Colleagues,
State Representative Jim Arciero’s piece published today, is a clear mandate for expanding capacity in Chapter 74 vocational technical & agricultural programs across the Commonwealth.
With the goal of reaching 200,000 new housing units by 2030, coupled with insufficient trained workers to provide the labor, expanding capacity in Chapter 74 vocational technical & agricultural programs is a parallel necessity to the Affordable Homes Act.
David
Arciero: Rethinking the way we build
Office-to-home conversions crucial in growing housing stock
State Rep. Jim Arciero speaking on the Massachusetts House floor regarding the Affordable Homes Act on June 5, 2024. (COURTESY REP. JIM ARCIERO)
PUBLISHED: July 4, 2024 at 12:14 a.m. | UPDATED: July 4, 2024 at 12:15 a.m.
Currently, the residents and citizens of Massachusetts face an unprecedented housing crisis.
Every other headline across New England publications seemingly mentions the word “housing” – and rightfully so.
Massachusetts is known to have one of the highest affordability-homeownership gaps in the nation, with the average median sale price for a single-family home in Massachusetts around $570,000.
New housing is vital for families looking to purchase a home and plant roots. Our vulnerable loved ones look to age in place and live healthy, safe lives of dignity. Workers are struggling with rent. Unsurprisingly, state-wide polling and data say our housing crisis is foremost on the minds of voters.
Cities and towns all across the commonwealth – from Cape and Islands to the Berkshires – have major needs for rezoning and revitalization. Economic reports indicate we need to produce 200,000 new units to keep up with demands and make sure people can stay and work in our state.
As the House chair of the Joint Committee on Housing, I’m proud to announce that in June, the Massachusetts House of Representatives overwhelmingly passed the most comprehensive housing legislation in the history of our state: a $6.5 billion (that’s a “B”) investment that could reshape our housing landscape for generations to come, the Affordable Homes Act.
Highlights of the House version of the bill include billions for our 43,000 public housing units and millions of capital authorizations for housing revitalization and production. The Senate recently revealed their version of the bill with changes to the capital authorizations and policy.
Within a monumental bill it may be easy to miss, but there is one policy that could help produce much-needed housing density in our suburban areas. It could help us rethink how our housing intersects with walkable downtowns, workspaces, entertainment amenities (like movie theaters, bowling alleys, restaurants, schools, etc.) and public transportation.
This significant policy in the Affordable Homes Act is a 10% tax credit for developers to work alongside municipalities to convert office parks into multi-use housing. This policy could bring about major change and provide an abundance of housing opportunities across the state and Merrimack Valley in particular.
The office workforce changed during the throes of the pandemic: people stopped going to the office as much, ditching their cubicles to work from the comforts of their own homes causing major office parks to be abandoned and housing crunches nationally with influxes of movements to more open areas.
The way we work has unequivocally changed. In response, the ways we develop and repurpose land must also change.
An example of the office park conversion policy being implemented in real time can be found in my district in the Town of Littleton. A former IBM campus, located at 550 King Street, was once one of the largest software labs in North America before the corporation moved their headquarters to Cambridge – leaving the campus empty amidst the Covid-19 pandemic.
Chelmsford real estate developer, Sal Lupoli, working with the Town of Littleton and its citizens, is now spearheading a multipurpose, large-scale redevelopment project that aims to transform Littleton’s housing, employment, and cultural landscape.
The project is called “King Street Common” and is a collaborative effort between the town and the developer with funding from the state – a prime example of how a public-private partnership can help generate crucial housing in our region, and potentially across the state.
This project helped jumpstart conversations around the policy on Beacon Hill – and will help municipalities work with developers seeking to build more housing for their residents.
Cities like Boston and Worcester and metropolitan areas across New England have begun conversations about reutilizing office spaces for housing and finding ways to entice developers to build dense, affordable housing.
Boston Mayor Michelle Wu recently spearheaded a downtown office to residential pilot program, looking to convert office spaces into homes for residents, with Governor Healey recently announcing $15 million in state funds to help convert 403,000 square foot office space into 412 units of housing.
Neighboring states are also implementing similar policies. The Connecticut State Senate approved a bill this year that would allow the reuse of commercial buildings for housing. Maine has been looking to work with developers to reutilize unused spaces in Portland.
We know it can be done.
With our vacancy rate for rental units reaching a staggering 1.6% and seeing increased rents and a lack of options for working individuals, this policy is one of many in the Affordable Homes Act that could help deal with our precarious moment while also encouraging developers to build more and communities to upzone.
As we look to tackle our housing crisis, we must be willing to creatively look outside the box.
Next will be an arduous process with serious discussions about rezoning, rethinking how communities look, transportation, financing, proper construction materials along with democratic and thoughtful leadership and community input.
There is no other way: we must build or risk the future of our state’s overall wellbeing and our residents’ opportunities to stay and live in Massachusetts.
It’s been an honor and a major highlight of my political career to help guide the largest housing investment in the Commonwealth’s history through the Massachusetts House of Representatives and, hopefully, help bring about necessary change to our housing landscape alongside leadership and colleagues here on Beacon Hill to help our citizens find a home and live with dignity.
With courage, resiliency, and political will, we can start making our cities and towns more affordable for all those who live in our great state. It’s our duty as legislators to act on behalf of our citizenry. This is our moment. And we need to act.
The goal of reaching 200,000 new housing units by 2030 will not come overnight, and the Affordable Homes Act is a great first step in that direction.
James Arciero is a member of the Massachusetts House of Representatives in the Second Middlesex District, which includes Littleton, Westford, and Precincts 3B, 4 and 5A in Chelmsford. State Rep. James Arciero is the House chair of the Joint Committee on Housing.
David J. Ferreira
MAVA Communications Coordinator
DavidFerreira