Committee Contact: Sarah Suarez, Asst. Director of Planning and Community Development, ssuarez@town.arlington.ma.us 

Arlington's Housing Plan: an update to the Housing Production Plan

DHCD approves Housing Plan as Town's official Housing Production Plan

The Arlington Housing Plan is a five-year plan that updates the Town’s 2016 Housing Production Plan (HPP) consistent with the guidelines from the Massachusetts Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD). The former HPP was adopted by the Arlington Redevelopment Board and Select Board in summer of 2016 and approved by the Massachusetts Department of Housing and Community Development that fall. The Housing Plan will:

• update the Town’s vision and strategy for providing housing that serves a range of needs;
• address the diverse housing needs for a range of household and housing types, including housing for seniors and families;
• be both data-driven and informed by the community through a series of engagement opportunities; and
• include a comprehensive needs assessment, affordable housing goals, and strategies for how to achieve those goals through policy and zoning changes.

In January 2020, the Town issued an RFP for the HPP update, and contracted with Barrett Planning Group, LLC in March. Barrett Planning Group and subconsultant Horsley Witten Group facilitated the Housing Plan in conjunction with the Department of Planning and Community Development (DPCD) and the Housing Plan Implementation Committee (HPIC). The update incorporates a vision and strategy for providing housing that serves a range of needs. It also addresses diverse housing needs for a range of household and housing types, which includes housing for seniors and families.

This effort was funded through the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program. The Housing Plan Implementation Committee (HPIC), formerly the Housing Plan Advisory Committee, was created by the Arlington Redevelopment Board on March 6, 2017. The Committee is tasked with working with the consultant on developing and implementing the Housing Plan. For more information, please contact Kelly Lynema, Assistant Director at klynema@town.arlington.ma.us.

2021 Annual Town Meeting Article 25: 
Real Estate Transfer Fee

Via the Select Board, the HPIC submitted a warrant article to the 2021 Annual Town Meeting to approve the submittal of a home rule petition to establish a Real Estate Transfer. A Real Estate Transfer Fee would provide a dedicated funding source for the recently adopted municipal affordable housing trust fund.

Article 25 Frequently Asked Questions on Real Estate Transfer Fees

DRAFT Real Estate Transfer Fee Motion, dated March 12, 2021
Memorandum to Finance Committee and Select Board on Article 25, dated March 16, 2021

A virtual informational forum was held on March 4th. View the introductory slides shared during the forum.

Learn more about Real Estate Transfer Fees via the MA Real Estate Transfer Fee Coalition. This coalition is advocating for the passage of a local option by the Legislature. Please see HD.1911 and SD.565.

2020 Activities:
Municipal Affordable Housing Trust Fund

The HPIC was successful in bringing the establishment of a Municipal Affordable Housing Trust Fund MGL c.44 s.55C to the Special Town Meeting. The Special Town Meeting adopted Article 8 and created a new Town Bylaw to establish the Trust Fund and Board of Trustees. You can find the Warrant Article, motion, and other supporting material posted with the Select Board's November 4th meeting.

The Massachusetts Attorney General has reviewed and approved the bylaw amendment. Article 14: Affordable Housing Trust Fund & Board of Trustees can be found under Title II - Committees and Commissions of the Town Bylaws.

The Affordable Housing Trust Fund Board of Trustees (Trust) was established for the purpose of creating a separate fund “to provide for the preservation and creation of Community Housing in the Town of Arlington, as such term is defined in Section 2 of M.G.L. c.44B, the Community Preservation Act (CPA).”

The Trustees began their initial work in the fall of 2021 by drafting, receiving Select Board approval for, and executing a Declaration of Trust. Presently, the Trust is working on the development of an Annual Action Plan. The development of the Action Plan will closely align with recommendations in the updated Housing Production Plan. 

More information about this planning process and the work of the Trust is available on the Trust's website. 

2016 Housing Production Plan 

In October 2015, the Town of Arlington engaged the Metropolitan Area Planning Council (MAPC) to facilitate the development of a Housing Production Plan in conjunction with a Housing Plan Advisory Committee and the Department of Planning and Community Development (DPCD). The primary purpose of the resulting plan is to position the Town of first and foremost better meet local market-rate and affordable housing needs and demand, and in doing so work towards the Chapter 40B 10% statutory minimum. Towards that end, the Housing Production Plan consists of three major components: a housing needs and demand assessment; an analysis of development constraints, capacity, and opportunities in town; and an implementation plan consisting of housing goals and strategies to achieve them.

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