Work there today — live there tomorrow?
Officials: Office sites could ease state housing crunch
Many of the companies that arranged for employees to work remotely during COVID-19 have since made it the norm, leading to widespread office vacancies in Massachusetts. However, that extra empty space could contribute to solving one of the biggest crises in the state.
The state recently proposed a $4.1 billion plan, the Affordable Homes Act, which includes $275 million to help fund sustainable green housing initiatives such as office conversion projects.
“This bill provides the investment needed to create affordable homes as we grow our overall housing stock,” said Rachel Heller, chief executive officer of Citizens’ Housing and Planning Association, a Boston nonprofit that encourages the production and preservation of housing that is affordable to low- and moderate-income individuals.
There are currently about 7,500 families in Massachusetts who are homeless and being helped by the state’s family shelter system, according to Heller. This figure does not include people living in the streets or in cars, or those who are “couch surfing” or squeezed into small apartments.
The housing shortage impacts people at every income level, she said.
Over the next 10 years, the state needs 200,000 additional homes to stabilize home prices and rents, the latter of which are highest in the nation, said Heller.
Secretary of Housing and Livable Communities Edward Augustus Jr. estimates that up to 45,000 new housing units will be produced, and 27,000 existing units will be preserved that otherwise would not be if the Affordable Homes Act bill is passed.
How Affordable Homes Act can help with office conversions
Augustus is no stranger to office conversions. When he was Worcester’s city manager, the Worcester County Courthouse was converted into the 188-unit Courthouse Lofts. And the historic 105,000-square-foot Central Building, at 332 Main St. in Worcester, was converted into 55 apartments, including 14 for workforce housing.
Twenty-five miles northwest, Gardner is identifying historic buildings that could be converted into housing, according to Augustus.