For Francis Blamey, rising property taxes in Hopkinton have always cast a long shadow over life in town. She worries that building more affordable housing alone won’t be enough to help people stay in their homes and age in place.
“We have seniors who want to live in their own homes; they don’t want to be outside,” said Blamey at a housing committee meeting last week. “They’re afraid that if we make changes, the taxes are going to go up.”
While aging in place is a top priority for many in Hopkinton, the community remains divided over how best to support residents who want to stay in their homes as they grow older — especially when it comes to the often-debated proposal to expand the housing supply with more diverse and affordable options.
After hiring consultants who recommended increasing the town’s affordable housing supply, Hopkinton’s Housing Committee sent out a survey as part of a Housing Opportunity Grant.
About 385 people responded, or around 6% of Hopkinton’s population.
Of those respondents, 43% said they were concerned about housing prices, rising taxes and the types of homes available — especially when it comes to staying in town as they get older.
Many pointed out how hard it is for seniors and other residents on fixed incomes to keep up with taxes and said they’d like to see tax breaks for seniors.
About 10% discussed the challenge that the overall cost of living and housing presents for the senior population.
Another 10% said there just aren’t enough good options in town for downsizing when people no longer need or want a bigger home.
An audit conducted through the housing grant revealed that nearly 90% of the homes in Hopkinton are single-family residences.
About 350 units fall under other housing types, and the town has approximately 150 rental units available.
Dawn Berry, a member of the Hopkinton Housing Committee, said rising housing costs are making it difficult for people from different walks of life to live in town, including police officers and other young professionals who work in Hopkinton.
“It’s about diversity,” said Berry. “It’s about making this town diverse and open and inclusive. It’s not just houses like you live in or I live in, but varieties. Everyone finds that communities that are diverse with variety are stronger.”
As of July, the average price of a single-family home in Hopkinton was $669,891, according to the New Hampshire Association of Realtors. These homes are typically built on two- to three-acre lots, which contributes to affordability challenges.
One potential solution is to revise zoning ordinances to allow for higher-density housing, which could make it possible to build more homes on a given plot of land.
While some residents are concerned that denser housing could increase costs related to road and sewer maintenance, David Fellers, housing Committee secretary, clarified that the committee’s role is not to push specific changes without public input.
“We’re not proposing to do anything other than look at this and decide, ‘What do you think works?’” said Fellers. “We’ll collect more opinions from people, from different people, and if we want to propose something to change, we will do that next year. We’re not trying to change.”
