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Creation of the Belmont Housing Trust, Inc. was authorized by Town Meeting in 1999. The Trust was then created by special legislation enacted by the Massachusetts state legislature (Chapter 126 of the Acts of 1999). The purposes of the Trust include, amongst other things: (1) to investigate and implement alternatives for the provision of affordable housing for persons of low, moderate and middle income; (2) to enhance the Town of Belmont, Massachusetts and lives of its residents, and so lessen the burdens of government, by promoting and undertaking the development
and maintenance of affordable housing for the benefit of persons of low and moderate income within Belmont and adjacent communities; and (3) to foster and promote community-wide interest and involvement in the problems associated with the under-development of affordable housing, and toward that goal, to sponsor and participate in public symposia and discussions involving governmental officials, real property developers, and community organizations and institutions; and (4) to assist parties in obtaining financial support for affordable housing projects from state and federal agencies, foundations and other sources; and by any other means, to cooperate with, encourage and contribute to the efforts of parties in the accomplishment of affordable housing purposes.
In 2003, the Belmont Housing Trust worked in collaboration with the Belmont Fair Housing Committee and Belmont Planning Board to develop an inclusionary zoning bylaw for Belmont. Through the inclusionary zoning bylaw, all residential housing developments creating seven or more units would be required to designate a portion of the new units for affordable housing. The Spring 2003 Town Meeting adopted this inclusionary zoning bylaw by greater than a two-thirds majority vote.
The Belmont Housing Trust also presented two affordable housing development proposals to Town Meeting in November 2003. The first proposal was to use a vacant town-owned parcel of land on B Street to build four housing units, three of which would be affordable. The second proposal was to use a vacant Town-owned parcel of land on Brighton Street to build a single unit of affordable housing. The B Street housing units would be supported by state and federal dollars obtained by the Housing Trust. The Brighton Street housing unit would be constructed by Habitat for Humanity.
The November presentation to Town Meeting occurred after three months of public meetings between the Housing Trust and the residents of the B Street and Brighton Street neighborhoods. The two proposals that were ultimately presented to Town Meeting had been substantively altered to take into account the desires and concerns of the respective neighborhoods. The November 2003 Town Meeting approved the two affordable housing proposals by greater than a two-thirds majority vote.
The Housing Trust finally continued to work with the Office of Community Development to promote Belmont’s Soft Second Mortgage (SSM) program. Funded with state money, obtained through a grant written by OCD and the Housing Trust, the SSM program offers financial assistance to income-eligible first time home buyers wishing to purchase a home in Belmont. One activity the Housing Trust engaged in, for example, was an educational forum in February 2003 directed toward real estate agents, bank lending officials, and other home lending officials serving Belmont to explain the nature and magnitude of the SSM program. The Director of the state SSM program (located in the state’s Department of Housing and Community Development) served as faculty for the SSM forum.
Respectfully submitted by the Board of Directors, Belmont Housing Trust, Inc.
Roger Colton, Chairman
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