Housing Committee 

The 495/MetroWest Partnership’s Housing Committee focuses on the issue of housing in the region, addressing topics including but not limited to affordable housing, workforce housing, senior housing, transit-oriented and mixed-use development, zoning as it pertains to housing, and the impact of housing on the region’s economy and resources.

Transit Oriented Development Forum: The Housing Committee of the 495/MetroWest Partnership will host a virtual forum focused on Transit Oriented Development on Tuesday, November 9th at 8:30 AM. The agenda will include discussion from a panel of municipal officials representing different communities in our region talking about their successes and plans for Transit Oriented Development, ranging from recent development to long-term visioning centered around Commuter Rail stations. Related topics for discussion include zoning overlays, financing, parking requirements, mixed-use development, induced demand, and developer interests. This event will be hosted virtually via Zoom; click here to register.

Housing Submarkets Presentation & Discussion: On June 9th, the Housing Committee of the 495/MetroWest Partnership hosted a presentation and discussion with MAPC focused on their Housing Submarkets study, and submarket-specific strategies to meet housing needs and demand through housing and affordable housing production, preservation, and housing stability protections. A housing submarket is a collection of neighborhoods with similar housing stock and housing market characteristics. These characteristics contribute to who can find, afford, and remain in suitable housing in that neighborhood. Presenting on behalf of MAPC were Jessie Partridge Guerrero, Research Manager at MAPC, and Karina Oliver-Milchman, AICP, Chief of Housing & Neighborhood Development. Click here to view a recording of this presentation and discussion. 

Housing Committee Kickoff Session: The Housing Committee of the 495/MetroWest Partnership hosted its first session on Thursday, March 25th. Click here to view a recording of the session. We hosted two presentations, each followed by a Question and Answer period:

• Amy Dain, Consultant, Dain Research, and author of The State of Zoning for Multi-Family Housing in Greater Boston, presented on the state of multi-family housing in the region and potential strategies going forward.
• Chris Kluchman, Deputy Director of the Community Services Division at the Massachusetts Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD), presented an overview of the state’s new Housing Choice legislation and its implementation. Chris Kluchman's presentation can be downloaded via this link.