Public Comment Period Through July 3!
Send comments on the draft plan to housingplan@wellesleyma.gov
Project Overview
The Town of Wellesley is taking a strategic approach to creating and developing a range of housing types in Wellesley, such as affordable housing, senior housing, and “missing middle" housing, and to strengthening Wellesley’s commitment to Fair Housing. The Plan will propose strategies that expand housing options for low-income individuals and families, housing for middle-income earners, and market-rate housing. Increasing the diversity of Wellesley’s housing options will preserve the economic health and viability of the community while allowing people to choose housing that suits their preferences. This would include an overview of the housing market conditions, an explanation of the barriers to diversifying existing housing, and an implementation process for the emerging goals and strategies to expand housing options in Wellesley.
Multiple community engagement efforts will inform every component of the Strategic Housing Plan development. The planning process will build on a common base of information by encouraging discussions about what people love about Wellesley, what they hope to see in the future, and what concerns they have about housing
A Strategic Housing Plan identifies new policies and strategies to create housing options for individuals and families of all socioeconomic levels. It is similar to a Chapter 40B Housing Production Plan, which Wellesley last completed in 2018. However, a Strategic Housing Plan looks beyond the 10% affordable housing goal under Chapter 40B to larger, systemic barriers to housing stability, fair housing, social equity, and having access to decent, affordable housing as a matter of choice, not chance.
Since completing the 2018 Housing Production Plan, Wellesley has successfully met the 10% minimum under Chapter 40B. Even with this success, Wellesley does not have many options for housing to serve a broad range of household types and income levels. Adopting multifamily incentive zoning at the Wellesley Office Park paved the way for “The Nines,” a luxury multifamily development that includes affordable apartments, and Wellesley has rezoned a few other locations for smaller multifamily residences. Compared with the overall composition of Wellesley’s housing market, however, these changes are limited and not really designed to meet the needs of a broader range of incomes.
A Strategic Housing Plan will identify potential limitations and best strategies for developing diverse housing that fits in a variety of settings, from Wellesley Square or Wellesley Hills to Linden Street, or the town’s older suburban neighborhoods, the colleges, or the major roadway corridors running through town.
The Strategic Housing Plan process began with a public engagement process that includes community surveying, interviews, and forums. There will be a review of market analytics and development of a barriers assessment, during which community engagement will continue. After preliminary presentations to the Wellesley Select Board and Planning Board, a Draft Plan will be submitted for public comment.
Initial research and public engagement begins in May 2024, with an anticipated finish date in December 2024. Please see the Key Dates and Timeline sections for more detailed information on public engagement events.
Community Engagement
Community Survey: October-November 2024
From October 14th through November 25th 2024, project consultants Barrett Planning Group conducted an online survey for the Strategic Housing Plan. Designed to assess attitudes about housing in Wellesley and potential housing-related strategies, the survey was publicly available in digital and print formats and included questions about the respondent’s affiliation with Wellesley to enable cross tabulation of results. Over 1,500 participants responded to this survey, most of whom were current residents of Wellesley.
Please click here for an analysis of the survey results!
Fall Community Forum: November 2024
The Town of Wellesley hosted two forums to gather feedback for the Strategic Housing Plan:
- In-person on Thursday, November 14th, 6:30pm-8:30pm, at the Wellesley High School cafeteria
- Virtually on Sunday, November 17th, 4:00pm-6:00pm, on Zoom
The content and format was the same for both forums and includes small group discussions led by volunteer facilitators from the Wellesley Civil Discourse Initiative.
The slides from the beginning presentation are available here, while a summary of findings and meeting recordings are available below.
11/14/24 Forum (In Person)
11/17/24 Forum (Virtual)
Summer Community Forum: June 2024
Meeting Recording
The first community meeting included six stations which asked residents about different topics relevant to the Strategic Housing Plan. These stations are recreated below to facilitate feedback from those who were unable to attend the meeting in-person.
Find the slides for the beginning presentation here.
