There’s been a lot of discussion about the number of Actual Affordable units in town vs. each development’s impact on the town's SHI.
That the number of actual units is less than what the town get’s “credit” for on our SHI is a valid concern, but there are reasons why this is done. For one, it allows a developer or owner to subsidize the affordable units out of the income derived from the development's market rate units - without using public money (beyond any incentives that may have been negotiated with the town at the outset). For another, it encourages “mixed income” developments where individuals and families with a wide range of income levels live together in the same neighborhood. This is far preferable (as supported by numerous studies over the years) to the failed monolithic “projects” of the mid 20th century, which concentrated large numbers of lower income folks into what were often described (rightly) as ghettoes. Lincoln has done a great job over the years of creating affordable housing scattered throughout the town, without creating neighborhoods that are exclusively “affordable” units. Even our largest single bloc of affordable housing, Lincoln Woods, has just 72 Affordable units out of 125 overall. So, while not perfect, the State’s method for handling the SHI does a relatively good job of encouraging the creation of affordable housing using private, rather than public, funds; and ensuring that affordable units are not concentrated in a single area. The HCA was clearly written with these two principles in mind. And, our HCAWG and Town Administration are doing a great job of advocating on the town’s behalf with the State, as well as crafting viable options that meet the HCA’s legal requirements while laying a solid foundation that will support these principles in a way that will respect Lincoln’s history, environment, and traditions, in the decades to come. - Allen Vander Meulen -- The LincolnTalk mailing list. To post, send mail to [email protected]. Browse the archives at https://pairlist9.pair.net/mailman/private/lincoln/. Change your subscription settings at https://pairlist9.pair.net/mailman/listinfo/lincoln.
