Housing Production Plan

Overview

Canton is creating a Housing Production Plan to address housing needs in the community. This project, which was launched in January 2022, began with an analysis of community need and existing housing conditions. This information, along with significant community engagement, will be used to create a plan for Canton to create and maintain affordable housing. 

Project Phases

The housing production plan is structured into three phases:

  • Phase I: Prepare comprehensive needs analysis and development constraints (January to March 2022)
  • Phase II: Vision and strategies; including an overarching vision, goals, and achievable strategies (March to June 2022)
  • Phase III: Draft plan and adoption (June to August 2022)HPP schedule

Key Findings:

  • Canton’s population is 24,370. The town has been growing steadily since the 1980s and population is forecast to continue increasing at a similar rate through 2040, though the proportion of the population over 65 is projected to increase from 19 to 27 percent by 2040. 
  • Like many towns and cities across Massachusetts, Canton is becoming more diverse. BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, & People of Color) residents now make up over a quarter of the town’s population. 
  • Canton’s median income has not kept pace with the AMI over the past 20 years. The town’s median income has been essentially constant since 2000 when adjusted for inflation, whereas the inflation-adjusted AMI has increased 13 percent over the same period. 
  • About a quarter of Canton’s households earn less than 80 percent of the Area Median Income – around 2,465 households that could potentially qualify for affordable housing. 
  • Almost two-thirds of Canton’s houses are single-family detached homes, and most of the housing was built since World War II. 
  • There is a mismatch between smaller household sizes and the available housing stock, with almost 60 percent of Canton households comprised of one or two people compared with 37 percent of housing stock with one or two bedrooms. 
  • Housing prices are rising faster than incomes in Canton. The average sales price for a home increased 55 percent from 2011 to 2021, whereas the town’s median family income, when adjusted for inflation, has remained the same since 2011. 
  • The average sales price for a home in Canton is about $302,000 more than the average Canton household could afford, given the town’s median household income.

Learn more: Key Findings Executive Summary


Community Outreach

Crowdmap 

As part of the Housing Production Plan community engagement process, we are eager to hear more from the Canton community about your priorities for creating a more affordable Canton. Many of your ideas may be associated with a specific location or area of town, so we created this crowdmapping tool to provide a way for you to identify these critical locations. Click here to learn more and share your ideas!

Virtual Community Housing Forum

A virtual Community Housing Forum was held March 21st, 2022 from 7-8:30pm.  Click here to view the presentation slides. 

Survey

We need your feedback! Use this link to take a 10 minute survey that will help the Town determine housing priorities for Canton community members. 

In-Person Community Housing Open House

An open house will be held in the Canton Public Library Community Room on May 23rd from 7 to 8:30pm.  Stay tuned for more details.