LYNN — Local housing experts and developers are looking for ways to plan for future development in Lynn that would help meet, rather than exacerbate, the housing needs of city residents.
The virtual panel discussion Wednesday night was moderated by Karina Milchman, chief of housing and neighborhood development for the Metropolitan Area Planning Council (MAPC), the entity working with Lynn Housing Authority & Neighborhood Development to develop the city’s housing production plan.
Panelists in the community forum included Chrystal Kornegay, executive director of MassHousing, Andrew DeFranza, executive director of Harborlight Community Partnership, and Matt Zahler, principal of MPZ Development.
Anchoring a large part of the discussion was how to implement zoning changes to create more inclusive housing options. Panelists spoke in favor of the city adopting inclusionary zoning, which would require developers to include a certain percentage of affordable housing units in future projects.
“We can feel the impacts of (Greater Boston’s) housing shortage all the more acutely right now during the COVID-19 pandemic, which is highlighting housing problems like the insufficient number of homes, the lack of affordable homes, overcrowding and homelessness,” said Milchman.
“Through this plan, we really want to make sure that development is part of the successful strategy to meet the housing needs of Lynners, rather than part of a problem that exacerbates them.”
Although the city has met its state requirement for affordable housing, with 12.5 percent, or about 4,400, of its units deemed affordable by the state’s Subsidized Housing Inventory, Milchman said city data collected throughout the planning process shows there’s still a need.
“We know that the city needs more affordable housing because there are almost 20,000 low-income households in Lynn right now and about 12,500 of them are cost-burdened, meaning they can’t afford the housing they currently live in,” Milchman said.
Kornegay added that while she commends Lynn for exceeding their 10 percent requirement for affordable housing, that doesn’t mean their work is done. She said city leaders need to focus on how to grow Lynn in a way that is balanced and equitable, in terms of providing housing options that work for all residents.
In her lifetime, Kornegay said there’s never been a time where the idea of having a safe, affordable home has meant so much.
“When you lock down the planet and tell everybody to stay home you’re assuming everybody has a home,” said Kornegay. “What we’re saying is that is not necessarily true.”
The overarching goal of Wednesday’s discussion was to lay the foundation for future planning for Housing Lynn: A Plan for Inclusive Growth, which aims to increase the city’s affordable housing stock.
Based on what and where additional housing is needed, relevant zoning and development recommendations will be drafted as part of the document, Milchman said.
In terms of influencing affordable housing, DeFranza said the city has a lot of options for how to make that happen. Like all other municipalities in Massachusetts, Lynn controls its zoning rules, which are malleable and can be changed at any time, he said.
For example, DeFranza said adopting Chapter 40R, or the “Smart Growth Overlay District Act,” which seeks to substantially increase the supply of housing and decrease its cost, by increasing the amount of land zoned for dense housing, is an option in Lynn.
An affordable housing trust could also be created, which transfers fees that developers pay in lieu of creating affordable units in their projects to use toward that purpose in other parts of the city, DeFranza said.
As DeFranza expects Lynn’s housing market to “heat up” in the near future, he said it’s easier to create those affordable housing outcomes, by having that kind of intentionality in the city’s setup. In other words, he said, zoning changes should be made sooner rather than later.
If the market gets hotter, putting the genie back in the bottle will be “damn near impossible,” he said.
It’s a delicate balance, though, from a developer’s standpoint, said Zahler.
“(We) need to make sure that the requirement isn’t so much that it makes the project unfeasible,” said Zahler. “A lot of people feel developers are out to make a lot of money and their returns are full. Sometimes that happens, but a lot of times, it’s just making sure this project can get done. You only have so much control.”
Kornegay added that a developer generally makes their money on the margin. Most developers aren’t “big, national folk,” but rather small-to medium sized entities, and landing their next deal in a community is based on how they do their current housing job.
“No one is looking to make investments in your community and leave,” she said. “They’re investing in your community and you, who’s going to be there, because that’s how they make their money.”
Panelists also spoke largely about ensuring that development is planned in a way that ensures the community is welcoming for all, both in the short- and long-term.
If development is not done right, that could lead to further displacement and gentrification in the community, and a further hardening of income-based segregation lines on the North Shore, said DeFranza.
“(I want to encourage) Lynn to be future thinking and understand that change is going to happen,” said Kornegay. “It’s about making Lynn a place for people who live here now and for those who will live here 20 years from now.”
Due to time constraints, community input was scarce during Wednesday’s forum, but residents were directed to provide additional feedback as part of the city’s virtual open house, which closes on Friday, and can be found at the plan’s website.
