The Affordable Housing Toolbox -- Inclusionary & Incentive Zoning

Inclusionary zoning mandates that developers provide affordable housing if they create market rate housing. Incentive zoning allows developers seeking special permits to obtain favorable zoning treatment, usually in the form of increased density and/or reduction in regulatory requirements, in exchange for affordable housing.

For more information see MHP's website at www.mhpfund.com.

Affordable Housing & Smart Growth Goal

Municipalities can include statements in their zoning by-laws encouraging and/or requiring affordable housing, as well as smart growth principles that emphasize the development of places that are already built-up and served by infrastructure, in ways that are consistent with the quality and character of their surroundings.

For more information see the Citizens Housing and Planning Association (CHAPA) website under research and reports at http://chapa.org/recentreports.htm.

Affordability Restriction

Long-term affordability restrictions (30 year to perpetuity) enforceable through a deed rider or a ground lease have been used by local housing programs to maintain affordability and are required under state/federal funded housing programs and for units to be included in the state's 40B Subsidized Housing Inventory.

For more information contact the Dukes County Regional Housing Authority at 508-693-4419 or download the model deed rider from the DCRHA's website at www.vineyardhousing.org.

Multi-Family Housing

There is a scarcity of multi-family rental dwellings on the Vineyard (state-wide only 9% of renters live in single family homes, whereas on Martha's Vineyard more than 75% of renter live in single family homes). Higher densities can be achieved by municipalities as a matter of right or by special permit and/ or incentives in accordance with the state's Zoning Act. Specific multi-family overlay zones or districts can also be established in combination with inclusionary requirements.

For more information see Citizens Planner Training Collaborative at www.umass.edu/masscptc for sample by-laws.

Accessory Apartments

Municipalities can increase their supply of affordable housing by adopting zoning by-laws that allow for the creation of rental apartments within existing residential structures or within a developed lot.

For more information contact West Tisbury or Tisbury's planning board for copies of zoning by-laws or find examples of accessory apartment bylaws on the EO418 Best Practices website at www.state.ma.us/dhcd.

Homesharing/ Congregate Housing

Homesharing and congregate housing are living arrangements in which two or more unrelated people or households share housing accommodation. An elder homeowner renting out a room; a couple of single, or single parent families, sharing a house; and congregate living facilities for elders or special needs populations are all types of shared living arrangements.

For more information on home sharing see the AARP website at www.aarp.org.

Substandard Lot

Approval through special permit or comprehensive permit by a planning board or Zoning Board of Appeals for lots having less than prescribed basic minimum area for development of affordable housing.

For more information contact Edgartown, Chilmark, West Tisbury, and Oak Bluffs planning boards for examples of by-laws.

Substandard Lot Subdivision

Approval through special permit by a planning board to allow the subdivision of land into a substandard lot(s) for deed restricted affordable housing, as long as a remaining lot meets minimum lot size requirements.

For more information contact the Chilmark planning boards for examples of by-laws.

You can contact the Vineyard Housing Office: 346 State Road, P.O. Box 4538, Vineyard Haven, MA 02568, or phone 508 693 4419.

You can also go to the VHO's website at http://www.vineyardhousing.org for more information.

The Regional Housing Authority has created an Affordable Housing Toolbox to assist towns in planning and creating local inventive housing solutions. The toolbox includes various affordable housing strategies from inclusionary zoning to how to secure land to types of funding sources that island towns and communities across the commonwealth are using. Much of the information was taken from a publication prepared by CHAPA and MHP entitled "Taking the Initiative - A Guidebook on Creating Affordable Housing Strategies."