Housing Production Plan UPDATE (2023)

The Town of Grafton has embarked on an effort to update its Housing Production Plan (HPP), building on the work of previous Plans in 2006, 2013 and 2018.  The HPP will continue to offer the Town greater local control over affordable housing development and provide an updated blueprint to help further the Town’s progress towards meeting the state’s Chapter 40B 10% affordable housing goal. Not only is a HPP a state requirement for Chapter 40B compliance, it focuses on local needs and priorities through a proactive housing strategy of Town-sponsored initiatives. 

The Plan will provide updated information on demographic and economic shifts and housing market changes that have notable implications on housing needs and demand. For example, Grafton’s population increased by 2,000 residents between 2010 and 2020, primarily due to people migrating from the southern or eastern Massachusetts in search of more affordability. This growth has translated into increased demand that, in tandem with limited production, has resulted in escalating housing prices in Grafton and throughout Central Massachusetts. Rising housing costs make it more difficult for residents or those raised in the community to find/retain affordable living options. 

As the HPP will document, there are segments of the community struggling due to limited financial means and other unmet needs, exacerbated by the recent pandemic.  These demographic shifts and economic impacts will continue to challenge Town efforts to address changing housing priorities.

The Grafton Affordable Housing Trust is sponsoring a Community Housing Forum to present the Housing Needs Assessment which discusses shifts in demographic, economic, and housing trends.  Most importantly, the meeting will include a special program to get the perspectives of participants on the Town ‘s future housing agenda. 

The meeting will be held at Apple Tree Arts at One Grafton Common, on June 7, 2023, at 7:00 p.m.  For more information or to submit a comment about the project, please contact Fiona Coughlan, Town Planner, at 508-839-5335 x1400 or via email at coughlanf@grafton-ma.gov.