Town of Dartmouth Public Forum on Affordable Housing

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Town of Dartmouth Public Forum on Affordable
Housing
April 14, 2004 700 p.m.
Dartmouth Town Hall
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Tonights Agenda

• Reasons for developing an affordable housing
  plan.
• Overview of Dartmouths affordable housing stock
  and its affordable housing needs.
• Overview and discussion of Dartmouths DRAFT
  housing goals, objectives, and strategies.
• Your thoughts and comments.
• Next steps.

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Why Are We Here?

• The Town of Dartmouths vision for the future of
  housing.
• State Legislation requiring the development of
  affordable housing units.

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The Vision For The Future Of Housing

• The Town of Dartmouth would like to provide
  housing choices for all of its residents. This
  means providing a variety of housing types
  suitable for a number of different population
  groups.
• BOTTOMLINE THE DEVELOPMENT OF AN AFFORDABLE
  HOUSING PLAN WILL ENSURE THAT THE TOWN IS
  IMPLEMENTING STRATEGIES AND ENCOURAGING
  DEVELOPMENT THAT WILL HELP ACHIEVE THIS VISION.

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State Legislation

• State Legislation (Chapter 40B) was enacted in
  1969 to help address the shortage of affordable
  housing statewide.
• Chapter 40B requires that 10 of a towns
  year-round housing stock be affordable.
• If a town does not meet the 10 mandate
  developers may submit development proposals (if
  25 of the units are affordable) and the town has
  limited control over what gets developed.
• BOTTOMLINE CHAPTER 40B CAN RESULT IN HOUSING
  PROJECTS THAT ARE NOT CONSISTENT WITH THE
  CHARACTER OF THE COMMUNITY.

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State Legislation

• If the Town develops a plan that shows how it is
  going to arrive at the 10 goal, it can better
  control the development of 40B projects.
• BOTTOM LINE IF THE TOWN DEVELOPS AN AFFORDABLE
  HOUSING PLAN IT WILL HAVE MORE CONTROL OVER THE
  TYPE OF DEVELOPMENT THAT OCCURS IN DARTMOUTH.

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Affordable Housing Inventory

• There are 730 units of subsidized affordable
  housing (6.73) does not meet state guideline
  of 10.
• Created through various state federal programs.
• Large segment of units are for the elderly
  disabled.
• Deed restrictions keep the units affordable,
  although only large projects have deed
  restrictions and some of those will expire over
  the next several years.

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Who Is Affordable Housing For?

• Who Qualifies For Affordable Housing?
• Families earning 42,160 or less (family of four)
  qualify for affordable housing.
• How Much Can They Afford?
• These prices are based on housing guidelines
  suggesting that households spend no more than 30
  of their income on housing.

Dartmouths Median Household Income 50,742
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Based on Current Assessed Value How Affordable
Is Dartmouths Housing?

• Based on information provided by the Town of
  Dartmouth Assessor there seems to be some supply
  of affordable housing. Although, the vast
  majority of Dartmouths housing is appraised at
  values NOT affordable.

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How Affordable Is Dartmouths Housing REALLY?

• Based on a sample of recently sold homes (48
  homes) it becomes clear that the affordability
  crisis is greater than the Assessor information
  would indicate.

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Summary

• Dartmouth has a shortage of affordable housing.
  The town has not reached its Ch. 40B 10
  affordable goal.
• As demand for housing in the town increases and
  the amount of available land decreases,
  affordability will become a very serious issue
  that will be addressed by concerted public and
  private efforts to produce and preserve the
  towns affordable housing stock.
• Dartmouths existing housing types are not
  diverse and therefore do not meet the current and
  projected demand for affordable housing.

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Dartmouths Housing Goals

• Goal 1 To meet the 10 state standard for
  affordable housing.
• Goal 2 To develop regulations and bylaws that
  will improve the feasibility of developing
  affordable housing while promoting a high quality
  of design.
• Goal 3 To meet demands for affordable housing
  above and beyond state mandates.

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DRAFT Housing Objectives

• Create local public organizations to manage and
  guide affordable housing development efforts.
• Retain the towns existing affordable housing
  stock.
• Revise zoning bylaws and land use strategies to
  promote affordable housing that meets the needs
  of all Dartmouth residents.
• Reuse of vacant, obsolete, or surplus property.
• Facilitate development review.
• Expand homeownership opportunities.

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DRAFT Housing Strategies

• Objective 1 - Create local public organizations
  to
• manage and guide affordable housing development
• efforts.
• Strategy 1 - Establish a Housing Partnership.
• Strategy 2 - Create an Affordable Housing Trust
  Fund.

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DRAFT Housing Strategies

• Strategy 1 - Establish a Housing Partnership to
  act as
• a clearinghouse for all housing information,
• programs, and strategies. Responsibilities could
• include
• Reviewing proposed Town policies and their impact
  on housing.
• Negotiating 40B developments prior to the
  Comprehensive Permit Process.
• Encouraging affordable housing projects and
  guiding them through the permitting process.

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DRAFT Housing Strategies

• Strategy 2 - Create an Affordable Housing Trust
• Fund to receive specific revenue that can only be
• spent on housing. Sources of funding include
• Special Revenues
• Community Preservation Act funds.
• Proceeds from the sale of Town owned property.
• Bequests, gifts, and/or donations.
• Payment from developers as part of project review
  process.
• State and Federal funding.
• Bond sales.

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DRAFT Housing Strategies

• Objective 2 - Retain the Towns existing
  affordable
• housing stock.
• Strategy 3 - Retain expiring affordable units.
• Strategy 4 - Continue the Towns existing Housing
  Rehabilitation and Repair program.

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DRAFT Housing Strategies

• What is an expiring affordable unit?
• An expiring affordable unit contains rental
  units that were built with federal and/or state
  subsidies to serve low and moderate income
  tenants that are now at risk of being removed
  from the affordable inventory.
• How does a property get to this point?
• Original mortgages required that the units remain
  affordable for a certain amount of time. At the
  end of that time period the units could be
  converted to market rate.

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DRAFT Housing Strategies

• How many expiring affordable units does
• the town have?
• Solemar Apartments I This project has a total
  of 200 units. In 2001, half of those units
  became eligible for conversion to market rate.
  To date, 47 units have been converted.
• The Crossroads This projects affordability
  status will expire in 2005. The entire complex,
  200 units, will expire if no action is taken.

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DRAFT Housing Strategies

• Strategy 3 - Retain expiring use properties.
  Possible
• solutions for retention include
• Work with a non-profit housing developer to
  purchase and manage the units.
• Participate in the purchase of the units
  utilizing CPA funding, grants, and/or tax
  incentives with management being the
  responsibility of the Dartmouth Housing
  Authority.
• Negotiate with current owners to preserve
  affordability by providing subsidies.

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DRAFT Housing Strategies

• Strategy 4 - Continue the Towns existing
• Rehabilitation and Repair program. Program
• basics include the following
• CDBG funds are used to help homeowners
  rehabilitate rental and owner occupied housing in
  need of repair and/or upgrading due to code
  non-compliance.
• Loans are made to the homeowner up to 20,000.
  The loans are forgiven over time and are not due
  and payable unless the property is sold within 15
  years.
• Rehabilitated units are included in the Towns
  affordable housing inventory for 15 years.

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DRAFT Housing Strategies

• Objective 3 Revise zoning bylaws and land use
  strategies to
• promote affordable housing that meets the needs
  of all
• Dartmouth residents.
• Strategy 5 Adopt Incentive Zoning.
• Strategy 6 Mandate Inclusionary Housing.
• Strategy 7 Create and adopt a Village Overlay
  District.
• Strategy 8 Create and adopt a Transfer of
  Density Bylaw.
• Strategy 9 Modify existing Cluster Development
  Bylaw.
• Strategy 10 Permit mixed use development.
• Strategy 11 Modify regulations to permit the
  development of merged lots.
• Strategy 12 Implement an Amnesty Program for
  Accessory Units not in compliance with zoning and
  building codes.
• Strategy 13 Modify Accessory Dwelling
  provisions.

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DRAFT Housing Strategies

• Strategy 5 Adopt Incentive Zoning to
• motivate developers to build affordable
• housing. Possible incentives could include
• the following
• Single-family subdivisions would be permitted by
  right IF the developer agreed to utilize an open
  space preservation subdivision design and provide
  10 affordable housing.
• If a developer pursued a conventional subdivision
  design and did not provide affordable units the
  permitted density would be decreased
• Smaller subdivisions would be permitted at a
  higher density if the developer or agreed to pay
  a fee to the Towns Affordable Housing Trust Fund
  in lieu of an affordable unit (Strategy 2).

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DRAFT Housing Strategies

• Strategy 6 Mandate Inclusionary Zoning. This
  bylaw would
• require that developers provide affordable
  housing if they are
• creating market rate housing. Since inclusionary
  zoning
• doesnt apply to subdivisions, or
  approval-not-required
• development, communities need to make the special
  permit
• option preferable to as of right development.
  Some way of
• doing this include
• Reducing as of right build-out to a defensible
  but low levels.
• Toughening up subdivision regulations.
• Exempting inclusionary development from growth
  limitations,
• phasing devices and infrastructure regulations.

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DRAFT Housing Strategies

• Strategy 7 Adopt a Village Overlay
• District. Key elements of this Overlay
• District could include the following
• Provide moderate increases in density.
• Mandate preservation of affordable units, open
  space, historic resources, and review for
  neighborhood compatibility.
• Permitted by Special Permit granted by the
  Planning Board.
• Sites may be developed to provide a mix of
  housing and building types.

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DRAFT Housing Strategies

• Strategy 7 Adopt a
• Village Overlay
• District. Possible districts
• are shown on the map.

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DRAFT Housing Strategies

• Strategy 8 Create and Adopt a Transfer of
  Density
• Bylaw to be utilized as part of the Senior
  Village
• Overlay District. A Transfer of Density Bylaw
  would
• allow the following
• This bylaw would permit housing at current
  allowed densities.
• If a project proposes an increase in density the
  bylaw would kick in. As a result, a developer
  would be required to transfer density from
  another parcel, donate off-site developable open
  space to the town, or donate a fee.

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DRAFT Housing Strategies

• Strategy 9 Modify existing Cluster
• Development Bylaw. Possible
• changes include the following
• Changing permitted lot size.
• Offering developers density bonuses.
• Establishing guidelines for selecting the land to
  be set aside as open space.

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DRAFT Housing Strategies

• Strategy 10 Permit Mixed-Use
• development. This type of
• development could benefit the
• Town in a number of ways
• including
• Increasing density where public facilities
  already exist.
• Increasing the customer base for local business
  and helping to create a vibrant commercial area.

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DRAFT Housing Strategies

• Strategy 11 Modify regulations to permit the
• development of merged lots in certain locations.
• Requirements for development would include the
• following
• The lots would need to have comparable area
  and/or minimum frontage, width, yard, or depth
  requirements as those that abut it.
• House square footage may be no greater than the
  average square footage of those houses that are
  direct abutters.
• Development of these lots would be granted by
  Special Permit.
• The unit would be deeded affordable in
  perpetuity.

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DRAFT Housing Strategies

• Strategy 12 Implement an Amnesty Program for
  Accessory
• Units that are not in compliance with zoning and
  building
• codes. This program would encourage landlords to
  update
• their existing non-compliant accessory dwelling
  units while adding
• to the Towns affordable housing inventory.
  Participating homeowners need to agree to the
  following
• Rent the unit to households earning 80 or less
  than the area median family income.
• Bring the units in compliance with Title V and
  State Building and Sanitary Codes.
• Receive approval for a Comprehensive Permit.
• Agree to the Execution of a Deed Restriction.
• Agree to a minimum of a one-year lease.

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DRAFT Housing Strategies

• Strategy 13 Modify Accessory
• Dwelling provisions. Changes
• recommended include
• An increase in unit size.
• A change in definition to include converted
  freestanding structures as well as detached
  apartments.
• A streamlined approval process for accessory
  units deeded affordable.

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DRAFT Housing Strategies

• Objective 4 - Reuse vacant, obsolete, or surplus
• property.
• Strategy 14 - Study opportunities for adaptive
  reuse.
• Strategy 15 - Develop housing on Town owned land.
• Strategy 16 - Continue to review the availability
  of tax title property and the consideration of
  61A right of first refusal properties.

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DRAFT Housing Strategies

• Strategy 15 - Develop housing on Town owned land.
  Possible
• sites for development include
• Parcel 1 This site is being considered for
  development of a
• congregate care facility.
• Parcel 2 This site is being considered for
  development of senior
• housing. This site has already been the subject
  of two
• senior housing proposals.
• Parcel 3 This site is being considered for a
  facility to address the
• needs of families in danger of becoming
  homeless.
• Scattered Sites Proposed for the development of
  single
• family homes.

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DRAFT Housing Strategies

• Strategy 15 Develop
• housing on Town
• owned land. Possible
• sites for development
• are shown on the map.

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DRAFT Housing Strategies

• Objective 5 - Facilitate development review.
• Strategy 17 - Guide and approve appropriate
  comprehensive permits. Goals of this strategy
  would include
• Developing a clearly outlined process to
  negotiate the design character of new 40B
  developments and facilitate permitting.

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DRAFT Housing Strategies

• Objective 6 Establish homeownership
  opportunities.
• Strategy 18 Establish a Soft Second Mortgage
  Program. This program would help to increase
  homeownership opportunities by reducing the
  overall monthly costs of buying a home. Specific
  financial details of the program include the
  following
• Reduces the overall costs of homeownership by
  dividing the loan into two components. Interest
  only is paid on the second mortgage for the first
  ten years. In addition, public funds may be used
  to subsidize the interest rate.
• Reduces the needs for private mortgage insurance.
• Pursue opportunities to participate in Community
  Reinvestment Programs with area banks and
  financial institutions.

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Next Steps

• Review Feedback
• Draft Affordable Housing Plan to be completed by
  May 2004.
• Final Affordable Housing Plan to be completed by
  June 2004.