Leominster state Rep. Natalie Higgins and Doug Bushman, chief executive director of the Fitchburg Housing Authority — was part of a nine-week training program NewVue Communities is holding for community members interested in solving the affordable housing crisis. The goal of the training is to educate and inspire residents, who will become stewards to advocate for or help develop affordable housing across the region.
“There is a huge demand for information about how we create more affordable housing,’’ said Marc Dohan, executive director of NewVue Communities.
NewVue holds several steward training sessions each year. Past steward classes have been on childcare, the environment, arts or finance, but this is the first affordable housing training. 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.
Augustus said Gov. Maura Healey’s administration has made housing a priority and outlined several initiatives aimed to boost housing production throughout the state, which he said is critical to the overall health of the commonwealth. Augustus said the low inventory and high prices are driving people out of state, especially those between 25 and 36 years old.
“Those are the folks educated here who are ready to be in their most productive professional years and start a family,’’ he said. “We’re seeing those people leave Massachusetts and that’s a warning signal to all of us. We’ve invested a lot in their education so just when they’re ready to give back, we’re exporting a skilled and educated workforce to other states. That’s not smart public policy. It’s an existential threat to our growth and economy in Massachusetts if we don’t build more housing.”
Higgins said North Central Massachusetts used to be more affordable 10 years ago, with a dramatic shift since 2020. Demand remains high with a seven-year wait list in Leominster for senior housing, for example.
Meanwhile, families are facing excessive non-refundable deposit and application fees and are burdened by sky-high rents with increases that far outpace salary increases. She said legislative efforts to cap rent increase at 10% have not been successful.
Dohan commended Higgins for her advocacy and said she has been challenging NewVue to come up with innovative solutions to help fill in some of the housing gaps in the region.
Dohan commented on the Fitchburg Housing Authority — which oversees 518 units with 1,800 residents who are low- to moderate-income families or seniors — and how it plays a critical role in the region’s housing infrastructure.
Not only does the authority oversee the city’s public housing but it also operates two family shelters, which give preference to local families, providing case management and a pathway to permanent housing, Bushman said.
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 detailed version of the plan coming out this spring will include an in-depth analysis of the state’s housing needs, and identify strategies for increasing production, preserving and upgrading existing housing, 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 and lower costs, including 6,400 in North Central Massachusetts.
Augustus said the report shows that the North Central Massachusetts region is expected to see an increase in low-income older residents retiring with little or no retirement savings.
“We’re looking at 2,300 older adults living alone with incomes below $35,000 a year,” he said. “That’s tough and challenging and that’s part of what we have to all work together on.”
The report also identifies strategies to boost housing, including some that are already underway, such as the Affordable Homes Act and the MBTA Communities Act.
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 fund to be used to increase development of mixed-income multifamily housing.
Additionally, more than 115 communities have approved new multi-family zoning near transit under the MBTA Communities Act.
-NewVue Communities