Peterborough Planning Board wrestles with housing definitions

By DAVID ALLEN

Monadnock Ledger Transcript 

Published: 11-19-2024 8:30 AM

Exactly what the term “workforce housing” means was at issue as the Peterborough Planning Board worked to clarify the term Wednesday.

Board members wrestled with a draft ordinance that is seeking to explain the term. Delineations between what should be considered “low income” and “moderate income” and how these definitions square with applicable state laws and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development were unresolved.

The purpose of this effort as stated in the working draft is “to provide reasonable and realistic opportunities for the development of low-income, moderate-income and workforce housing,” per state law.

The board noted that real estate developers can find requirements for creating workforce housing a problem financially. Financing challenges and local resistance are among the issues many developers encounter when working to create affordable housing.

“It may be a poison pill to the developer, but it’s not a poison pill to the neighbors,” said board member Stephanie Hurley, referring to workforce housing requirements.

Town Planner Danica Melone said that the Zoning Board will be invited to the Planning Board’s Nov. 25 meeting to consider the latter’s definition of workforce housing to date.