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OP-ED: Watertown Square Zoning Needs to Do More for Affordability

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Just about everyone agrees on the need for more affordable housing in Watertown. It’s one of the biggest challenges faced by our neighbors today. Families can’t find space to grow, older residents can’t downsize, working- and middle-class families are being forced out. There isn’t enough housing overall — but, in particular, there isn’t nearly enough affordable housing. The Watertown Square redesign process offers an incredible opportunity to encourage more dedicated affordable homes in our city.

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LETTER: Affordable Housing Critical to Watertown’s Fabric

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I am writing as a local clergy person concerned with the fraying of the social fabric of the local communities. Over the past 6 years I have served as the pastor of the Belmont-Watertown United Methodist Church. During this time and over the past 29 years in pastoral ministry I have experienced the vital importance churches serve as community organizations. Churches have long been a place of worship for members and friends and free and affordable space for community life. In Watertown the former St.

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Watertown Housing Authority Teams with Non-Profit to Revitalize the Willow Park Property

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The Watertown Housing Authority will team with Preservation of Affordable Housing to renovate the Willow Park property. (Courtesy of the WHA)

The following announcement was provided by the Watertown. Housing Authority:

The Watertown Housing Authority (WHA) announced that it will be partnering with the Preservation of Affordable Housing (POAH) to redevelop the Willow Park State Public Housing property located in East Watertown. The POAH team was selected earlier this month by the WHA’s Board of Commissioners and Selection Committee after reviewing the proposals. “I want to thank everyone on the pre-development team for their hard work.

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OP-ED: When Bad Ideas Happen to Good Neighbors – The False Promise of Trickle-Down Rent Reduction

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By Linda ScottWatertown Resident

STOP! If you think that those living in Watertown who are low or middle class are just a drag on our community, this is not the letter for you. But if you are committed to a diverse and thriving Watertown community, complete with small businesses and diversity of age, income, race, religion, language, etc., please read on. First, I’d like to take us to California, where this madness seems to have begun in this country, with a serious housing crunch. Then came the “solution,” building as many “market rate” (aka very expensive) apartments as possible.

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Five Affordable Apartments Available in Watertown Square

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The City of Watertown sent out the following announcement:

With the new 166 Main Street development expected to open in May 2024, the developer just launched marketing for the five affordable apartments. Two of the units will be rented to households with incomes at or below 65% of area median income and three units will be rented to households with incomes at or below 80% of area median income. There is an information session on March 19, an application deadline of April 16, and a lottery on April 30. See more detail about this development, as well as the application form. Please forward this email to anyone who might be interested, including any groups that include individuals that might qualify for the income thresholds for this affordable housing.

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LETTER: Watertown Affordable Housing an Inside Story, Part Three

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Has Watertown already fully or partially complied with the MBTA Law? How can I get involved in making Watertown Square a more attractive and vibrant city center? Watertown has been a leader, along with Boston, Cambridge and Everett in permitting more than half the multifamily housing units in the Greater Boston area, according to “Greater Boston Housing Report Card”…The Boston Foundation. Watertown is cited in a 2019 Boston Globe article entitled “NIMBY? Not These Cities and Towns.” As a matter of fact, Watertown may have already complied with its housing zoning mandate for the MBTA Law, because, in reality, that is the point of the MBTA Law … to zone for more housing.

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LETTER: Housing Need + Empty Storefronts = Opportunity

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To the editor of Watertown News. There is clearly a profound shortage of affordable housing nationwide and here in Watertown. At the same time there is a huge number of empty storefronts everywhere. What is being done to convert at least al portion of those vacant commercial properties into residences? It seems an obvious solution — most storefronts are in areas served by mass transit so would suit individuals or families who can’t afford or don’t want cars.

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LETTER: Watertown Affordable Housing an Inside Story, Part Two

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By Linda ScottWatertown Resident

Is There Any Other Way? – What other Strategies can we use to add to Watertown’s housing stock? People, there just has to be a better way or a combination of better ways for us to provide affordable housing and grow our community. Here are just four possible approaches:

1) One way that we could add significantly to affordable housing units in Watertown would be by banning STR’s (short term rentals … AirB&B’s) in Watertown. There are hundreds of them in Watertown.