The mission of the Waltham Affordable Housing Committee (WAHC) is to increase the number of affordable housing units in Waltham and to educate the public about what affordable housing really is. The group is concerned that there is a lot of talk about housing in the City, but little action. To this end, WAHC has been working very hard to convince the City Council to take advantage of local resources and set aside surplus school buildings for permanently affordable, nonprofit developed housing. This work has evolved into the Schools2 Housing Campaign. The goal of this campaign is to ensure that permenantly affordable condominiums are developed at the former Banks Elementary School and that permenantly affordable rentals units and a community center are developed at the former South Middle School. The group is also working to debunk commonly held myths about affordable housing.

WAHC holds regular meetings at the WATCH office and all are welcome to attend or to participate in other ways. To learn more or to get involved, contact Darline. For information on the next upcoming meeting, visit the News & Events page.

Each year the Federal Home Loan Bank of Boston sponsors an affordable housing competition for Boston area graduate students studying urban planning, design and public policy. In 2005 a student team won second place for their proposal to turn the South Middle School into affordable rental housing and a community center.

This year one student team completed a proposal to create Banks Place, a limited equity co-op with 35 units and daycare center. Click here to view a rough draft of the proposal.