Group pushes Boston communities to think small to meet housing demands

As it staggers under some of the highest housing costs in the country, Greater Boston might not just need more homes, but smaller ones as well.

The Affordable Housing Trust Fund, a group committed to building lower cost housing, is pushing for new zoning laws that would allow cities and towns to construct more (and smaller) homes. The Boston Globe

By Scott Van Voorhis

August 19, 2015

2 minutes to read

As it staggers under some of the highest housing costs in the country, Greater Boston might not just need more homes, but smaller ones as well.

Natick officials are considering whether to study new zoning rules that would give a green light to the construction of modestly sized homes in the 400-to-1,200-square-foot range.

The proposal is being pushed by the Affordable Housing Trust Fund, a group dedicated to building lower cost housing.

If the idea gains the town’s buy-in, the group eventually hopes to sell homes to veterans for a fraction of what it typically costs to buy a home in Natick or in most Eastern Massachusetts cities and towns.

“Housing is so expensive,’’ noted Joseph Merkel, a senior planner for Natick, adding it would be beneficial to have a “different type of typology other than a 2,000 square foot house.’’

The group is putting together a proposal to ask Town Meeting voters this fall for permission to study the potential zoning and other changes that would be needed in order to build significantly smaller homes.

One idea being looked at would have the town donate the land on which to build ten smaller homes, some of which might qualify as “tiny homes,’’ which are 400 square feet or smaller.

The target price range being initially discussed would be in the $40,000 to $60,000 range. The median price in Natick stood at nearly $500,000 in June, according to real estate data tracker and publisher, The Warren Group.

But in order for such smaller homes to be built, Natick would have to revamp its zoning and lot size rules. In particular, the minimum lot size right now is 12,000-square-feet, much too large for a tiny home. In fact, ten small or tiny homes might fit on a 20,000 square foot lot, or about half an acre, Merkel said.

Another obstacle may be restrictions banks put on mortgages, with some lenders unwilling to finance any home smaller than 600 square feet, he noted.

No sites have been picked yet, though the most logical place for more densely developed housing would likely be near the town’s commuter rail stations, one of which is in Natick Center, the other near a shopping plaza and major condo development in West Natick, according to Merkel.

Unlike the tiny houses people may be familiar with from reality TV, these smaller homes would be built on foundations and hooked up to town water and sewer, Merkel said.

Still, there are likely to be some concerns as well about tiny homes, especially the idea of clustering them together in more densely packed developments.

“Part of it is just getting people comfortable with tiny houses – it’s that density issue,’’ Merkel said.