A new report identifies more than a dozen barriers to accessing affordable housing in Northampton, chief among them being the city’s increasing cost of housing.

“To be blunt, the rental prices here are staggering, especially considering the lack of high paying work and lack of major city amenities, transit, etc.," one city resident said in the report. "I paid less to rent an apartment in Philadelphia than I pay now.”

Fifty-two percent of residents who rent in Northampton spend more than half their income on rent and utilities, and 30% of homeowners spend more than a third on their mortgage and utilities, according to the study. The median monthly housing cost in Northampton is $1,166.

The 108-page study was written by the Pioneer Valley Planning Commission in August under direction from the city and the Northampton Housing Partnership, a board of volunteers appointed by the mayor, according to a press release from the city.

Other obstacles detailed in the report, which was made available to the public this month, includes a generational wealth gap between white people and people of color as well as insufficient accessible housing for disabled residents, limited knowledge of fair housing rights and not enough housing opportunities for lower-income families with children.

The study noted that Northampton is facing a rental affordability problem.

The median sales price of homes in the city has steadily risen in the past few decades, increasing from nearly $250,000 in 2010 to around $300,000 in 2019, according to the study. Zillow predicted the median home price to increase another 1.6% within the next year.

Homeowners are less likely than renters to be burdened by housing costs, though, according to the study, but 30.3% of owners with mortgages are still cost-burdened.

“As a working-class single parent, I cannot imagine ever being able to afford a home in Northampton. That feels frustrating because I do feel safe here. But it’s way too overpriced," one resident said in the report.

Northampton is less accessible for those outside the community seeking to move in as well, the study found. One reason for that may be that the median household income in the city increased 18.9% since 2010, while the regional household income increased by roughly 9%.

The report, titled “Unlocking Opportunity/An Assessment of Barriers to Housing Choice in Northampton,” also identified a high percentage of houses with lead paint, limited transportation options for residents, few resources to help people with bad credit, housing materials that are not translated into other languages and barriers for “incarcerated and returning citizens."

The city said low maximum payment thresholds for federal and state subsidized housing vouchers also factor into Northampton’s affordable housing problem. The state’s Section 8 voucher program provides vouchers for households in need to use in the private rental market. The vouchers usually cover the difference between rental costs and 30% of a household’s income, according to the PVCP’s report.

“Qualitative data gathered through the community engagement process suggests that it is difficult for households to find appropriate housing using a voucher in Northampton,” the study said. “While it is illegal to discriminate against a person based on their income or voucher status according to state law, many landlords still do so, either explicitly or implicitly.”

The report recommended several dozen solutions to combat affordable housing inaccessibility. The proposals included translating public materials into multiple languages, increasing community land trusts, hosting a meet-and-greet day as well as a social service presentation for landlords, assisting renters in becoming homeowners, increasing access to resources for incarcerated individuals, increasing transportation options and doing away with local preference for tenant selection.

The PVCP also suggested the city expand its lead paint remediation programs, provide anti-racism training and opt into rent control, a practice that was abolished 25 years ago in Massachusetts and is recently being debated again as rental costs increase across the state.

“While Massachusetts Governor Baker recently came out against rent control, there is growing interest across the commonwealth in re-visiting this approach that was banned in Massachusetts in 1994,” the report said, “and this plan recommends the city of Northampton and its Fair Housing allies investigate this possible solution.”

Some of the study’s recommended solutions will require a “longer-term approach” as well as increased funding from the federal and state governments, according to the city. Short-term solutions, the city said, include translating housing applications into other languages, reducing high application fees for rentals, supporting new pilot projects with higher housing subsidy maximums and increasing fair housing education for tenants and home owners.”

The PVCP recognized that Northampton has made strides since 2012 in increasing the number of affordable housing units in the city. More than 100 new affordable units have been created, including the Lumber Yard Apartments, a mixed-income apartment complex that opened in May.

People who earn less than 60% of the are median income — about $48,000 for a family of four — are eligible to live in the building, Joanne Campbell, director of Valley CDC, said when the building opened in April. Some units are reserved for people with lower incomes.

Northampton also provides access to high-quality education, sustainable employment and opportunities for building wealth, according to the study. The city’s land-use regulations and local zoning laws are “forward-thinking” as well.

To meet the city and region’s needs, the PVCP said Northampton should continue to add affordable housing units and partner with local affordable housing developers, including Way Finders and Valley CDC, to do so.

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