To the editor:

The Charles River Chamber applauds the Town of Wellesley for its stated commitment to addressing the town’s substantial housing needs and supports the adoption of Wellesley’s Strategic Housing Plan.

However, we recommend that the goals in the draft plan be revised to reflect the urgency and scale of the town’s housing supply shortage with more clearly defined goals, commitments, and timelines.

The plan does an excellent job of defining the challenges. Wellesley is experiencing a demographic shift that threatens its long-term vitality. The population of young professionals has declined by more than 3,100 since 1990. Wellsley is projected to lose nearly 9% of its population under 20 by 2050.

This is not because younger adults don’t want to live or raise families in this wonderful community: Over 80% of homes are single-family detached. Nearly half of Wellesley’s owner households are either one- or two-person households, yet 63.6% of owner-occupied units are four or five bedrooms.

Meanwhile, over 50% of moderate-income renters are cost-burdened. Over half of those who work in Wellesley commute over 10 miles to get to our local jobs.

The problem is of the plan’s 48 strategies, we see only a handful that might increase housing production and too many are sidelined under “long-term” actions. The plan largely avoids bold, targeted solutions that would streamline permitting or unlock restrictive zoning, both of which are essential for enabling development.

If town leaders are serious about reversing the loss of young professionals, families and our workforce, reforms must be prioritized, not postponed.

Of course, we recognize that this is easier said than done. We respect that many in town worry that expanding and diversifying Wellesley’s housing stock will harm the town’s character.

We believe the opposite is true:

Not creating opportunities for young families to live here harms the town’s character.

Not allowing people who work here to live here harms the town’s character.
Losing cherished local businesses due to workforce shortages harms the town’s
character.
Pricing out all but the most affluent harms Wellesley’s character.

Wellesley’s current and future economic vitality depends on creating new and varied housing options for its business owners, workforce, and customers.

While we support the adoption and intention of the Strategic Housing Plan, we urge the town to expand and elevate its most impactful strategies.

Greg Reibman
President & CEO, Charles River Chamber