Guest Column: We all care about housing

By Guest

By Lisa Lopez, Member, Canton Select Board & Community Preservation Committee

Canton’s housing prices and rents are through the roof. For someone looking for housing it’s hard not to be depressed. But what’s a person to do? It’s much the same in other cities and towns throughout the commonwealth, and even the nation.

Lisa Lopez

Fortunately, there is something we can do when we join together as a community.

At the upcoming town meeting, voters will decide whether to authorize formation of a Municipal Housing Trust. Recall that in 2012 Canton adopted the Community Preservation Act, which funds local projects for historic preservation, open space/recreation, and affordable housing. Of the 186 Massachusetts communities that have adopted CPA, more than half have taken the next step to form housing trusts in order to more thoughtfully and planfully spend the CPA funds that must be spent on affordable housing. A housing trust can also accept private donations, developer fees, or town meeting voted appropriations. It will not result in new taxes. It strengthens local control.

There is a common misunderstanding about what is “affordable housing.” Canton is fortunate to have about 250 state-owned affordable housing units managed by the Canton Housing Authority for low-income households, primarily older adults, veterans and persons with disabilities. And Canton has another 235 affordable housing units (rental and condos) that are privately owned, available only to renters or buyers who are income and asset qualified for affordable housing. For example, a four-person Canton household earning up to $101,000 per year, or a one-person household earning up to $70,000 per year, is income eligible for a deed-restricted affordable rental or condo. These are not low-income households. But the inventory of housing available to them, often called the “workforce” housing, is scarce, even in towns that may have plenty of housing for high-income or low-income households.

A housing trust is not a panacea. Housing issues are complex and require long-term planning. But there are strategies that have been deployed by other communities that can make a real difference to people we know and love. Our work colleagues, parents, and adult children may all struggle to afford housing. Years ago my younger brother, a Navy veteran, achieved his home ownership dream in a 1,250-square-foot, affordable condo, allowing my niece and nephew to thrive in a safe community.

Please attend town meeting on Saturday, May 22, and vote ‘Yes’ on Article 32. It’s for the good of our entire community.

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