HOUSING PROGRAMS The City of Somerville offers small grants and loans to property owners and first-time home buyers in return for temporary affordable housing. Lead abatement, housing rehabilitation, and energy efficiency assistance programs are an important part of the City’s policy approach to housing affordability. Since 2000, roughly $2.5 million in City assistance has been loaned and granted in Gilman Square.
INCLUSIONARY HOUSING As the Green Line Extension brings rapid-transit to areas of the city outside of the existing TOD districts, it is recommended that the Somerville Zoning Ordinance be amended to require that all new construction and rehabilitation projects of significant size located within 1/4 mile of any operational rapid-transit station provide a greater number and variety of unit sizes and price points than in other areas of the city.
PURPOSE BUILT HOUSING In 2002, a non-profit purchased 301 Medford St. from the City to build an affordable housing project. The resulting six-plex of three, twobedroom and three, three-bedroom units is considered an excellent example of contextually appropriate design. With this example in mind, this plan recommends that the City partner with a developer to design, finance, and construct purpose-built affordable housing on at least one City-owned site within the core of Gilman Square.
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