Candidate Survey: Waltham Inclusive Neighborhoods
I want to thank the Waltham Inclusive Neighborhoods organization for putting together the detailed Waltham State Rep candidate survey, which included several links to resources about housing insecurity and policy in Waltham and Massachusetts more broadly. The process of preparing to respond to the survey was very informative and thought provoking for me as a candidate.
The survey was sent to all four candidates for State Rep. However, the incumbent and the Republican challenger failed to provide any response according to Waltham Inclusive Neighborhoods. The responses that were submitted by candidates (including my own) for comparison are available at: https://www.walthampolitics.com/questionnaire-2024.html.
Below are the full questions (including contextual preambles) that were presented to each of the candidates as well as my responses to each question.
Candidate Survey and Sean’s Responses
How have your experiences, prior to or outside of seeking elected office, shaped your views on housing and land use in Waltham?
I have been fortunate throughout my life to have never experienced homelessness or housing insecurity myself. However, having spent over a decade of my life as a renter, I understand the financial and psychological stresses that come along with annual rent increases and never feeling fully in control of the space where you live. I empathize with anyone dealing with those insecurities while also attempting to raise a family, struggling to earn a steady paycheck, or dealing with substance abuse issues (either personally or vicariously with a family member).
Introspectively, I’ve also noticed that in different parts of my life, the prospect of a small apartment in a dynamic neighborhood can be very appealing but under different circumstances individuals and families might prefer a quieter neighborhood with room to spread out. Fortunately, Waltham already has both of these options (and a spectrum of housing choices in between) for those that can afford it.
Beyond my direct experiences, I have listened to podcasts, read books, and watched documentaries about the real world challenges, attempted solutions, and unintended consequences that can occur when good intentions meet poor design (planning- or policy-wise) in the housing market.
In my opinion, the challenge before the city is to remain “Waltham” while also seeking to accommodate residents who truly cannot afford an ever-escalating increase in rents. We need to make some difficult choices around where to allow the free market in real estate to provide flexibility for property owners and where we need to de-couple housing from inflationary market forces to ensure the dignity of current and future residents. We also need to recognize that these market pressures (like traffic) won’t stop (or start) at the municipal boundaries of the city.
According to a report prepared by the City of Newton & West Metro HOME Consortium in Association with Barrett Planning Group LLC, Waltham has the highest number of unsheltered homeless among WestMetro communities. Furthermore, staff from the Community Day Center of Waltham report that more than 20% of the clients they house leave their new apartments because homelessness is easier when they lack an adequate support network. How will you use your position as a state representative to support unhoused residents, both to guarantee temporary shelter and as they transition to permanent housing?
Admittedly, as someone who is not a zoning or housing expert, I will be relying on reports — like the one you referenced — as well as the inputs of informed organizations such as the Waltham Inclusive Neighborhoods and the Community Day Center when it comes to finding solutions to that will truly make a difference in the lives of people who need temporary and transitional shelter.
As I was reviewing the informational links that you provided, I was struck by how much of an outlier Waltham is with regard to the number of homeless and housing insecure residents, which prompted me to wonder how many shelter beds are available in Waltham. I was surprised to learn how few shelter beds we have (less than 75 as best as I can determine online) compared to the number of residents that might need help on a cold winter night.
That said, I would hope to identify, develop, and propose policies that — to the extent possible — would divert people from needing temporary shelter in the first place.
Cities and towns often struggle to raise funding for local subsidized housing developments. For example, Waltham has $0 set aside for housing in its CPA account. What other tools, mechanisms, or policies do you support that would fund affordable housing development in Waltham?
Aside from finding legislative opportunities to propose grant funding that Waltham could apply to, I don’t currently have any specific, new proposals for funding affordable housing development in Waltham. However, I would intend to work with city officials, local non-profits, and passionate residents to identify opportunities to address housing affordability.
Public housing in Massachusetts and across the country has been chronically underfunded for decades. The Affordable Homes Act authorizes record borrowing to support the capital needs of the state's supply of public housing. However, the annual operating budgets of local public housing authorities are still underfunded. How will you ensure that state-run public housing gets all of the resources it needs to support its residents and maintain operational stability?
At this time, I cannot commit to specific changes to “state-run public housing” until I am clear about what the most effective solutions available for addressing the affordable housing needs of Waltham under the recently passed legislation. I understand that new legislation to support affordable housing was passed on the last day of the most recent legislative session, and we — residents and city staff — need to see how the “theory” in the new law is implemented in practice before attempting to make any major adjustments. That said, if there are major gaps in funding, I would work with the city staff to identify opportunities to ensure continuity (or improvement) in services.
A major barrier to new housing development is accessing affordable financing. One of the primary challenges to increasing housing production is that financing options and resources to support new development are limited. Given high interest rates and increasing labor and material costs, how can the state better provide financial resources to support new housing development?
I do not have an immediate, short-term solution to the reality of high interest rates. Instead, I believe we need to recognize that interest rates and other market forces fluctuate. After the 2008 recession many housing developers (and financiers and legislators) became complacent about the fact that low interest rates would not last forever. Similarly, we should not assume that the current high interest rates will last forever either.
Instead, the state should look to setup financial mechanisms for the future, so that we are ready to take advantage of low interest rates when they occur and maximize the amount of quality housing that can be built or renovated at the least possible cost. In the meantime, we should seek to maximize the safe and dignified usage of existing housing stock — ensuring that where beds (or space) is available zoning restrictions and other regulations do not arbitrarily prevent its use.
Restrictive and exclusionary zoning is proven to constrain housing production, exacerbate racial segregation and inequality, and increase home prices for everyone. What policies or initiatives would you support at the state level that eliminate or reduce local zoning barriers to new housing?
Please review my proposals and commentary on my website: https://www.sean.diamonds/platform-details/affordable-housing. Please note that I will continue to add to this page as I encounter new ideas and concepts on the campaign trail (and after I am elected) that I believe will be effective in addressing the root causes of housing insecurity.
Waltham has the second highest number of eviction filings among Metrowest communities. What policies and programs do you support that increase and promote housing stability in Waltham and across the state?
The legislation that was passed at the end of the most recent legislative session already includes a number of provisions that will promote housing stability and introduce protections for residents (such as sealing eviction records). However, I would look to introduce low cost “Security Deposit Insurance” as an opportunity to reduce the financial burden on all renters (and the administrative burden on landlords) and reduce the financial barriers to entry for those seeking to move into (or transfer between) apartments.
Please see additional details on my website: https://www.sean.diamonds/platform-details/affordable-housing, and I encourage anyone with additional proposal or recommendations to let me know using the contact page on my website: https://www.sean.diamonds/contact.