February 26, 2011

Affordable Housing ( Princeton, MA & Common Ground)

Dave "Dewey" Zimage sent me this link last year, so it is outdated.   It ranks town by town affordable housing, note Worcester was number 3 at 13.6% but I got to believe this has increased.     We are well above the 10% threshold as mandated by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

Look at some of the other towns, specifically under 2%.  Take Princeton at an anemic 1.8%.   Let me lay this out:
  1. Common Ground is very good at developing low income housing
  2. Princeton needs more low income housing

Common Ground should open an office in Princeton, where they are needed.  Who knows maybe Common Ground has someone on their Board of Directors, who can help make this happen?

6 comments:

Jahn said...

They're smart out in the suburbs. Typically, but always, I see small single family or duplex houses built close together which in the burbs is 10,000 sq ft lot zoning which Worc has only on Salisbury St. You can spot them a mile away. Often they are on a numbered state highway (2 in W. Boylston) or beside an interstate (Lowell) or very nearby RR tracks (Tewksbury). In other words, built on not the most desirable sites in town, the proverbial "wrong side of the tracks". Also they tend toward being owner occupied and this huge as far as THE PAIN IN THE ASS factor goes, because people with have mortgages have alarm clocks that go off every morning...kinda like the fire barn alarm ... i.e. get up.. it's time to go to work..sorry couldn't resist :)

So maybe Tim can ask Deval why the state doesnt pro-actively enforce the 10% law. Phat chance of that. I would assert that Middlesex county basically runs the state. I know Princeton Aint Middlesex.....but the more toney the suburban enclaves, the fewer No income or Low income or so called working class (TY Joe O'B.) housing

You know, the more and more laws i see NOT enforced just makes me more & more cynical......yes folks I can be more cynical !!!!!!

I mean our border laws are not enforced, just yesterday i hear some marriage act law will not long will no longer be enforced, Sidewalks that go unshoveled year after year, then there's Mason St., then there's Micro loan uncollected money owed the city that is "converted" to grant money, property owners with unpaid Worc real estate taxes who are allowed to pull permits...the list is ++++ing endless.

WTF should have to follow all the rules and regulations...???

OK, I'll bite, what people live in Princeton who may be assocaited with Worc's low income housing?

Jahn said...

Mr Randell??????

"WCG is VERY GOOD at dev'ing low income housing" ?????

Surely you jest..........esp. after Paulies 3 part expose' this past week.

Princeton needs low income housing. BINGO...Correct..

as does Swellesley, Deluxebury, Weston, Lincoln and so on

Opps ... Holden St area could use some too.

Bill Randell said...

Jahn

I was not necessarily referring to the quality or the effect this housing has had on their neighbors. There is , however, no arguing the fact that they are proficient (in numbers) developing no-lo housing, something Princeton desperately needs...

Bill

Jahn said...

Sorry, i didnt mean to come across as not knowing what you meant. What I was driving at and failed to say was the likes of the sewerage filter bed facility over on May/Silver St or the other fiasco on Mason St are both indicative of what happens when inexperience rules the day.

Gimme $513,000 per 1,100 ft apt and I'll show u some proficiency, too :)

Jahn said...

Monday Moring Musings

Becker Jr College is at it again pushing the envelope for this proposed video game programming institute. A bill has been filed on Beacon Hill allowing the industry to offer state tax credits. How much you wanna bet the only industries it will apply to are non profits or colleges? If the term state credits doesnt sound familar, think state tax credits for low income housing or movie making in Mass. Both have been absolute boondoggles.

Schools CEO Ms. Boone says that a Zero Based Budgeting technique enabled her dept to save $8M in the current school year. Dare I ask how does a budgeting TECHNIQUE save money? That is like Bill saying the technique he uses to close out the register and count the money actually results in more money. Color me confused. Methinks someones current carrer position is about to take along walk on a short pier.

In the same train of thought teachers are still pushing for an 8.5% raise over 3 years....thats 3%a years for you MCAS'ers with the cheat notes.

Ed Augustus, a former state rep for Worcester, is reportedly taking a job up at the Packachog Hill Institute of HIgher Education. Here's to hoping he actully lives in Worcester for this gig and that maybe it will be on Caro St. Are there any houses left on Caro St. Last time I looked F&D was at over there destroying more worc. tax base. Mr Ed's position is director of gov't relations...(a.k.a. In House Student Alcoholism Counselor). Next up...maybe a run for school committte so he can keep up with his Clark counterpart (JF) and instead of rebuilding Main South with gov't money, HC will be rebuilding College Hill with Gov't money.

TBC'ed

Jahn said...

And how long have I been telling you folks that pizza delivery is a really dangerous job? The wounded kid reportedly is going back to Brazil so he'll be in safer environs. LOL Gee if he worked for the city that day and just slipped and fell on the ice whilst executing his job, he could have just joined the other 600 city employees out injured on duty status.

So I am at the bank Saturday morning. Girl scouts are peddling their cookies in the lobby. I wanna buy a box but I know I'll eat one stack of the cookies that Saturday evening and other stack on Sunday night. Not good for ole waist line. So I Give the lady $3.00 and tell her why I cant buy the cookies, as much as I love them. So she says to Me .."Oh that's Ok Sir, we'll put the money toward the free boxes of cookies we give to police and firemen"....HUH !!!......I smile and say OK and exit stage left. Walking away I think to myself all I had in my pocket at the time were 3 ones, tens and twenties so I gave em the 3 ones. If had a fin I woulda given it to them.....sorry.... I only ended up donating $3.00 toward an in kind donation of cookies to the boys in blue. :(

I am in Metrowest yesterday sitting in traffic rocking to some Beantown radio station. The oldies stop and a radio spot comes on about The Hometown Heroes Awards. It says to send them a "story about a teacher, a fireman, or a DPW worker who loyally SERVES you and your community". MMMMMMMMM...So......what about the home town heroes who shovel snow off roofs, deliver your pizza, repair your car, build an addition on your home, etc.????

CSX employees know how to bring a huge urban project to fruition in short order. All land takings completed w/o eminent domian proceedings and in what I dare say is record time. Worc's Econ Dev'ment and EONS should take a few lessons as to how things get accomplished in the private sector or heads roll

Stay dry