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<br />---------- Forwarded message ---------- <br />From: <br />Date: Thu, Dec 1, 2011 at 1:49 PM <br />Subject: [lex-tmma] Affordable Housing - Questions 1-18 <br />To: lex-tmma@yahoogroups.com <br /> <br /> <br /> <br />Questions continue to appear in my inbox— the most recent are starred (*) below. <br /> <br />I understand that pulling together an informational session about our current AH goals and practices will <br />warrant some work but someone has pointed out that “increasing public awareness through public <br />information and forums” is part of the Housing Partnership Board’s charge; perhaps they might serve as the <br />organizing body and welcome a ready audience. <br /> <br />Ellen McDonald, Pct 4 <br /> <br />1. Now that we’ve reached the 10% state affordable housing goal, is there a new percentage that we’re <br />aiming for? Put differently, at what rate do we need to continue adding affordable housing in order to <br />maintain a satisfactory ratio? <br /> <br />2. What is Lexington's purpose in creating affordable housing? Helping those in need? Creating an <br />economically diverse population? Housing those populations not easily served by the private market? Are <br />there new mechanisms, apart from building new housing stock, which we might use to further these goals? <br />What are the relative costs of these alternatives? <br /> <br />3. How is town government supporting our AH aims? Are we creating ordinances and policies that preserve <br />existing housing affordable/diverse stock? Are we protecting citizens from land use patterns that are <br />creating an increasingly dense and urban landscape? <br /> <br />4. How do we prioritize core principles of open space, sustainability, historic preservation, accessibility, <br />safety/density, etc. with the goal of creating AH? How do we protect neighborhoods from surrounding uses <br />that might devalue property or adversely affect health and quality of life? <br /> <br />5. Since we now accept non-Lexington AH applicants, how are rebalancing the affordability index for <br />current residents with marginal economic viability against those outside Lexington in even greater distress? <br />In other words, are we taxing struggling households here in Lexington who may leave town so that we can <br />accommodate those living outside Lexington with greater needs? <br />6. Does the AH charge address housing for lower income seniors? <br /> <br />7. What is the value of the assets the town has currently invested in affordable housing (by whatever <br />accounting method we use)? <br /> <br />8. What have we spent annually (last 5 years or so) on all affordable housing initiatives, and what are our <br />future spending plans? <br /> <br />9. What is the contingency plan if we suddenly fall under the 40b threshold - either because the threshold is <br />raised, or because a large chunk of our stock suddenly becomes "un"affordable? <br /> <br />10. Our original (mid-1990s) AH guidelines were a) that AH be created through a variety of means, b) that <br />AH not be created such that it create an undue pressure or out-of-character neighborhood presence, and c) <br />that efforts be made to site AH on "arterial streets" with access to public transportation. What is our present <br />commitment to these original guidelines? <br /> <br /> <br />