By Kim Siebert MacPhail
If price is no option, seniors have many choices of where to live in Bedford. But although Bedford’s Senior Housing Inventory shows 17 different large-scale housing locations—such as Carlton-Willard Village and Ashby Place, and some of the units at Bedford Village, Taylor Pond and Avalon Bay—it remains difficult to find affordable housing for those who want to continue living in town after retirement.
In a variety of interviews conducted this week, the messages of availability and affordability resonated throughout. One resident, Sue McCombs, said that it seems to her as though senior housing is always on the bottom rung of concerns in Bedford.“I know a lot of people who used to live in town who aren’t here anymore. They’ve drifted to New Hampshire or somewhere else more affordable. I want to stay here—I don’t want to drift away.”
Several seniors at the Council on Aging (COA) last Wednesday would agree with McCombs’ assessment. They point to increases in residential real estate evaluations and higher property taxes as major factors affecting whether retirees stay in town or not. Personally and anecdotally, they know of people with medium incomes who don’t qualify for “affordable housing,” as it is officially defined. On the one hand, those in this situation have too much money to qualify; on the other hand, they don’t have enough.
For seniors who want to stay in their homes rather than downsize, the town’s Assessor’s Office offers several options to lessen the financial burden.
One alternative is called “abatement” and is only for those who have grounds to contest their real estate valuation. Filing for an abatementtriggers a home inspection by the Assessor’s Office to determine whether there is valid reason for the town to reconsider a property’s assessed value. Homeowners of any age, not just seniors, can request a home inspection.
A second alternative is a “deferment” in which a senior can avoid all or a portion of their property taxes until the sale of their residential property. To be eligible for this option, annual income cannot exceed $40,000. In addition, an 8% interest surcharge on deferred taxes is due at the time the property is sold.
Other options, called “exemptions,” give tax breaks for certain qualifications such as widowhood, age, length of domicile, veteran status, and blindness. Applications must be filed each year in order to maintain eligibility. For full details, contact the Assessors’ Office at Town Hall or by telephone at 781-275- 0046
Many seniors would like to downsize rather than stay in their homes. In those cases, selling the family homeand choosing to rent may be the most desirable alternative.Here, availability and pricing are the main factors.
For would-be renters of modest means, one housing option composed entirely of affordable units is Ashby Place, a senior community which has 80 one-bedroom, single-floor rental apartments and is operated by the Bedford Housing Authority. The cost of living at Ashby Place is determined on a sliding scale, based on 30% of a resident’s gross monthly income, minus out-of-pocket medical expenses.
“There are misconceptions about eligibility I want to dispel so that people don’t discount Ashby Place as an option,” said Housing Authority staff member Brenda Peacock. “Even if an applicant still owns a home that they intend to sell or has income from retirement accounts, they can be eligible to live at Ashby Place.“
Peacock added that a resident doesn’t need to be on assistance—the annual income ceiling for Ashby Place is $45,100 for a single person and $51, 550 for a couple. (For more information, the Housing Authority’s office hours are Monday through Friday from 9:00 am to 2:00 pm; phone is 781-275-5589.)
However, according to COA director Lori Wittner, the size of the units at Ashby Place can require some adjustment. People tell her that moving there from a full-sized home can be difficult. Another factor is availability: The current waiting list for Ashby Place is three-years for those who live in town and five years for non-residents.
An important note about these waiting lists is that the Housing Authority mails notices to everyone on the list annually. Applicants must respond when notified in order to remain on the list or they risk starting the process over again.
Wittner also spoke about the availability ofapartments at places like Taylor Pond or Thompson Farm, both on Middlesex Turnpike. Some of the units in each of these complexes are affordable, although they are considered to be“luxury”one- and two- bedrooms apartments. Comments from seniors who live there speak to a sense of isolation, living away from the center of Bedford-proper. “Bedford Local Transitdoes go over there, but it’s out of the way for both Dottie Piantedosi [the driver] and the residents,” Wittner said.
The patrons at the COA spoke also aboutconcerns that staff of Bedford’s police and fire departments, specifically those who grew up here, can’t afford to stay in town once they get married and begin to raise families. One patron wondered whether a type of rent control, specifically for this category of resident could be an option.
Sue McCombs shares the concern about those who were brought up in Bedford, adding that those who have lived here and worked to better the town should be able to stay, but are increasingly priced out. “Maybe the old Coast Guard housing [on Pine Hill Road] is something we should be looking at,” she remarked. “They all have new roofs and I’ve heard they’re freshly painted.”
Contrary to perceptions here in town about access to affordable housing, Bedford holds the record for the highest percentage of affordable suburban housing in Massachusetts: 14.3%.
Said Mike Barrett, a candidate for State Senate,who happened to be visiting the COA on Wednesday, “This is a statewide problem, not just a problem here in Bedford.”
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Another option that obviously there was no room to consider has to do with current zoning restrictions. A recent article in the Wall Street Journal focused on this issue and how restrictive zoning in many towns is now being reconsidered to allow people – especially elderly who may find themselves as “empty nesters” living in large, multi-bedroom homes (that they may have lived in their whole lives) unable to afford the cost of maintaining a large house, but unable to “rent out” some of the unused space because of restrictive zoning laws. Also (as the WSJ article pointed out) in today’s economy, many families find multiple generations living in the same house. Children unable to find jobs and thus unable to afford housing, elderly parents who can no longer afford to (or are able to) live alone who now must all live in a single space. Many towns – responding to the changing economic times – have gone back to reconsider how the laws may be changed to allow for additional residences. We have one of the tightest rental markets in decades. This could be a legitimate and useful source of income for many, but Bedford zoning laws that restrict what can and cannot be used make it impossible for many to have a so called “in-law” apartment. The town needs to start thinking about helping existing residents before looking for ways of attracting new residents.
Selectmen Bill Moonan says he plans to reach out again to Tierney’s office to see if any new developments have occurred since the last time he inquired. Moonan cautions citizens not to get their hopes up too high because government wheels moved slowly. He also believes–even if the Coast Guard decides to decommission the Pine Hill property–it will not be sold to Bedford, or anyone else, for less than market value.
Above cautions aside, Moonan thinks that if there’s a will to acquire the property, a way will be found to do it
Short answer: stay tuned (and keep asking good questions!)
I have been looking at the Coast Guard housing on Pine Hill Road and think they would be great housing and should not be left to rot. Many elderly Bedfordites are leaving the area because it is too expensive or the apartments on Ashby Place are too small. I have been looking in other communities and some of the senior places are awesome. The rooms are a nice size with plenty of closets and kitchen cabinet space. A person has a choice of studio, one, two and three bedrooms, living room and combination kitchen and dining room They have porches or balconies or patios. They have daily activities and tours. There is an indoor and/or outdorr pool, exercise room, plenty of parking, landscaping and snow removal, and an elevator. There is storage space for items that you only use occasionally. They have the emergency unlocking device for your door. So many people have left Bedford and moved away with the intentions of visiting and participating in various Bedford activites, but have found the commute too much for them. I have four children and none of them can afford to live in Bedford. Two of them live in modern condos with multi-cultrual and mixed aged groups. One lives in Bedford Village and another in a condo in Dorchester. Also, there is nothing to do in Bedford for entertainment (movies, variety of restaurants with available group seating, etc.). We have to go to another town. There is not anything, except the education system, to attract people here. There are places to swim that cost a lot less than Springs Brook Pond. These beaches have board walks with various things for all ages to do. The picnic areas are clean and nice. There is plenty of parking. Some have live entertainment. It is a shame that the people of Bedford have to take their families out-of-town to affordable places to swim. Some beaches do not charge and admittance fee because the people spend money at the concession stands, rides and games.
Great article, Kim. Housing in Bedford and other communities close to Boston is expensive due to supply and demand. For decades people have been heading to the sunbelt or north to NH, Vermont and Maine. This applies not only to retirees, but also to the new generation of home-buyers.
If you are a senior, living on a low or fixed income, you are forced to make decisions based on priorities and life-style. Places like Carleton-Willard, as nice as they are, do not present an affordable option. To stay in your home, are you willing to spend down your retirement by paying ever-increasing taxes? Are you willing to take out a reverse-mortgage? Get a tax deferment? Are you willing to downsize to a small or isolated apartment? If staying in the community, is important, those are your choices unless you have family willing to take you in. Fleeing to a place with a lower cost-of-living is many people’s choice.
An interesting article I read not too long ago proposed the idea of seniors combining their resources to lower their living costs. In this scenario, a few seniors would arrange to live together and share housing, food and transportation. This solution not only lowers costs but also avoids isolation and allows people to offer and receive support when needed. It could, in fact, improve the health and well-being of the seniors involved. It is, in effect, the building of a new extended-family.
Does this plan have its drawbacks? Sure. It would take serious planning and careful preparation with rules and contingencies decided in advance. It would require legal and financial help to get it started, but the benefits could outweigh the costs. You’d be able to stay in town, maintain your life-long friendships, see your own doctors and meet at the COA for yoga, a pool game or lunch, care-free. Just a thought.
Kim, Thank you for this in depth ariticle on housing for seniors…and thank you for checking in on the Pine Hill Road properties. So much need and so much waste. Smaller homes in Bedford are purchased, torn down and replaced by much larger structures so when we old folks want to downsize, and find a place without the need to use stairs the options really diminish.
Selectman Bill Moonan has been trying to find out, through John Tierney’s office, what the Coast Guard intends to do with the property on Pine Hill Road. Moonan spoke about this at a Selectmen’s meeting in November. At the time, the Coast Guard was conducting an inventory of its properties in order to determine what to do with them.
I will make a point to ask whether there’s anything new on that horizon and report back.
I have been concerned for months about the former Coast Guard Housing and have tried to get an answer about the future of these small houses. It is discouraging to see them standing empty when there is clearly a need for modest housing in town.