Business leaders on the South Shore are starting to wage war on the big-lot zoning that’s so common in many of their towns.
The South Shore Chamber of Commerce Thursday issued a housing agenda aimed at building dense housing at or near train stations and ferry docks, retail centers, even underused office parks. Chamber chief executive Peter Forman tells me the organization needs to expand beyond its typical bread-and-butter work of hosting events and promoting commercial development. Getting more housing, particularly in walkable neighborhoods, is crucial to recruiting younger workers and keeping talented longtime residents around. Towns will suffer, Forman says, if they cling to the old way of doing business: the one-acre homes and the resistance to multifamily projects, particularly those that mean more kids. For Rockland Trust chief executive Chris Oddleifson, who is helping lead the chamber’s effort, the problem hit home last year when his bank (which sponsors this newsletter) was recruiting an executive from Texas for a key position who ended up walking away from the offer. The reason? The high cost of housing in the area. The chamber can’t change zoning rules, of course, and it’s not a housing developer. But the organization can champion policies at the State House, and individual projects back home. It’s one of the state’s biggest business groups. Its leaders have a loud voice, a voice they’re not afraid to use. Jon Chesto can be reached at jon.chesto@globe.com and on Twitter @jonchesto. By Jon Chesto, The Boston Globe Published on September 21, 2017
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South Shore Chamber of Commerce president and CEO Peter Forman said the area has been ‘a bit behind’ other regions in finding ways to attract younger workers and families.The Chamber is releasing a “Housing 2017” report on Sept. 21. QUINCY – The South Shore is struggling to attract young professionals and young families, and the obstacles include a shortage of the kinds of housing they’re looking for, and not enough affordable places to live. That’s one of the main points of a “Housing 2017” report that’s being released Thursday morning by the South Shore Chamber of Commerce. The report – part of the Chamber’s “South Shore 2030” study – will be shared with business leaders at a Chamber breakfast at Lombardo’s in Randolph. “The South Shore has a more serious challenge than other parts of the Boston area,” Chamber president and CEO Peter Forman said in a Patriot Ledger interview. “If the region is going to be serious about competing economically, we’ve got to be serious about what it takes to do that, and that includes housing.” In December, the Chamber convened a 26-member Housing Working Group that includes Carl Nagy-Koechlin, Housing Solutions Executive Director. Chris Oddleifson, CEO at Rockland Trust is chairing the Working Group.
The Chamber recently published an economic development plan for the region, entitled South Shore 2030: Choosing our Future. The plan emphasized business and job growth, along with the revitalization of downtown business districts. It concluded that the region needs to attract people to the region who can fill new jobs, start new businesses and patronize local businesses. With an aging population and workforce, the Chamber – with research support from the Metropolitan Area Planning Commission – has concluded that the South Shore needs 40,000 new homes by 2030 if the region is to be economically viable and vibrant in the future. Based on anticipated demand from the targeted workforce population, these homes should include a mix of multi-family rental units, in addition to homeownership opportunities. So, housing is not just a basic human need, as affordable housing advocates have long asserted, it’s also an economic imperative for a region that aspires to prosper. “We need new homes that are affordable and attractive to a wide range of people,” says Nagy-Koechlin. “This includes families with kids, young professionals, lower wage workers, and seniors who can no longer mange or afford to maintain their single-family homes. It’s great to see consensus on this across the Working Group members.” The Chamber expects the Working Group report will be released in the fall, followed by a concerted effort to encourage town officials, legislators, developers, residents and others to support the development of the needed housing via zoning reforms, financing and collaboration to identify sites in the region that are suitable for housing development. Courtesy of: Housing Solutions for Southeastern Massachusetts Gov. Baker announces South Shore Chamber as first business group to receive MHP Housing Hero Award5/17/2017 The South Shore Chamber of Commerce will be the first business organization to receive a Housing Hero Award from the Massachusetts Housing Partnership (MHP) in recognition of its leadership in promoting housing and economic development.
The announcement was delivered by Governor Charlie Baker during his remarks at a May 11th business breakfast before more than 550 South Shore business leaders, held at The Lantana in Randolph. The MHP is a quasi-public finance organization that annually recognizes groups and individuals for their work in helping to create housing and economic opportunity. The South Shore Chamber is being distinguished for its ‘South Shore 2030’ initiative, a multi-year effort dedicated to crafting a comprehensive economic and community development plan. The initiative is focused on bringing jobs to the region and addressing potential workforce shortages in key industries. Central to the effort is a 30-person housing working group that is expected to release a report this fall that will pinpoint how much and the type of housing the region needs to grow its economy. ‘We applaud the South Shore Chamber for dedicating its resources to building consensus on policies that will lead to greater opportunity for all South Shore residents and the entire region,’ said Governor Baker. Peter Forman, president and CEO of the Chamber said he and the entire South Shore Chamber of Commerce extend deepest appreciation ‘for the recognition from Governor Baker and the MHP about our perspective on housing and its relationship to our economy.’ The Chamber will be presented the award during the Housing Institute’s Awards Luncheon on June 8th, at the Devens Conference Center in Devens, MA. |
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