LWVMA Affordable Housing Final Report

Affordable Housing Study Committee Report

The Affordable Housing Study was originally voted as a one-year study by the LWVM Convention in 2005 with the scope as described below. Then, at the LWVM 2007 Convention it was extended one year. During the course of the study, various methods were used to educate and prepare the membership for consensus meetings that were held during the fall of 2007.

Scope of Study

Scope: To evaluate legislation, regulations and programs in Massachusetts to determine their effectiveness in providing affordable housing and propose a new position through consensus or concurrence.

Study may include, but is not limited to:

·         Senior housing

·         Effect of Chapter 40B, Massachusetts’ Comprehensive Permit statute, on cities and towns

·         “Smart growth” concepts

Study Committee

The study committee was formed in the fall of 2005 and included the following members all of whom were very involved in and knowledgeable about affordable housing. Each chose an area to investigate and about which to become especially informed:

Jane Nash, co-chair – Westwood-Walpole

Wendy Manz, co-chair – Lexington

Lynn Cohen, advisor – Westford

Joan Duff – Andover-North Andover

Clare Gordon – Arlington

Roberta Leviton – Newton

Mardi McKenna – Norwood

Muriel Zaginailoff, Consensus Meetings Coordinator – Beverly

Distribution of Educational Materials

During the study, the following materials were prepared and distributed by the committee to the membership. Most of the material is also available on the LWVM website.

• Two panel discussions composed of affordable housing experts were offered, at the LWVM 2005 Fall Conference and at the LWVM 2006 Council.

• Five bulletin articles were sent electronically to local League presidents and Bulletin editors for inclusion in their newsletters.

• Four articles were published in the Mass Voter.

• A booklet, “The Affordable Housing Study Reports,” containing the study committee’s research, was published on the LWVM website.