The HPP as its commonly known, identifies the housing needs of a community and the goals and strategies it will use to identify and achieve the 40B 10% threshold.
By taking this proactive approach in the adoption of an HPP, we are much more likely to achieve our affordable housing planning goals. Since the fall, the planning department has led a HPP process to renew our plan. This included significant local input through focus groups, a community-wide survey and workshops. The plan provides a constant framework from prior efforts, and outlines the baseline needs as well as goals and strategies – some aspirational, and some more practical.
An approved HPP gives communities under the 10% threshold of Chapter 40B (such as Acton), but are making progress in producing affordable housing more control over comprehensive permit applications through a ‘safe harbor’ for a specified period of time, which is where we are. We have a achieved a safe harbor with our current HPP through July 2021.
The HPP is valid for 5-years, and our current plan expires in August 2020.
The public comment period for the HPP is now open. Please submit comments to planning@actonma.gov. With each comment please provide a reference to the page in the document in which you are commenting on. Your feedback is very important! The consultants will present the plan to the Board of Selectmen, at their public meeting on 4/21 at 7PM. From there, the plan will be presented to the BOS on 5/4 in a joint meeting with the PB for hopeful adoption. Both boards are required to adopt the plan prior to submission to DHCD, which is required by 5/19 in order to make the published timeframes.