The Zoning Board of Appeals voted narrowly against our proposal several weeks ago to transform a vacant lot at 1005 Broadway into 42 residences, a coffee shop or comparable retail space, green areas, a public walking corridor adjacent to Mill Creek, and 42 parking spots. We submitted this proposal in response to Chelsea residents facing displacement due to rising costs and the critical shortage of affordable housing across all price points. We have decided to challenge the Zoning Board of Appeals ruling because we believe this location presents an exceptional chance to address urgent community housing needs.
Our proposal drew from Chelsea’s 2017 Comprehensive Housing Analysis and Strategic Plan as well as the City’s Waterfront Community Vision Plan. We solicited feedback from nearby residents and incorporated their suggestions into our design. We appreciate the community members who participated in our meetings and helped shape a project that better reflects neighborhood priorities. The proposal also adheres to state waterfront standards (Chapter 91) and complies with the City’s zoning and ordinance requirements.
The project received backing from numerous community members, the City Manager, and three of the five Zoning Board of Appeals members. Four votes were necessary for approval, however. We are thankful to those who spoke publicly in favor of the project and shared personal experiences about how housing affordability affects Chelsea families.
Remarks from both supporters and opponents revealed that many in Chelsea want expanded homeownership possibilities for residents. We share that goal. Those opposing the project contended that rejecting it would spur homeownership development while limiting rental construction. Yet rejecting our proposal will not generate any homeownership opportunities, affordable or otherwise. The constraints and expenses of Chapter 91 compliance make for-sale condominiums economically unfeasible on this site.
Understanding the data is essential to advancing homeownership in Chelsea. According to the 2017 Comprehensive Housing Analysis and Strategic Plan, over 30% of Chelsea residents own homes. Project opponents claim that construction over the past decade has focused exclusively on rental apartments, depressing homeownership rates. In reality, Chelsea has experienced substantial condominium growth over the past fifteen years, with condominium units rising by more than 700, including conversions of existing rental properties to ownership condos, as documented in the 2017 Comprehensive Housing Analysis and Strategic Plan.
While these conversions from rental to ownership created homeownership pathways for some residents, they simultaneously reduced available rental apartments, driving up monthly rents for Chelsea renters. The Housing Analysis and Strategic Plan documents a 38 percent rent increase between 2011 and 2016. Current data from Apartments.com shows the average one-bedroom apartment in Chelsea rents for $2,114 monthly, with three-bedroom family units exceeding $2,800 per month—representing a 6.6% jump compared to the same period last year.
Since 2008, The Neighborhood Developers has created 36 affordable ownership opportunities for Chelsea residents on Marlborough, Cottage, Maverick, Suffolk, and Broadway, plus the Box District, to combat homeowner displacement locally and regionally. Traggorth Companies delivered 43 affordable homeownership units in Mission Hill with Boston municipal support. We would like to expand homeownership development in Chelsea, but affordable rental apartments consistently receive more state and federal funding support than affordable ownership programs, which depend heavily on limited local resources.
Even with adequate funding, affordable homeownership typically targets families earning at least $86,000 annually—representing less than 20% of Chelsea’s population. Our proposed apartments serve families earning approximately $60,000 yearly or less. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, 60% of Chelsea households fall within this income range.
This project was specifically designed to serve current Chelsea residents experiencing acute housing affordability challenges. For this reason, while we collaborate with City leadership to develop homeownership strategies and advocate for increased resources, we remain committed to advancing this project.
Rafael Mares is the Executive Director of The Neighborhood Developers, Inc. and Dave Traggorth, Principal of Traggorth Companies.