​Similarly, how could a community like Gloucester incentivize the use of the Affordable Housing Trust money and Community Preservation Act money to facilitate affordable housing? Currently, in January 2024, our Affordable Housing Trust has ARPA money available to it and to their credit, is actively seeking proposals so that that money does get used to foster affordable housing. What other incentives could a community create to encourage affordable housing whether deed restricted or affordable within the framework of actual incomes?

 

Are there opportunities for helping seniors stay in their homes by converting those homes to two family homes, or creating an accessory dwelling unit (ADU) within the now larger than needed family home? Which should seniors live in - the ADU or the original home? What property management assistance might some seniors need to make such an endeavor feasible, if they don’t have family nearby to assist if needed? Where is there grant money to support such an activity?

Many communities like Gloucester have created so-called inclusionary zoning laws so that when a builder is creating a number of units, a specific number of those units must be affordable units. Some communities, like Gloucester - start this required inclusion at six units, others at eight, others at ten. Given the ever rising costs of construction, what financial assistance, tax breaks, or other incentives are available to these conscientious builders?

 

Does the City have unutilized properties that can be made available for housing that is affordable while still preserving much needed green space? Can we envision in-fill housing that fits within the context of the existing neighborhood? Can we thoughtfully evaluate all new housing proposals without first automatically rejecting them because, on first glance, they seem too big - or a story taller than the building next door, or the parking or landscaping needs more fine tuning?

 

Can we really leap ahead and require that all new buildings meet sustainable, environmental and energy standards?

 

Ought we be encouraging co-housing models, cooperative housing models, tiny houses as new ways of envisioning housing? Many communities are doing some if not all of these models. Can we? Can we also think of ways to incentivize them?

 

Cultural Challenges

 

What areas of the city are most desirable for additional building while still preserving green space? Can we, in a country attuned to the dream of single family homes, each with their own yard, envision more clustered housing units with shared outdoor space? Can we envision clusters of bungalow style units? Triplexes or quadraplexes? Side-by-side condos with shared green space around them? Such changes are not small and they do take thoughtful evaluation to see the benefits and achieve the best design. Change is never easy. But it can be both desirable, productive and fun.

 

Do communities need to consider rent stabilization programs to keep rents accessible to average, local income earners? How can builders be encouraged to limit their profits to reasonable amounts rather than pursuing the highest rents the market will support? How do we honor and support property owners who already maintain excellent housing and keep their rents constrained? In the concern about exorbitant rents, many of us forget that we are blessed, as quiet as it is kept, that Gloucester does have a number of small landlords who do maintain great properties and with decent rents that work for local wage earners.

 

Should communities consider transfer taxes so that when a property is sold there is a tax on the income above a set limit - $1M?...$2M…that goes to an entity like the Affordable Housing Trust to support the creation of more affordability? Do we all not have the responsibility to help secure the integrity and survival of the whole community regardless of income?

 

Now, that is a big cultural change for us all to embrace! Can we grow into it?

 

What are the other options that we can pursue to meet the full range of housing needs of our community?

• More housing across a wide income range;

• More deed restricted housing;

• More state and federal monies to support middle and limited income housing;

• Creative use of one time monies like the ARPA funds;· Incentivized programs to encourage additional housing;

• Possible rent stabilization and tax transfer programs?

• What else?

 

Can we rise to such challenges? Can we secure enough housing so that all our local businesses can draw the workers they need from the local community and at the same time, the very broad artist community achieve the live-work kind of space they have advocated for for years? Can we create the ways to build the housing we need so that the many generations of our current families can remain here, as generations have before now; and at the same time be a welcoming community that invites new generations to come join us in this lovely place at the edge of our roaring ocean and our calm, wide harbor?

 

Let’s find out! It’s definitely time for multiple, thoughtful, creative, detailed discussions about the many steps we can take.

 

Sunny Robinson, formally a public health nurse for Gloucester, now volunteers with Housing4AllGloucester, advocating for more housing that is affordable to local people and families.

 

* All figures are from the U.S. census and the census data as presented on H4AG’s fact sheet.