Town of Arlington, Fair Housing Action Plan (July 2021)

Citation: Town of Arlington, Fair Housing Action Plan (July 2021)
Jurisdiction: Arlington (municipal)
Source: Official source
Original Source: https://www.arlingtonma.gov/home/showpublisheddocument/57214/637641171662530000 ↗

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• Because homes in multifamily buildings tend to be less expensive than single-family homes, and some
(though not all) protected classes have lower median incomes, restricting multifamily development can
impact fair housing choice. Multifamily buildings are also more likely to have accessibility features that
increase fair housing choice for seniors and people with disabilities.
• Arlington’s inclusionary zoning law requires that 15% of units in new residential developments of six or
more units be affordable to low-income households. The number of affordable housing units produced by
the inclusionary zoning law in the nearly 20 years since its adoption is low, due to the limited amount of
multifamily development in Arlington.
• Arlington has substantial Special Permit and Environmental Design Review processes for permitting
development. Discretionary review processes, particularly robust ones such as Arlington’s, can increase
housing costs and provide an opportunity for discrimination against protected classes, whether intentional
or unintentional.
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