By Kim Siebert MacPhail
On June 3, Assistant Town Manager Jessica Porter presented the Selectmen with the latest version of a report entitled “Analysis of Impediments to Fair Housing Choice,” which is generated every five years to identify Bedford’s obstacles to providing affordable housing options. The analysis is required for the town’s membership in the WestMetro HOME Consortium, and contains statistical and demographic information as well as recommendations for how to diversify housing and remove barriers for low income residents. The Bedford Housing Partnership and the Planning Board both reviewed and discussed the findings prior to Porter’s presentation of the findings to the Selectmen.
The action item list resulting from the analysis includes 1) possible revisions to the Accessory Apartment Bylaw, including parking requirements; 2) timelier monitoring of affordable housing rents through the Regional Housing Services Office (RHSO); 3) consideration of cluster housing and other options that would allow for greater residential density; 4) educational outreach to the public— including lenders, realtors, and property owners— about fair housing. Minority recruitment for Town boards and committees was also areas of focus.
Accessory Apartment Bylaw
The rules regarding accessory apartments that are attached to single-family residences are under examination by the Bedford Housing Partnership to determine whether changing the bylaw would have the effect of creating additional affordable units. Current regulations specify where entrances to accessory apartments must be located and that two parking spaces per apartment must be provided, although not in the front of the residence. The report infers that some flexibility about the location of entrances and the number of accessory parking spots could be considered.
Monitoring affordable housing rents
The Regional Housing Services Office (RHSO) that serves Bedford recently discovered that some affordable unit residents had been overcharged due to a miscalculation of rent amounts. Since that discovery, those rents have been recalculated, adjusted, and the tenants have been reimbursed as appropriate. Continued monitoring by the RHSO should avoid the possibility of future error.
Cluster and Density
Because of the relative lack of available land for future development and the need for greater housing diversity, cluster housing and higher-density housing are two options that could create a greater number of affordable units. The report says that the Town will “continue to seek out additional affordable housing opportunities and work with developers to create units within the zoning guidelines.”
Moving to the statistical analysis, the report states that the principal barriers to affordable housing in Bedford are “the high price of existing real estate and a limited amount of buildable open space.”
Bedford’s housing prices did not decline substantially over the recent financial downturn; prices have remained high and are moving higher still, with the median sales price of a single family home at $554,500 in February 2013, compared to $512,400 in February 2012. The average sales price similarly remains high ($604,705) and it, too, is higher than the previous year ($582,814). Additionally, the report noted that the inventory of available, for-sale residential real estate was on the decline.
According to the report, the remaining amount of developable land in Bedford is minimal. About 40% of the town’s 8,768 total acres is developed, 25% is protected, and development of much of the remaining undeveloped 3,000 acres is hampered by wetland and floodplain restrictions, leaving only about 150 acres available for future expansion.
The median income in Bedford is reported at just over $105,500 a year, with about 3% of households earning less than $15,000 and 16.8% earning over $150,000. The median monthly cost burden for mortgage holders in Bedford is listed at $3,083; for renters, the figure is $1,525. 39% of Bedford homeowners spent 35% or more of their monthly income on housing. 31% of homeowners are free from having to make mortgage payments.
To read more demographic statistics and to access the full “Analysis of Impediments to Fair Housing Choice, June 2013”, click here.
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