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Housing Advisory Board outlines projects, funding and new metrics; town at 7.2% deed‑restricted affordable housing, HAB sets long‑term 10% goal
Summary
The Housing Advisory Board presented its annual report, summarizing recent trust‑fund commitments, completion of an affordable housing production plan, ongoing projects including BHA developments and a $7.5 million town commitment to Walnut Hill, and a shift to counting deed‑restricted units in local metrics.
Roger Blood, chair of the Town of Brookline’s Housing Advisory Board, presented the board’s annual report to the Select Board on June 24, summarizing recent trust fund commitments, planning work, and new metrics for counting affordable housing in town.
The HAB said it has acted as trustee of the Town’s Affordable Housing Trust and reported three recent trust commitments: a completed Hebrew SeniorLife project at 108 Center Street, a 32‑unit senior housing project by the Brookline Housing Authority nearing completion, and the Walnut Hill project (a major BHA site) for which the town has committed $7.5 million; the Walnut Hill project’s state and federal funding has been delayed by about a year. The HAB also reported it sponsored two Town Meeting warrant articles in 2024 to advance accessory dwelling units and promoted a study recommending a commercial linkage fee; the Select Board has not acted on the linkage‑fee recommendation.
The HAB told the Select Board it has updated its reporting method to count deed‑restricted affordable units (rather than the state SHI/40B counts, which include many market‑rate rental units). Under the HAB’s metric, Brookline stands at 7.2% deed‑restricted affordable housing with a long‑run goal of 10%. The HAB’s shorter‑term plan calls for averaging roughly 86 affordable units per year — 690 units total — to reach about 9.2% by 2033.
The board described ongoing work on ADU regulation revisions to meet state requirements, outreach and promotion for ADUs, a user guide for applicants seeking trust funds, coordination with the Community Preservation Act (CPA) committee, and a pilot emergency rental assistance program with the Brookline Community Development Corporation that the HAB said will inform the planned housing stability office.
Select Board members asked about inclusionary zoning requirements for Harvard Street (on‑site units vs. buyouts), and HAB members said forcing on‑site units had tradeoffs for leveraging trust funds; the HAB said it will continue to analyze inclusionary zoning design and opportunities on town‑owned sites including Babcock Street, Newbury West, and Kent Station Street. No formal Select Board action was taken at the presentation.
