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Council asks administration for list and preservation plan for 42 subsidized units set to expire in 2025
Summary
Councilors pressed the administration for a location-by-location report and options to preserve 42 deed-restricted subsidized housing units whose affordability terms may expire this year; city staff agreed to return a report to the Economic Development committee.
Councilors pressed the city administration on a line in the draft housing production plan that said 42 subsidized housing units are scheduled to lose deed restrictions in 2025, asking what the city can do to preserve affordability.
Councilor King asked whether the number and locations were known; Peter Dunn, director of economic development, said the state maintains a subsidized housing inventory listing properties and the expiration dates of affordability terms. Dunn told the council that city staff routinely contact property owners and developers to discuss preservation options and that the city can provide a list and status report.
Why it matters: deed restrictions tied to federal and state funding can expire, putting formerly restricted affordable units at risk of conversion to market-rate housing. Councilors noted a short time horizon and asked for urgency in exploring preservation steps.
City response and next steps: Dunn said the city will provide a property-level list and the status of preservation discussions. The council directed the administration to send that information to the Economic Development (ED) committee and requested a report on options for preserving the units, including potential funding or programmatic tools. Councilors also discussed the new Affordable Housing Trust Fund and federal grant use as levers for preservation.
Related policy context: councilors and staff referenced the state’s Chapter 40B subsidized housing inventory and the MBTA Communities law as part of broader housing policy context. Peter Dunn said the city’s housing production plan is the first draft under state guidance and will inform targeting of federal grants and the trust fund.
