Salem Mayor Files Ordinance To Require Deeper Housing Affordability

SALEM, MA — A new inclusionary zoning ordinance designed to create more affordable housing development in the city has been filed to the City Council by Mayor Dominick Pangallo.

The ordinance would require 10 percent of all housing new housing developments of 20 units or more be priced at 60 percent of median market value, with 8 percent of units in developments of 19 or less be priced at 60 percent. The zoning change would allow developers a 25 percent housing bonus — or increased density or height than allowed under prevailing zoning requirements — for qualifying developments, as well as parking requirement flexibility, especially in developments close to the commuter rail.

The ordinance also strengthens loopholes in zoning that would require affordable units to be equivalent in size and proximity to market-rate housing in the development, and would not allow developers to make so-called "in lieu payments" in exchange for bypassing the affordable unit production.

"The construction of actual homes is far more important than a financial contribution," Pangallo said in a letter to the Council, "especially when that dollar amount of such payments often fails to cover the full cost of constructing a unit."

Pangallo said it is important to continue to promote development that does not include public subsidies in order to serve the working force of many city businesses.

"Salem needs a diverse housing stock to meet the current and future needs of our residents," Pangallo said. "To support diverse housing, we need a broad range of housing tools and inclusionary zoning is an important tool at our disposal.

"The lack of affordable housing is the foremost challenge facing Salem today, and this ordinance represents an important step forward in addressing that challenge."

Pangallo said he is looking forward to the inclusionary zoning ordinance coming before the City Council and the Planning Board in a joint conference at a date soon to be determined with the letter listed as an agenda item on the Council's meeting agenda for Thursday night.

(Scott Souza is a Patch field editor covering Beverly, Danvers, Marblehead, Peabody, Salem and Swampscott. He can be reached at Scott.Souza@Patch.com. Twitter: @Scott_Souza.)