Wayland HRDEI committee hears fair housing briefing, plans joint work with Housing Partnership

WAYLAND — May 21, 2024 — Wayland housing officials brief diversity committee as Section 8 waits hit 18 years. The Human Rights, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee, chaired by Karen Blumenfeld, hosted Rachel Bratt of the Wayland Housing Partnership and Catherine Provost of the Wayland Housing Authority for a primer on fair housing Tuesday. Provost said the authority operates 112 elderly/disabled units, 25 scattered-site family homes and 81 Section 8 vouchers, with non-preference voucher waits now running 14 to 18 years. Wayland's Subsidized Housing Inventory totals 539 units — 337 actually income-restricted — keeping the town above the state's 10 percent threshold. At Alta Oxbow, market one-bedrooms rent for $2,700 and affordable ones for $2,085. Bratt called public housing "probably the best housing subsidy strategy that the federal government ever created," while Provost noted the agency can run a public unit for roughly $300 a month versus $2,300 to voucher one at Alta Oxbow. The committee unanimously named Heather Pino treasurer and approved festival invoices.