October 15, 2024 – WHAV Wavelengths
A diverse group of Haverhill residents, developers and officials—past and present—are pushing back against what they see as anti-development forces and urging the city not to overreact to misinformed, social media claims.
In a white paper, “Overcoming Myths: Why Housing is Key to Haverhill’s Future,” nearly two dozen signers argue that, despite popular opinions, Haverhill student enrollment is down, more housing actually lowers residential taxes, downtown building reduces traffic congestion and helps preserve open space and more.
While some city councilors and School Committee members recently expressed concerns about development and hinted at curbs, the group argues, “Worries about building more housing and increasing housing costs are understandable. We know that high housing costs are caused by a lack of supply and high demand. Research from cities across North America demonstrates that building new housing, even at market rates, helps lower overall rents and increases affordable units nearby. Higher-income individuals move into new, pricier apartments, freeing up older, more affordable homes. Haverhill could see similar benefits with new housing development.” Rather, they contend, “A cautious approach may delay these benefits, exacerbate high rents and drive people to leave.”
“My hope is that this initiative evolves into a Smart Growth Coalition that advocates for evidence-based development practices to address the housing crisis in Haverhill. Part of this vision includes more public advocacy about housing in Haverhill, so I’m hopeful this is just the beginning,” lead organizer Nate Robertson, a former Haverhill assistant economic development director and community and economic development planner at the Merrimack Valley Planning Commission, told WHAV.
One couldn’t describe the loose coalition of people behind the white paper as naturally in agreement. The list, ranging from former Mayor James J. Fiorentini to state Rep. Andy X. Vargas are known for butting heads on policy questions over the years. Others signing the white paper include former Haverhill City Council candidate William Taylor; Creative Haverhill and Cogswell ArtsSpace Executive Director Erin Padilla; MakeIT Haverhill founder Keith Boucher; Universalist-Unitarian Church Pastor Frank Clarkson; Emmaus CEO/Executive Director Jeanine Murphy; builder Francis Bevilacqua; developer Theodore P. Ammon; and Noah Koretz, former MassDevelopment Transformative Development Fellow for Haverhill; among others.
The group of signers concludes Haverhill has two choices before it. One, “appease the loudest and most negative voices on social media, forcing our working class into unhealthy and expensive living arrangements” or, alternatively, “take bold steps to increase quality housing supply.”
The full white paper appears below.
Overcoming Myths: Why Housing is Key to Haverhill’s Future
Haverhill is at a crucial moment. If one were to “govern-by-social media” opinions, all development in the city would halt and our tax base would be further strained by denying new recurring revenue. The housing crisis threatens to undermine our economic health and community strength. While we may never be able to convince entrenched “not in my backyard” (NIMBY) forces, we feel it is important to dispel some of the myths and concerns of reasonable residents.
Concerns that new housing will overwhelm local schools are largely unfounded. Haverhill Public Schools had more students enrolled in the year 2000 than there are now in 2024, despite the housing production we’ve seen since then. Studies indicate no significant link between increased housing and higher student enrollment or higher taxes. Analysis from the Mass Taxpayers Foundation analysis, “The Theoretical Case Against Growth,” indicate that more housing may stabilize municipal finances and even lower the overall tax burden per resident.
In attempts to calculate school costs, some look at “per-pupil spending” and assign that dollar amount to each potential student who could live in a new home. Even if new development was associated with increases in school enrollment, this is an overly simplistic way of calculating municipal costs. Per-pupil costs are calculated by factoring in costs like buses, buildings, staff and other variables that are not going to change dramatically with each student added. Furthermore, the majority of funding for HPS comes from the state (not property taxes) and increased state funding corresponds with increased student enrollment, which is why some towns are desperate for more students. There is no relationship between housing production and school enrollment booms, but even if there was, the financial cost arguments don’t add up.
Another common worry about housing development is that it will raise taxes. People fear that more housing means more children, emergency services and water demands, leading to higher taxes. However, community planners have found the opposite. Increased tax revenues from new developments, especially dense multifamily development, bring more money into the community, easing the tax burden on current residents. Dr. Richard England, an economics professor at the University of New Hampshire, confirms that building new homes does not lead to higher taxes. Additionally, Haverhill has ample water supply and infrastructure, the Kenoza Water Treatment plant, renovated in 2020 is designed to produced up to 12 million gallons per day, which is more than enough to supply the city’s existing and future needs.
Grumbling about Haverhill’s car traffic and congestion often leads to opposition to new development. Whether it’s a home or a new business you can always bet on folks arguing it shouldn’t happen because it will lead to more traffic. However, combatting congestion is exactly why we should support more dense development. Suburban sprawl is a major contributor to congestion since residents rely entirely on automobiles to get anywhere. If we want to fight congestion we must build up, not out. Building more housing in our urban core and dense suburbs can reduce traffic and congestion since it encourages shorter commutes and greater use of public transit, biking and walking. According to a study by Metropolitan Area Planning Council, placing more housing near jobs, schools and services decreases reliance on cars, leading to a more efficient transportation system by reducing the miles vehicles travel. Rejecting developments means they will be built in areas requiring longer drives feeding congestion, carbon emissions, and infrastructure costs.
Protecting our conservation areas and green spaces is crucial as our city grows. With the current and future need for housing, we must choose between expanding into undeveloped areas or increasing housing density in already developed areas with existing infrastructure. The choice is clear from a preservation perspective, our city needs to prioritize dense development in and around the city core. Besides preserving natural spaces, prioritizing urban core development also reduces our carbon footprint. A 2020 study of 93 million homes in the United States found that promoting denser housing development is crucial to lowering our carbon footprint, reducing pollution and combatting climate change. From an environmental perspective, dense housing development near our transit centers is an essential part of protecting our conservation areas from sprawl and reducing our per-household carbon footprint.
Worries about building more housing and increasing housing costs are understandable. We know that high housing costs are caused by a lack of supply and high demand. Research from cities across North America demonstrates that building new housing, even at market rates, helps lower overall rents and increases affordable units nearby. Higher-income individuals move into new, pricier apartments, freeing up older, more affordable homes. Haverhill could see similar benefits with new housing development. A cautious approach may delay these benefits, exacerbate high rents, and drive people to leave. According to the Mass Taxpayers Foundation, many residents, especially those aged 26 to 35 and those in high-paying jobs, are leaving in search of more affordable living conditions. Between April 2020 and July 2022, over 110,900 people left Massachusetts, driven partly by high housing costs and transportation issues. Haverhill must act to avoid becoming part of this worrying trend.
Our city faces a choice. We can take a “wait and see approach” that will appease the loudest and most negative voices on social media, forcing our working class into unhealthy and expensive living arrangements, or we can take bold steps to increase quality housing supply. This would reduce housing costs, boost municipal revenue and stabilize our community for a vibrant future. The time to act is now and the evidence is clear. Let’s prioritize building more homes, streamline reasonable approval processes, and adopt policies for equitable growth and affordability. By doing so, Haverhill can remain a community that works for all current and future residents that together will help this city reach its full potential.
Signatories,
Nate Robertson, resident
Michael Morales, resident
Brian Hough, resident
Bill Taylor, resident
Erin Padilla, resident
Michael Gallant, resident
Lucinda Nolet, resident
Maricel Goris, resident
Anabelle Rondon, resident
Lynn Peterson, resident
Jane Hucks, resident
Andy Vargas, resident and state representative for the 3rd Essex District
Francis Bevilaqua, resident and Haverhill organizational Leader
Keith Boucher, resident and founder of MakeIT Haverhill
Jim Fiorentini, resident and former mayor of Haverhill
Lisa Rivera, resident and site director YWCA Northeastern Massachusetts
Rev. Frank Clarkson, pastor of the Universalist Unitarian Church in Haverhill
Jeanine Murphy, CEO/executive director of Emmaus
Jen Matthews, executive director of L’Arche
Meegan O’Neil, executive director of Essex County Habitat for Humanity
Matt Juros, Haverhill organizational Leader
Ted Ammon, Haverhill organizational Leader
Noah Koretz, Former MassDevelopment Transformative Development Fellow for Haverhill