GREENFIELD — State and local housing officials highlighted progress made to increase housing and the need for continued strategic development during the Franklin County Chamber of Commerce’s “House About Franklin County” breakfast on Wednesday morning.
The breakfast at Greenfield Community College featured a panel of housing and economic development officials, who all emphasized the need for housing development in the county to meet the needs of current and future homeowners and renters. Jessye Deane, executive director of the Franklin County Chamber of Commerce, said the discussion wasn’t focused on specific housing developments or ongoing projects, but rather a conversation on the state of housing in the region through data and options for growth.
“Expanding access to housing is critical, but it has to be thoughtful, right-sized and strategic,” Deane said. “The goal isn’t growth at all costs. It’s sustainable growth that honors the history and character of Franklin County while making sure that our communities have a vibrant future.”
Panelists included Ed Augustus, secretary of the Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities; Linda Dunlavy, executive director of the Franklin Regional Council of Governments (FRCOG); Gina Govoni, executive director of the Franklin County Regional Housing & Redevelopment Authority; Kerry Spitzer, senior research manager with the University of Massachusetts Donahue Institute; Victor Rodriguez Sr., vice president and community engagement mortgage officer of Greenfield Cooperative Bank; Amanda Abramson Clarke, real estate agent with Coldwell Banker Community Realtors; and Tom Finch, Greenfield Community College trustee and retired CEO.
Before panelists took questions from Deane on housing, FRCOG’s Housing and Livability Program Manager Megan Rhodes shared an overview of how Franklin County is struggling to keep up with the rest of the state when it comes to housing production. Issues she presented include the population decline, aging housing stock, older adults not selling their large multi-family homes to make way for new families, critically low vacancy rates, affordability for low-income families and utility infrastructure that doesn’t support new development, among other factors.
“We simply do not have enough housing for our current residents or our future residents, and that is true for both market-rate and affordable housing,” Rhodes said.
Rhodes presented statistics highlighting these issues, including that Franklin County is seeing a 1.3% rental vacancy rate when a healthy vacancy rate is considered to be 7%. Another statistic mentioned was that if a family of four, earning the area median income of $104,400, doesn’t want to spend more than one-third of their income on housing costs, it means they can afford a single-family home priced at around $220,000. However, the average price of a single-family home is $200,000 more than what that family can afford in Franklin County, making homebuying cost-prohibitive
Even with the data presenting a tough forecast for housing, Augustus pointed out the work being done at the Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities to help support housing initiatives in Franklin County.
“Last year, [the Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities] was proud to award Buckland, Colrain and Ashfield over $1 million in Community Development Block Grant dollars to rehabilitate 16 housing units in total,” he said. “Since the start of [the Healey-Driscoll] administration, [our office] has awarded Franklin County over $3 million in CDBG funds to rehabilitate older homes and fund services.”
Additionally, Augustus pointed out his visits to Sunderland to see Sanderson Place, which offers adults ages 62 and older affordable housing, as well as to Montague to learn about zoning initiatives for housing development and Erving for the Evergreen Circle multi-generational and senior housing project. Notably, Erving is waiting for notification if the project has been selected for a Community One Stop for Growth grant. The secretary said those awards will be announced shortly.
“I think folks will be pleased when those are announced,” he added.
As the panelists took questions from Deane, they spoke to the connection between economic development and housing. Responding to a question about what the future of development looks like in Franklin County without housing production, Fitch said Massachusetts is one of four states that have lost private sector employment since 2020, and high taxes and expensive housing are cited as creating a high cost of business here.
“A strategic approach to adding housing — not any house anywhere, but a strategic approach — can lower municipal taxes and housing costs by increasing the supply,” Fitch explained, later adding, “To generate sustainable growth, we need the strategic action, which aligns the housing with the economic vision, and then work together to build a future where Franklin County grows.”
By the end of the panel discussion, Deane said attendees can take away knowledge of the housing situation that residents are facing, and use it for advocacy and impact.
“Have conversations, particularly the tough conversations, with the people in your community that may not have this information,” Deane said, “and they may have a different opinion than you do.”