Neighborhood Sustainability in Fields Corner, Boston

11.436 Greenhouse Studio Massachusetts Institute of Technology Department of Urban Studies and Planning Tuesday, May 8, 2012

OVERVIEW EXISTING HOUSING

NEW HOUSING
COMMERCIAL & ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PUBLIC REALM

OVERVIEW

OVERVIEW - THE FINAL STAGES OF OUR PROJECT

Our work since last time: Completing research Developing interventions and strategies to recommend to Viet-AID
Next steps: Final presentation to Viet-AID and other community stakeholders Written report for Viet-AID

OVERVIEW - OF FOCUS & GUIDING PRINCIPLES

Final Areas of Focus: Existing Housing New Housing Commercial and Economic Development Streetscapes and Public Realm
Guiding Principles: Environmental Health and Livability Social Equity and Inclusiveness Economic Opportunity

OBJECTIVES FOR AREAS OF FOCUS

Existing Housing: Improve the quality, comfort and energy efficiency of existing housing stock to cut household costs and enhance livability. New Housing: Assess opportunities for developing new multifamily workforce housing that is high quality, energy efficient, transit accessible and reasonably priced. Commercial and Economic Development: Increase economic activity in the commercial core and increase employment and entrepreneurship opportunities for residents. Public Realm: Promote sustainable modes of transportation and increased access and use of public space.

OVERVIEW - INTERVENTIONS
Existing Housing:Interventions the quality, comfort and energy Improve Existing Housing Short-term Work with tenants, and Housing Code Enforcement efficiency of existing housing stock to landlords housing quality issues. cut household costs Division to address pressing in existing and enhance livability. Increase involvement programs. housing quality improvement and energy efficiency
Long-term

New Housing: Assess opportunities for developing new multifamily workforce housing that is high quality, energy New Housing Short-term efficient, transit accessible and reasonably priced.
Long-term

Advocate for more stringent regulation of housing conditions. Provide and manage information on housing quality issues to tenants and landlords. Assist in transferring ownership of renovated properties to tenants. Develop strategic roles in community energy efficiency. Investigate and purchase suitable sites for workforce housing. Develop new affordable housing. Explore new acquisition and financing strategies. Monitor neighborhood affordability indicators and other housing needs. Develop strategic partnerships to enhance economic development service delivery. Use the community space for business community engagement. Invest directly in commercial spaces. Develop programs for small business assistance. Develop programs for workforce development. Engage community groups in Fields Corner to start a conversation about streets and public spaces. Work with local businesses, building owners, artists, and the city to create more public art. Promote "pop-up" gardening and other uses of vacant space. Lobby the city to improve bike and pedestrian circulation. Lobby the city to create more green streets and public space.

Commercial and Economic Development: Increase economic Commercial and Short-term activity in the commercial core and increase employment Economic Development and entrepreneurship opportunities for residents;
Long-term Public Realm Short-term Public Realm: Promote sustainable modes of transportation and increased access and use of public space.

Long-term

EXISTING HOUSING

EXISTING HOUSING - OBJECTIVES

Environmental Health & Livability
Upgrade housing quality Improve indoor environment and comfort Improve public health Improve overall quality of life of FC residents In longer run, revitalize residential areas of FC and encourage greater neighborhood pride

Social Equity & Inclusiveness

Engage landlords Organize tenants Address absentee landlords problem Prevent gentrification and displacement

Economic Opportunity
Improve energy efficiency Reduce household energy costs Increase household discretionary income

EXISTING HOUSING - KEY FINDINGS

Existing Housing Stock
Multifamily triple-deckers: 54.8% are 3-or-4-unit housing. Renter-occupied: 65.8% are rental units. Outdated: more than half were built between 1900 and 1910; two-thirds have never undergone substantial retrofit or maintenance. Low-quality: energy auditors found the following issues: outdated wiring, moisture, asbestos, combustion and structural safety

Viet-AIDs Current Roles

Ensuring energy efficiency standards in affordable housing developments. Partnering with existing energy retrofit program deliverers. Encouraging and assisting FC residents to apply for existing energy retrofit programs. Engaging landlords in energy retrofit programs.

EXISTING HOUSING - SHORT-TERM INTERVENTIONS

Housing Quality
Educate and organize tenants
Brochures and posters, cable TV and n/p community meetings Community organizers Bus and walking tours to attract attention of larger community

Work with Housing Code Enforcement Division

Collaborate with HCED to attract their attention to housing quality issues in FC Inquire tenants about their housing quality concerns and communicate them to HCED (address language barriers)

Work with Landlords

Raise awareness Rent abatement Deduct from tenants rent the cost of needed housing repairs that can be made at tenants expense

Tap into existing housing quality programs in Boston

Breathe Easy Healthy-Pest Free Housing Initiative Boston 3D Program

EXISTING HOUSING - SHORT-TERM INTERVENTIONS

Improved Involvement in Energy Efficiency Programs
Bridge: Raise awareness among residents and assist them in program application
Use diverse outreach channels: integration into current educational and social activities Engage landlords through better targeted information: convincing precedents in neighborhood, cost-free home energy assessment, interest-free Mass Save HEAT Loan,

Ambassador:
Disseminate information among residents Eliminate misconceptions about EE programs Focus on owner-occuped triple-deckers

Partner: Enhance
collaboration with program deliverers Collect feedback from program participants and communicate with program deliverers

EXISTING HOUSING - LONG-TERM INTERVENTIONS

Housing Quality
Advocate for improvements in existing housing quality regulations
Tracking persistent violations and reinspections of irresponsible landlords properties Tracking absentee landlords

Advocate for and assist in transferring renovated properties to tenant ownership

Lobby for priority grants and loans from the government to support tenant ownership Assist in finance and operations mechanisms such as community land trusts, limited equity housing cooperatives, retention of subsidized housing, at housing trust funds.

Collect data on and maintain database of housing quality problems

EXISTING HOUSING - LONG-TERM INTERVENTIONS

Strategic Roles in Community Energy Efficiency
Platform: Provide onestop community services
Incorporate information about all available programs, compare and recommend suitable programs for specific households Initiate meetings for representatives from different programs Establish a database of participating households, pay return visits or calls

Leader: Advocate for more financial resources and institutional support

Participate in program design and development Partner with other stakeholders to advocate for more resources

Envision a more ambitious model for community organizations participation and leadership in energy efficiency programs

NEW HOUSING

NEW HOUSING -- RATIONALE

New affordable multifamily rental housing in Fields Corner would support environmental health and livability, social equity and inclusiveness, and economic opportunity in the following ways: Protect low-income Fields Corner renters from rapidly rising rents and displacement Strengthen the commercial core and residential areas by activating vacant and underutilized lots Preserve access for low-income renters to environmentally friendly and affordable modes of transportation Increase economic opportunity, savings, and health by reducing housing and transportation costs, and improving housing quality, for low-income renters Increase civic engagement among low-income Fields Corner renters by providing stable homes free from displacement pressures and other strains that can lead to

NEW HOUSING KEY FINDINGS

Unaffordable Fields Corner: Rapidly rising rents due to increasing demand Incomes falling, poverty rising The rate of severe rent burden nearly doubled between 2000 and 2010, to 38% of renting households Low-income households make up 69% of renting households, but 90% of rent-burdened households New affordable housing would serve incomes already well represented in the neighborhood

Income limits to qualify for affordable units Boston vs. Incomes in Fields Corner
$41,350 $24,800 $49,620 $58,000 $32,000

<30% AMI Units

<50% AMI Units

<60% AMI Units

<80% AMI Units

2010 Income Limits for 3-Person Households/2BR Units

Median Income for Renting Households in Fields Corner (2010)

NEW HOUSING KEY FINDINGS

Site analysis methodology Improvement/land ratio Minimum parcel size Parcel ownership Current uses on site Suitability for housing Site visit
Findings Many suitable sites, some of which are available for purchase Significant neighborhoodlevel impact is possible

NEW HOUSING - INTERVENTIONS

Viet-AID has developed 72 energy-efficient, transitaccessible affordable housing units, and 27 are under construction. Short-Term Steps: Investigate sites we identify as most suitable, and explore purchase options. Seek partnerships if appropriate. Long-Term Steps: Develop new affordable housing. Explore new acquisition and financing strategies. Monitor affordability indicators and other housing needs.

COMMERCIAL & ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT - RATIONALE

Environmental Health & Livability: Provide residents with nearly all of their daily goods and services needs in a safe and attractive commercial area in their neighborhood, thus reducing car travel and increasing pedestrian activity. Economic Opportunity: Provide entrepreneurship and employment opportunities that build up residents skills and provide sustainable sources of income. Social Equity and Inclusiveness: Help local businesses and residents, who are primarily lower-income and minority, take part in regional growth and prosperity.

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT - KEY FINDINGS

Commercial Core: Retail businesses by number of employees More than 150 small businesses; Multi-ethnic cluster Businesses Assistance: Many programs around Boston; Viet-Aid has provided some vocationspecific programs Local Workforce: Most residents work in services, manufacturing, transportation, construction

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT KEY FINDINGS

Commercial Core: High vacancy and some poor building conditions, despite likely unmet demand Businesses Assistance: There is no robust source of technical assistance for the Fields Corner business community Local Workforce: 18% unemployment, and higher employment in the sectors where Fields Corner residents work

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT INTERVENTIONS

Strategic Partnerships to Enhance Economic Development Service Delivery Use the Community Center to Organize and Engage the Fields Corner Business Community
Fields Corner Main St Renew Boston Boston Restore Program Dorchester Bay EDC Historic Boston Inc

A Better City

Accion USA

BU Business Accelerator

MA Small Bus Devt. Center

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT - INTERVENTIONS

Making Spaces BusinessReady
Rents should be $15-20 Investment in interior upgrade projects can be profitable

Small Business Assistance Program Development

Needs assessment Fundraise and hire staff Connect with commercial real estate investments

Workforce Development Program & Job Placement

PUBLIC

PUBLIC REALM - RATIONALE

Provide ideas to engage the community around physical improvements to the public realm Improve environmental health and livability by promoting sustainable modes of transportation Enable transit-oriented development Encourage the use of commercial core and public space Promote the use of green space Create a walkable neighborhood that enhances the pedestrian experience Improve visual connectivity to make to Fields Corner feel more cohesive and safe

PUBLIC REALM - KEY FINDINGS

Challenges:
Car-dominated neighborhood Bike infrastructure lacking Pedestrian connections confusing and incomplete Vacant lots and storefronts Street wall has varying conditions

Opportunities
Newly renovated MBTA stop Street art, urban gardens, and recreational amenities Recent street improvements

PUBLIC REALM - INTERVENTIONS: COMPLETE STREETS

Complete Streets Sections Go Here

PUBLIC REALM - INTERVENTIONS: CONNECTIVITY

PUBLIC REALM - INTERVENTIONS: CONNECTIVITY

PUBLIC REALM - INTERVENTIONS: FACADES