The Pioneer Valley Planning Commission needs assessment found that the town is much too expensive for elderly residents as well as young people.
LONGMEADOW - The Housing Authority is looking at ways to provide affordable housing for the elderly and young professionals who want to live in Longmeadow.
The board unanimously voted to accept a housing needs assessment and action plan created by the Pioneer Valley Planning Commission, which will help them address affordable housing needs in the town. The board is now working on prioritizing the needs found in the study.
“We are moving forward and plan to assign different people to different parts of the plan. We want to use more of a multi-threaded approach to accomplish our goals,” said Edward Kline, chairman of the board.
Kline said the state has mandated housing authorities to look at their town’s needs with a special focus on low-income housing.
The needs assessment found that the town is much too expensive for elderly residents as well as young people.
For example, a teacher working in Longmeadow earning an average salary of $54,340 cannot afford to own a home in town.
The average home in Longmeadow is valued at $316,000. The study found that while the town values having employees reside in town, it has effectively priced them out of doing so.
The study also found that there are not adequate housing opportunities for the elderly or the disabled.
“What we want to do is address the needs of the residents of Longmeadow who are dealing with the challenges of today’s economy,” Kline said. “We want to help residents keep their homes.”
The needs assessment offers several strategies for dealing with affordable housing issues.
One plan, created by the Council on Aging, is to help residents with minor home repairs that they cannot afford to do on their own. The Home Modification Fund will use money from the Community Preservation Act to help residents pay for necessary projects.
“We plan to support them with this in any way we can,” Kline said.
Another possibility is an accessory apartment bylaw, which would allow homeowners to build small apartments within existing homes, above garages or on lots on the existing homes. Kline said the board will look closely at the bylaw idea.
“We know people have concerns about this and that there are lots of angles to look at it from, but we want to make sure that we address those concerns and create a bylaw that does not have any loopholes,” he said.
The needs assessment is available for viewing on the town website at www.longmeadow.org.
Paper copies will also be available at Storrs Library, Town Hall, the Adult Center, and the School Department.