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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town. (See Structural Barriers to Fair Housing on page 50.) While segregation is no longer the Town’s intent, the
large share of land devoted to single-family districts remains an impediment to housing choice. When combined
with the high cost of land, the Bylaw’s minimum lot sizes and single-family use districts ensure that only large,
high-cost housing can be built in those locations. In R1 districts, where nonconforming two-family dwellings are
fairly commonplace, the mandate to build only single-family dwellings is not rooted in the area’s architectural
character, but is rather the legacy of a specific historical social movement to restrict growth in the town. Aside
from two-family buildings, many single-family districts may also have opportunities for smaller accessory
dwelling units (ADUs) that could create additional housing options for protected classes without affecting
community character.
The limited locations where multifamily housing is allowed is also problematic from a fair housing perspective.
Arlington’s multifamily and mixed-use districts are located almost exclusively along the Town’s main
thoroughfares. In many regards this makes sense. Multifamily housing options are often more affordable than
single-family options, either because of the units’ smaller size or because deed-restricted affordable housing is
almost always in multifamily buildings. It is important that this affordable housing be located close to services
and transportation options, and Arlington’s main commercial corridors clearly satisfy this need. (See Deed-
Restricted Affordable Housing Stock on page 84.) However, confining multifamily and hence affordable housing
to such a small area in town essentially codifies income-related segregation, which raises fair housing concerns
for