City of Methuen Master Plan

Methuen Master Plan 2007
have not kept pace with appreciating rents or values. It is likely that between 30% and 35% of
Methuen households would be incurring housing costs in excess of 30% in 2005. This would equate to
between 5,000 and 5,900 households.
Subsidized Housing
The Massachusetts Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) maintains
documentation of individual communities’ progress toward meeting the State’s 10% goal for the
provision of affordable housing under M.G.L. Chapter 40B 7 . Although there are units in Methuen
which are affordable without subsidies, only the units which receive direct subsidies from the State or
Federal government are counted toward the 10% goal. According to DHCD and the City of Methuen
Community Development Department, Methuen has 1,546 Chapter 40B units, representing 9.2% of the
city’s total housing stock.
Table 21 presents comparative information for Methuen and selected nearby communities relative to the
number of existing affordable units and the progress each community has made toward reaching the
State’s 10% housing goal. Among the six nearby communities, two (Lawrence and Andover) have
attained the 10% goal. According to DHCD, Methuen has over 90% of the required affordable units it
needs to meet the 10% threshold. The towns of North Andover and Dracut have about half of the
required units to meet the 10% threshold. The Town of Boxford has very little affordable housing.
Table 21: Chapter 40B Inventory: 2006/2007
Community
2000
Census
Year
Round
Units
Chapter
40B Units
%
Subsidized
Lawrence 25,540 3,775 14.8%
Andover 11,513 1,363 11.8%
Methuen 16,848 1,546 9.2%
Haverhill 23,675 2,047 8.6%
North Andover 9,896 584 5.9%
Dracut 10,597 586 5.5%
Boxford 2,602 19 0.7%
Sources: Mass. Department of Housing and Community
Development & Community Development Department
Based on the above information, Methuen is approximately 139 units short of the required 1,685 units
needed to satisfy the 10% goal, based on the existing housing supply in the year 2000. With future
residential growth, the ratio of subsidized units needed will increase as well 8 .
7 A unit qualifies as affordable under Chapter 40B if it has (a) received a subsidy approval from the federal or state
government, (b) the subsidy enables the unit to be affordable to people or families with incomes no higher than 80% of
the PMSA, MSA or County in which the unit is located, and (c) restrictions or resale controls guarantee preservation of
the subsidy beyond the minimum established time requirements.
8 Under current 40B regulations, all of the units constructed in mixed-income apartment (not condominium) housing
developments qualify towards the 10% limit. Thus, for example, for a 200 unit rental project with 25% of units
qualifying as affordable, all 200 units would count towards the 10% goal, not just the 50 affordable units.
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