Our View: No Buts About It

When someone prefaces remarks with “I support affordable housing, but…” you can bet that they don’t really support affordable housing, at least anywhere near where they live, work, drive, walk or could possibly see if they squint really hard.

 We’ve seen this over and over again recently with affordable housing projects in Harwich, Orleans and Chatham. Despite long public processes to choose developers and review plans in comprehensive permit hearings, there never seems to be enough information, enough concessions, enough review to satisfy concerns about community character, traffic, safety, aesthetics, density and other such vagaries. Of course, because zoning boards are empowered under the 40B comprehensive permit process to waive local bylaws and regulations, these projects should undergo extensive review. But that doesn’t mean they need to meet higher standards than private market rate developments. Private developers are not usually required to include generators in houses, build sidewalks on town roads or reconfigure congested intersections. 

If we stipulate that affordable housing is an overall benefit — providing shelter for those who don’t have high incomes but provide vital services to the community (health care, municipal, restaurant, retail workers, etc.), bring kids into the school system and contribute to a town’s social diversity — then that benefit comes with certain tradeoffs, just as the escalation of market rate real estate has both benefits and costs. Those may include development of previously open space, changes to streetscapes, new traffic patterns, and — horrors — people who may not trace their ancestry to the Mayflower.

None of these projects will ruin their town. None will result in residents fleeing neighborhoods. None will kill the golden tax base. They will provide safe, clean and affordable housing to folks we see every day cleaning houses, landscaping, waiting tables and taking care of seniors. Having them more integrated into the community by living as well as working here can only be a benefit. 

Yes, we support affordable housing. No buts about it.