From Bill Humphrey, Progressive Newton
Thank you to Chairman Arciero, Chairwoman Edwards, and other esteemed members of the Committee for hosting a hearing and collecting written testimony. I am submitting testimony on behalf of Progressive Newton (which I chair) and in my individual capacity as a Newton City Councilor in support of The Yes in My Backyard Bill (HB1379/SB858). Progressive Newton supports affordable, high-quality housing in safe, walkable, and vibrant neighborhoods and supports affirmatively furthering fair housing to ensure everyone has equal access to housing.
Specifically I wish to offer insights into two provisions of this legislation that have already essentially been adopted in Newton. The first concerns Accessory Dwelling Units and the second concerns Inclusionary Zoning.
The City of Newton in 2022 adopted local zoning changes to make it much easier to build Accessory Dwelling Units, and this new system is similar to that proposed statewide by The Yes in My Backyard Bill (HB1379/SB858). These smaller, separated units of housing on existing lots, usually primarily occupied by a Single-Family Home, not only add to our overall housing stock without much wider impact, but they also specifically help families find proximate housing for elder relatives and adult children (including those with disabilities) or help “big house” elder owner-occupants find a bit of extra rental income to be able to stay in their homes longer or to be able to afford historic preservation (especially if the unit is a traditional carriage house). These ADUs have not always been easy to build or set up under local rules, and this has discouraged them from being created. This legislation will help correct this on a consistent basis across the Commonwealth. It will allow more multi-generational families to live together, enable new incomes for owner-occupants of older homes, and facilitate additional units of new housing across Massachusetts with a smaller effect on existing neighborhoods than some larger development projects that sometimes generate more controversy.
The City of Newton has also already adopted ambitious but fair and rational Inclusionary Zoning targets, which promote the creation of more affordable units than ever before in market-rate projects but without economically discouraging overall production of housing in a substantial way. The Yes in My Backyard Bill (HB1379/SB858) establishes a reasonable compromise at a state level, by proposing that “The Department of Housing and Community Development shall be responsible for developing guidelines to ensure that municipalities do not adopt inclusionary zoning ordinances or bylaws that [unduly] constrain the production of housing in that community.”
Many other provisions in the legislation are also things presently being explored as potential local changes in Newton, but these two points are steps Newton has already taken, and they have been widely supported.
City Councilor Bill Humphrey
Newton MA 02468
