Housing for All 2021 Questionnaire for Select Board Candidates and Responses from Select Board Candidates for the March 30th Election.

Housing for All Acton is a coalition of residents and professionals involved in promoting affordable housing. Our Mission Statement is as follows:

“We believe that Acton can and should be an inclusive community with housing options to meet the needs of people at different incomes, household types, and stages of life. For Acton to meet the housing needs of current and future residents we support the creation of new housing including multi-family housing, housing for people with limited incomes, and housing for people with special needs, as well as embracing reusing existing housing for new housing needs.

Housing for All will actively support policies, developments, and projects that we believe will make Acton a more inclusive community and facilitate the creation of new housing opportunities, especially housing that meets identified community needs including increasing access to Acton housing for those who work in the community. We seek to work with residents, and others who care about Acton to advance the goal of an inclusive and welcoming community.

We invited candidates Jon Benson and Fran Arsenault to respond to a series of questions on the housing issues facing the Town and below you will find the questions and the candidates’ responses to the questions. We hope this information will be helpful to voters as they make their choices in the March 30th election. The questions from Housing for All are in italics. Jon Benson’s responses are in black and Fran Arsenault’s responses are in blue.

1) The Boston region suffers from a severe housing shortage. Rents and home prices in Acton and the region are high and rising, with negative consequences for our community and the wider region. Creating more homes is critical to solving the twin crises of shortage and unaffordability. What role, if any, should the Town of Acton take in supporting the development of multifamily housing, whether deed-restricted affordable (reserved for low- to moderate-income households), “workforce,” or market-rate? Please explain.

Jon Benson: In 2020, the Town adopted a new Housing Production Plan with well over 800 residents participating and sharing their opinions on housing goals. The Town of Acton through the Acton Community Housing Corporation and the Acton Housing Authority, with their many years of planning and leadership experience, should take the lead in the development of multifamily housing for low-to-moderate income households.

Fran Arsenault: First, I’d like to express my appreciation for your organization and the work that you do. My beliefs are closely aligned with Housing for All Acton’s among my top stated priorities are finding ways to build and/or repurpose real estate in Acton to create affordable housing.

I think Acton should carefully examine the definition of what they are calling “affordable”. Most properties built under the 40B law are not affordable to families making under $50K. I think Acton needs to examine our current housing stock and start some sort of program that buys condos priced up to $200,000, deed restrict them and add to the affordable housing stock.

It would also be advantageous for the town to add another rental unit like Avalon to an area of town close to the train station and within close proximity to area amenities.

2) Acton has recently achieved “safe harbor” status under the provisions of Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 40B, including by attaining the “10%” minimum threshold for affordable housing units. Do you think the Town of Acton should still encourage developers to create affordable housing and if so, what tools do you envision using to encourage affordable housing development?

Jon—The attainment of the 40B “safe harbor” affords the Town the ability to step back and thoughtfully consider its housing needs. A good example occurred in 2020. The ACHC promoted a friendly 40B project to meet the needs of seniors who wish to downsize and stay in Acton. The Grandview development on 2A will create 32 two bedroom ownership units, 24 units will be market rate ($425,000 to $475,000) and 8 units will be affordable ($200,000 to $210,000). The Town’s new Housing Production Plan provides many goals and strategies for implementing the goals of the community to increase affordable housing. I fully support Goal 2:

Goal 2. MIX OF OPTIONS: Encourage a mix of housing options to provide homes for a range of household types including families, seniors, young adults, individuals with disabilities, and lower-income households, particularly households with incomes at or below 50 percent AMI.

Fran: Determining the difference between affordable housing and calling housing “affordable” built under the 40B Law needs to be defined by the town. The fact that we are at “safe harbor” status is great, however, that will not last given our current approach of using the 40B law to meet our affordable housing needs. If we keep doing what we’re doing, we will constantly be trying to meet 10% as our population/housing stock increases.

Acton needs to figure out an equitable way to renovate current housing stock, using cleaner heating sources and green renovations, to add to our affordable housing stock. I will bring experience to the board from my work as a realtor, my position on the Historic District Commission, and my commitment to racial justice.

3) A new Massachusetts law requires that all communities served by the MBTA including Acton, create districts proximate to transit that are zoned for multi-family housing development to remain eligible for competitive state grants like MassWorks. What steps would you take to comply with this new state legislation?

Jon—The recently approved Economic Development Law provides for multi-family housing within one-half mile of a commuter rail station by special permit so long as 10% of the housing is affordable to 80% of AMI. This is a change and will require patient efforts with neighborhood groups to address their legitimate concerns in order for the new law to be successful.

Fran: As a town we need to determine our values and what is important to us as a community. We also need to balance our Historic Districts with our housing demands, “affordable” or not.

Recently the ACHC proposed a plan to allow property owners in the historic districts to turn single family homes into multi-family homes where feasible. In theory, this is a great idea- but before implementing this, or any other plan, I think we need to take stock of our current landscape. This should not be an overly drawn-out process, but it makes sense to check the landscape before you change it. We need to determine how many multi-family homes are in existence in each district and how they are being used.

In my anecdotal experience as a realtor listing multi-family homes, which are almost always located in more densely populated village areas and sometimes in Historic Districts, potential buyers would come to the open house and ask, ”how easy would it be to turn this home into a single family?” I think it is very important for Acton to collect data on our current housing stock, how it is being used and figure out housing needs/trends for the future.

4) A related question is: Many of those concerned about climate change are encouraging multi- family housing development in walkable neighborhoods near transit is a necessary step in reducing carbon emissions. Do you agree and if you agree; what steps should Acton take in this area?

Jon—Yes, agreed. Acton’s first Sustainability Director, Andrea Becerra was hired in January. Here it would be ideal for Andrea and the ACHC to jointly work in this regard. Transit-oriented housing meets many of the sustainability goals set by the Town. The town must pursue housing strategies to provide the kind of housing that both young people and down-sizing adults want. For example, higher density housing in town centers, in walkable locations, convenient to transit and other amenities.

Fran-Building new is not always the answer to align with climate change. New builds are more taxing on the town infrastructure as well as water resources. Climate change is a major issue and a healthy environmental future should be a part of considerations in all areas of town governance. There are several environmental groups doing great work here in town, and I’d look forward to working with them to help guide these decisions.

5) Housing advocates and the parents of special needs children have identified affordable housing for people with special needs as an important priority for Acton. What steps would you take or support to advance the goal of increasing affordable special needs housing opportunities in Acton.

Jon—Again I would work within the existing structure of the ACHC and advocacy groups. As we learned from the failure of the Elm Street development several years ago which included a young adult group home, outreach to the neighboring community is critical. There are many families in Acton in need of housing for their young adult disabled family members.

Fran: Familiarizing myself with and attending the Committee on Disabilities meetings is a priority for me. The town of Acton has many great commissions that do great work for the town and I am looking forward to learning more and working with these great committees.

6) Do you believe mixed use development that includes multifamily housing should be considered in the redevelopment of the “K-Mart” parcel?

Jon —The redevelopment of the K-Mart parcel will be guided by today’s economic realities. I am open to a proposal being advanced for a senior living, assisted living, continuum of care development on the parcel. We have to be mindful of meeting the needs of society’s members at all stages of life.

Fran: The town needs to determine whether or not the Kmart parcel is something we would like to pursue, acquire and develop. I think a project of this magnitude would need community input and take years to come to fruition. I have been listening to community members’ visions for the parcel and some expressed the wish for a community center, others mixed used: retail & housing and others low-cost shopping.

It has been difficult seeing Kmart empty for almost a year and the McDonald’s parcel empty for close to 16 years. These properties have so much potential, and we must prioritize tapping these spaces in our community. We need to also focus on other empty commercial storefronts in the community. Filling these could also ease our property tax burden, another goal of my campaign to join the BOS.

7) Do you believe the Town of Acton should actively promote economic and racial diversity? If you do agree; what specific steps should the Town take toward this goal in housing policy to promote diversity?

Jon—Yes, this is a goal we can all support. I would look to the recommendations of the Diversity, Equity and Inclusivity Commission on steps in promoting economic and racial diversity in Acton. The Town also must act to support racial equity and inclusion, through the provision of diverse housing options that are affordable for individuals in a broad range of incomes.

Fran: The Town of Acton should actively work on ways to make our diverse community members/residents feel welcome and included. If Acton is a warm welcoming place folks will want to move here. Linking affordable housing with diversity is hurtful to our Black, Indigenous and people of color Actonians who pay their fair share to the community by paying taxes and volunteering on many of our boards both elected and non-elected.

8) Have you ever publicly supported an affordable housing development here in Acton? Please describe the development and how and why you supported it.

Jon—As a member of the Select Board, I supported Avalon II in Nagog Park (80+ rental units) and the Apartments at Powder Mill on Rt. 62 (230 rental units) as well as the Grandview age-restricted development on 2A. Avalon II and Powder Mill were the developments that enabled the Town to achieve the 10% 40B affordable housing threshold.

Fran: While I fully support the senior housing at Kelley’s Corner and the AHA’s senior housing rental complex planned for 368 Main Street (Walker land), and I attended both forums that were held specifically for community member input for the Main Street parcel, I would not say my support was public. I am equally excited for the dog park to be adjacent to the Main Street complex. I think this is a great example of mixed-land use.

9) Have you ever publicly opposed an affordable housing development in Acton? Please describe the development and how and why you opposed it.

Jon—Yes, I opposed the 40 unit later scaled back to 28 ownership units at Piper Lane as being wrong for many reasons. The Select Board did step in and Special Town Meeting overwhelming approved the purchase of the 6+ acres from the developer. It has led to conversations within the open space community that the preservation of open space needs to be provide a component for affordable housing.

Fran: Whenever I have been opposed to a specific 40B “affordable” housing project it has not been because it is an affordable housing project. My opposition in specific developments has been looking through the lens of a preservationist. I have lived here for 30 years and have seen many of our cultural resources (antique housing stock, historic mills, barns, etc.) demolished and replaced with developments that fall under the 40B “affordable” housing stock but really not affordable to a lot of folks. I strongly believe in genuinely affordable housing, and at the same time I believe in supporting development that values our historic, cultural and outdoor spaces.

10) Do you have any other thoughts or experiences to share regarding affordable housing?

Jon—With the achievement of the 10% 40B threshold based on the 2010 census, and its continuation following the 2020 census re-set (with the 446 Massachusetts Avenue development, 36 units of senior affordable housing, having just received its funding), we are able to thoughtfully assess making housing available that will serve individuals at different stages of life and with diverse financial means.

Acton will build on its history of diligent efforts to provide affordable housing with the goals and strategies laid out in the Housing Production Plan. I am committed to this Plan and the implementation of its objectives to make Acton a community with a diverse array of housing that is affordable for all.

Fran: Thank you for Housing for All 's excellent questions. I appreciate your work, and I hope to continue this conversation as a member of the Board of Selectmen. In the meantime, please feel free to reach out to me via my website at https://franarsenault.com/ or my campaign FB page at https://www.facebook.com/Vote4FranActon with any further questions.