Accessory Apartment Incentive Program

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Location:

Citywide

This project was canceled in March 2009. See Project News below.

Newton subsequently revised its zoning for accessory apartments in 2016-17. Information on the Current Accessory Apartment Application & Approval Process is also available.

Goals:

Provide grants or forgivable loans to Newton homeowners who create long-term affordable housing by adding legal accessory apartments within the footprint of an existing home, or bringing existing an accessory apartment up to current code. Maximum funding: $90,000 for each of 3 accessory apartments.

Funding

$320,550	CPA funds appropriated
$274,134	Funds returned unspent
$46,416	Spent on project management

Contact:

Housing Programs Manager
Planning & Development Department
City of Newton
1000 Commonwealth Avenue
Newton Centre, MA 02459

Proposal Review & Appropriations:

30 November 2005 - Proposal
31 January 2006 - CPC funding recommendation
6 March 2006 - Board order (appropriation)
22 October 2007 - Proposal to extend pilot phase by reallocating limited funds from grants to program administration and outreach; no new funds requested
7 December 2007 - CPC recommendation
19 February 2008 - Board order approving reallocation of remaining available funds

Project News:

March 2009 - When project sponsor and manager Community Living Network closed its doors as an independent nonprofit organization, the CPC and Planning Dept. agreed to end the project. The Planning Dept. will evaluate the project's experience and in the future may propose another program with similar goals.
Summary of project work and outcomes - After extensive community outreach and consultation with potential applicants, no homeowners who met the program's income requirements and whose properties also met the program's zoning and permitting requirements requested grants to create permanently affordable accessory apartments.
June 2009 - What next for accessory dwellings? Getting from bylaws to buildings, by Elinor Hope Stege (Master's Degree Thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology)

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