As housing costs continue to climb, Harborlight presses on with Ipswich apartments

By Trevor Meek at The Local News

IPSWICH — Andrew DeFranza, executive director of Harborlight Homes, remembers a time when he would conduct lotteries for affordable housing units and nobody would show up.

It would just be him and his staff in an empty room drawing applicants’ designated numbers out of a hat.

Nowadays, however, DeFranza says that the lotteries attract as many as 100 people, all of them anxiously awaiting their number to be called.

“It can be both pretty amazing and also a little existentially harrowing,” DeFranza told the select board on Monday night. “We try to crack jokes, tell stories, and make it a little lighter. But it’s not so light … people are there with their children.”

Most expensive places to live

The surge in need for affordable housing should come as no surprise to anyone living in Massachusetts, as the state consistently ranks in the top five of the nation’s most expensive places to live.

And for those seeking to keep a roof over their head in the eastern part of the Bay State, including on the North Shore, the struggle is even greater.

According to a recent Harvard University study, purchasing a median-priced home in eastern Massachusetts requires an annual household income of $216,873.

Census data, meanwhile, shows that the median household income in this part of the state is below $100,000.

Finding an affordable place to rent on the North Shore has also become increasingly difficult, with availability at an all-time low and prices continuing to climb year after year.

In Ipswich, the median rental price has increased by $500 since last year, according to Zillow.

Harborlight in Ipswich

DeFranza and Harborlight are at the forefront of providing affordable housing options to North Shore residents — from first-time homebuyers to seniors looking to downsize.

Founded in the 1960s, the non-profit, Beverly-based developer owns and manages individual, family, and supportive housing throughout the region, including the Whipple Riverview Place on Green Street.

They also partner with the Ipswich Housing Authority to manage the Agawam Village apartments on County Road, where major renovations are currently underway.

Harborlight now has its sights set on building an affordable apartment complex at 2 Washington Street, a 2.09-acre property currently owned by EBSCO Information Services.

2 Washington Street

In May, DeFranza announced that Harborlight was in agreement with EBSCO to purchase the property. And he told the select board on Monday night that Harborlight now “has control of the site … and it’s coming along very nicely.”

If all goes according to plan, Harborlight will tear down the existing office building and replace it with a three-story complex that houses 52 rental units (29 two-bedroom units, 14 one-bedroom units, and nine three-bedroom units).

The units will be offered to qualifying individuals, families, and seniors earning annual incomes between 30% and 80% of the area median income.

As with most Harborlight projects, a lottery will decide which applicants get the apartments.

Asked if Ipswich residents will get first dibs on the units, DeFranza said that 70% local preference is the maximum the state will allow.

“Typically, that’s around concerns about exclusion, particularly based on race in communities that are homogenous racially,” DeFranza said. He added that the state “generally” allows a local preference “north of 50%.”

Housing Inventory

According to DeFranza, all 52 of the Washington Street units will count toward Ipswich’s subsidized housing inventory and 40B count.

The state’s 40B law allows developers to bypass local zoning regulations if a community’s affordable housing stock is less than 10% of total housing. The law has played a major role in the controversial development on Essex Road known as “Essex Pastures” or the “Bruni Project.”

Harborlight has already submitted applications to the planning department for a special permit for the Washington Street project, and DeFranza said that he hopes to appear before the planning board in September.

Though things seem to be speeding along, DeFranza said that it could be 2030 before the apartments are actually built and occupied.

“The issue is around the funding with the state,” DeFranza said. “The amount of capital you need from the state is substantial, and they typically won’t fund you on the first submission. And they only have one submission [window] per year.”

He added that support from local and state officials — including the select board, Rep. Kristin Kassner, and Sen. Bruce Tarr — can help accelerate the process.

Select Board Weighs In

“This sounds like a very exciting project, and certainly there’s a big need for affordable housing here,” select board chairperson Linda Alexson said.

As a member of the Ipswich Affordable Housing Trust, selectperson Sarah Player said that she’s “super-excited” about the project.

“I think this is a serious investment in a big need here in town,” she added. “This is an exciting opportunity with an available piece of property close to transit and other resources.”

Selectperson Michael Dougherty echoed Player’s comments but expressed his hope that the Washington Street project would fit with its surroundings.

“We have the most first- and second-period homes in the nation, and we have that classic New England look,” Dougherty said. “We want housing — we want these things. But we also want it to blend and mesh in the community and not look like we just drove through downtown Cabot Street in Beverly.”

“As you might imagine, I’ve heard that before,” DeFranza responded. “We generally are very open in terms of how design looks.”

He added that the goal is to make any new building “look like it’s supposed to be there.”