Jeff Worthley
Candidate for:
Mayor
What do you see as the biggest housing problems in Gloucester; whom do they affect; and what would you do to rectify these problems?
There are many housing problems in Gloucester and they are very inter-related. We need housing that is affordable for our young adults, for our young families, for our workers and for our elderly on fixed incomes.
Part of the solution is that "we get what we zone for" and in some parts of the City the cost of land acquisition alone has made it so that the only way to justify that cost is with a large mansion. That needs to change but in a way that also values the character of neighborhoods. We could look at large areas of City owned land for that could be leased for this purpose. We can look to the private sector for solutions. We can streamline some of the timing for permitting that needlessly add costs.
I initiated the Zoning Ordinance Review Task Force 20 years ago to start taking a look at impediments to affordable housing. This Task Force started making making meaningful but incremental progress over a number of years but was eventually disbanded by a prior Mayor and Council.
We can explore ways of incentivizing Tiny Homes.
We can work with the State's Office of Liveable Communities on significant grant funding for deed restricted affordable housing opportunities.
We can work with our home building community to hear from them what exactly can be done to make it less costly to build homes.
If I am Mayor, I will direct our Planning Department, Assessors Office and Building Department to proactively reach out to existing homeowners whose properties have the capacity for an Auxiliary Dwelling Unit and connect our residents with lenders who can help them fund units that will result in income.
How do you define affordable housing and workforce housing and whom do you see as needing them?
Affordable Housing is defined as housing that is affordable to people making 80% of the Area Median Income and it is needed across all ages and demographics. Workforce Housing is defined as being affordable to people making 60% of the Area Median Income. One of the problems is that the Area Median Income is the Boston Area Median Income. We need to use a Gloucester Median Income for it to correlate to the much lower incomes in our community. That is not a difficult step at all.
What are you hearing from businesses and employers about their ability to hire or retain workers given the current housing situation?
I'm hearing from owners in almost every business sector that it's extremely difficult to hire and retain workers given the current housing crisis.
Do you think new housing development is being shared fairly across all neighborhoods in Gloucester? If not, where is it lacking, and how can the City address this inequity?
New housing is not being shared equally across all neighborhoods and it would be really difficult to keep with the intent of the Gloucester Zoning Code (to preserve quality of neighborhoods). A strong consistent education campaign would be helpful in addressing that and also accepting that not every neighborhood is going to make mathematical sense for affordable housing to an existing homeowner or a lender.
What specific steps will you take to increase the supply of affordable and workforce housing in Gloucester, especially for local workers and young people and young families?
Steps I would take: 1. Work with the Executive Office of Liveable Communities.
2. Direct City staff to identify opportunities for Auxiliary Dwelling Units that don't require discretionary permitting.
3. Three years ago I proposed allowing housing above commercial properties in the Blackburn Industrial Park. I envision a building like the Cape Ann Medical Center Building, with it's parking lot empty on nights and weekends and with a set back that could be perfect for families and children and easy access to amenities, schools, grocery stores etc.
The Mayor's Office instructed the Economic Development and Industrial Corporation to vote against it.
Now that Massachusetts has legalized Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) by right in all residential areas, what proactive or incentivizing steps can the City take to encourage their development as part of Gloucester’s broader housing strategy?
I would direct City staff to identify opportunities for Auxiliary Dwelling Units that don't require discretionary permitting. Work with our building community to create viable options for easy to build homes and work with out local and regional lenders to collaborate with the City, residential property owners and home builders.
Where do you stand on two or three family homes across all neighborhoods to meet the housing needs of the average Gloucester family and worker?
Not every neighborhood fits for a 3 Family by right. When I served on the City Council 20 years ago I was asked by Council President Al Swekla to be the Chair of the Planning & Development Committee of the Council. We approved a lot of units of housing and worked with homebuilders and neighborhoods to mitigate any concerns and potential negative impacts especially in some congested neighborhoods. That effort did not add a lot of time and cost to the process and in many cases made the proposals better.
Do you generally support building more modest size and clustered housing—such as duplexes, multi-family, townhouses etc.? If so, where in the city do you see opportunities for this kind of housing development?
I support clustered housing. I envision at the end of cul-de-sacs that a couple of 3 Family homes could work while maintaining the quality of a neighborhood and safety for the residents who live in these.
What specific zoning reforms or other modifications would you advocate to support more housing, including for example, multi-family, accessory dwelling units, and affordable homes? How could permitting and approvals be streamlined while preserving community input and environmental protections? Do you support eliminating or modifying practices like minimum lot sizes or parking requirements?
I would be open to a community driven conversation about where lowering lot sizes would be beneficial to the neighborhood and the community at large. I do not support minimizing parking requirements because in a City as large (land wise) as Gloucester (16th largest out of 351) it would be very difficult for people living in the outskirts of the City to have access to employers if they didn't have cars.
We could work with our Cape Ann Transportation Authority to increase their bus routes to outlying areas and would need to do that prior to a change like this.
There are definitely ways to streamline the permitting process. I would look to the best practices of other Cities and Towns to examine what works there. Our Building Inspector regularly meets with Building Inspectors throughout the State and I would empower him to come back from these meetings with workable ideas and support the implementation.
What role should the City play in encouraging the redevelopment of underutilized commercial or industrial sites, such as the Shaw’s properties, into housing or mixed-use developments? What incentives could the City offer to support this?
The City needs to play a proactive role in redevelopment of underutilized commercial and industrial sites. I led the charge on this a few years ago with zero support from the Housing Community or the Mayor's office. In fact, I faced stiff opposition. The only one who came to support this idea was the very effective Bob Gillis because he has seen it work in Beverly. The City could offer tax abatements, help apply for BrownField grants, Tax Incremental Financing (there needs to be at least one job associated with any proposal).
One thing I will do on the first week on the job is I will bring in a proven Grant's Writer. Currently only overwhelmed department heads apply for grants. There are State and Federal Funds that Gloucester will get but doesn't have a chance at getting right now because we don't have a Grants Writer. That will change.
Would you support a “Tenant Opportunity to Purchase” ordinance, enabling tenants the first right to purchase a building if the owner decides to put it on the market?
Yes.
What steps would you take to prevent the displacement of long-term residents and vulnerable populations as housing costs rise? Do you support the Rent Stabilization bill currently before the Legislature? Why or why not?
In general I do support this bill. Oftentimes bills get amended before they make their way through the entire process so we will see what the final outcome is. That alone won't help people whose rents are already more than they can afford and won't help with home purchases.
Would you consider policies like Real Estate Transfer fees on high-end properties to increase funding for the Affordable Housing Trust? Would you support a Home Rule Petition to establish a small percentage Gloucester transfer fee on real estate transactions over $2 million?
Yes.
How will you work to keep Gloucester livable and affordable for fishermen, teachers, service workers, young people and families, and seniors—particularly when it comes to housing, transportation, and access to essential services?
As mentioned a few times I will direct the planning department to find every opportunity to help resident add a small unit on their property to bring them a little income and provide an affordable housing opportunity to someone who qualifies.
Earlier we asked about access to housing for seniors and young people. How will you work to reduce the shortage of affordable housing—particularly for other vulnerable households facing housing insecurity or homelessness? What steps would you take to expand access to supportive housing for people with disabilities, mental health needs, or substance use disorders?
I believe I am the only candidate in this race who has volunteered for Habitat for Humanity not just once, but four times. I understand the struggle of keeping a roof over my head at times and it is with compassion and empathy that I will continue to work to be supportive of all of our residents and be sensitive to their abilities, mental health needs or substance abuse disorders.
Housing policy intersects with issues like transit, racial equity, climate resilience, and economic sustainability. How can Gloucester’s housing policies advance progress in these areas?
If we can solve our affordable housing problem all of the rest of these areas will improve as well. And it works inversely too. If we can support our teachers better our student will come out of school with an even better education which will enable them to have better paying jobs.
How will you promote the development of energy-efficient, climate-resilient housing in Gloucester to address rising energy costs and climate risks? Do you support requiring all-electric systems in all new construction as part of that effort? Why or why not?
I put forward the first in the State Renewable Energy Ordinance which the Council approved despite the incumbent Mayor opposing it. That was put forward to prove to the development community that the City isn't just going to hold builders to a standard that we are going to hold ourselves. I intend to provide more incentives and a more streamlined process for homes that are built with high energy efficiency standards and renewable energy components.
Thank you to Housing4All Gloucester's continued advocacy for our most vulnerable citizens.