Planning Board reviews affordable housing rule changes
Chelsea Planning Board reviewed a proposed inclusionary zoning overhaul showing the current policy produced just 49 affordable units in nine years.
Planning Board · Meeting of April 28, 2026
Chelsea Planning Board reviewed a proposed inclusionary zoning overhaul showing the current policy produced just 49 affordable units in nine years. City planning staffer Will told the board that of 1,385 housing units permitted since 2017, only 3.5 percent came through the inclusionary program, and just four deeply affordable units have actually been built. The new proposal, already referred by City Council, would require 50-plus-unit projects to set aside 10 percent of units at 80 percent area median income or 7 percent at 60 percent AMI, cut the in-lieu fee from $400,000 to $200,000 per unit, and shrink the mandatory review cycle from five years to two.
Member Eric Czernizer floated tax incentives for developers who exceed 10 percent, while Hamza Abdul pushed for "creative and strategic" alternative tools. No vote was taken; a public hearing is set for May 19.
In the full story:
- The complete report — 758 words
Source: the Planning Board meeting of April 28, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.
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