OCPC briefed Kingston trustees on draft Housing Production Plan; trustees press for clear implementation

Jason Derosier, OCPC, briefed the Kingston Affordable Housing Trust on a draft Housing Production Plan and outlined a three-pronged strategy focused on production, preservation and policy.

"He stated he proposed a three prong approach: production, preservation, policy (zoning, etc.)," Derosier told trustees, and he said the plan will be presented to the Planning Board and the Board of Selectmen before being sent to the Massachusetts Department of Housing for approval. He also told the board that "the town must enact 40Y zoning before it can be used." Derosier reported he has other grant funding to support implementation and that he has submitted a grant request to One Stop to help Kingston with 40Y zoning and a land inventory.

Trustees pressed for specifics on how the plan would be publicized and implemented. Board members emphasized that "unless all entities having authority to shape and approve housing proposals utilize the recommendations in the plan, it will become an unused document," and they flagged the need for coordination among town boards and administrative officials. Trustees expressed interest in the plan's recommendation to form a housing roundtable that would include appropriate boards and administrators to guide implementation.

The briefing lays out next steps: the HPP will be reviewed by the Planning Board and the Board of Selectmen and then forwarded to the Massachusetts Department of Housing. Trustees said they will expect clearer timelines and assignment of responsibilities before endorsing steps to move the plan from draft to implementation. The AHT will reconvene on June 4, 2026 to continue oversight of next steps.