The Town of Bellingham is working with the MAPC (Metropolitan Area Planning Council) on a Housing Production Plan. The goal of the Plan is to create a document that the Town can use to guide the future of housing development in Bellingham. The report will deal with all types of housing, but will focus primarily on affordable housing. “Affordable” means housing that is available at 80% of the Town’s mean income (in this case that is 80% of the mean annual income of $68,300).
The MAPC has been working on preparing reports of Bellingham’s existing housing supply and demand, Bellingham’s housing needs and an analysis of Bellingham’s regulatory and non-regulatory constraints to development. Draft versions of these reports are available as links on this webpage.
The final stage of the Housing Production Plan is for the MAPC to work with the Town to prepare specific strategies by which Bellingham will achieve established housing production goals (at
least 0.5% of year round housing units) as well as a timeframe /schedule for achieving the housing goals identified. Each goal will include several specific milestones to indicate progress, including all of the following strategies, to the extent applicable: areas where land use regulations will be modified; identify sites for comprehensive permits; determine preferred characteristics of development (smart
growth), and identify municipally owned sites for affordable housing. Use Restrictions for Affordable Units will also be discussed and determined based on MA Department of Housing and Community Development model language.
Please join us on December 10, 2009 at 8:00 PM in the Arcand Meeting Room of the Municipal Center for this important final discussion on the future of housing in Bellingham.
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