New Wayland Affordable Housing Development: Town To Host Forum

WAYLAND, MA — A plan to use a portion of a Route 27 church property for a new affordable housing development will be the subject of a town-wide forum this week.

In January, Wayland's Good Shepherd Parish approached the town with a plan to use a portion of its St. Ann's church property for a development with up to 60 units for the disabled and people over age 62.

Good Shepherd Parish Rev. Dave O’Leary said in January the church is pursuing the plan because "housing is a fundamental human right" — and affordable housing is in extremely short supply in Wayland and across the state.

At the Wednesday forum, the church will present plans it has submitted to the state Department of Housing and Community Development for the project. The state will review the plan — and feedback generated by the forum — before issuing a ruling that allows the developer to get a key approval for the project from the Wayland Zoning Board of Appeals.

The project will include one-bedroom units that will be affordable for people earning 30 to 60 percent of the local area median income. The building would rise along Route 27 between the St. Ann's Parish House and Windy Hill Lane, according to the town. Good Shepherd would partner on the project with the Archdiocese of Boston's nonprofit development arm, the Planning Office of Urban Affairs.

The forum will begin Wednesday at 7 p.m. at the Wayland Town Building. Residents can also watch via Zoom.