Garcia pushes 70% local preference for Chelsea housing lottery

Seventy percent of the units in Chelsea’s upcoming centralized housing lottery will be reserved for local residents under a motion unanimously approved by the city council last week. The resolution, introduced by Councilor-at-Large Kelly Garcia, directs the city manager to work with the Chelsea Housing Authority to implement this preference. The figure represents the maximum percentage permitted by current state and federal law. The council also instructed officials to include fair housing safeguards and obtain necessary approvals.

The vote ties directly to a recently proposed centralized lottery and waiting list for all inclusionary zoning units in the city. City Manager Fidel Maltez noted that this structure allows the city to maximize benefits for local applicants while minimizing legal risk. Maltez explained that developments funded entirely by the city, such as the project at 55 Heard St., are exempt from these state requirements and can offer 100 percent preference to Chelsea residents.

Garcia framed the measure as a key component of her effort to balance economic development with housing stability for working-class families. She stated that the goal is to keep the community fabric intact by prioritizing Chelsea families. “Many of us in the community have shared how important it is to keep the fabric of the city, and by doing so, it is prioritizing our Chelsea families to stay in the city of Chelsea,” Garcia said.

Maltez described the feedback from the development community and residents regarding the centralized wait list as positive. He credited Garcia with identifying the 70 percent threshold after consultations with city lawyers and state officials. “The feedback has been tremendous, it has been positive, both by the development community and our residents. This is the cherry on top; Councilor Garcia reached out to me and asked if it was possible to have a 70 percent preference on Chelsea residents on this wait list, we reached out to our lawyers and also reached out to the state, and this is going to be possible, so this is going to be a gamechanger,” Maltez said.

Councilors Leo Robinson and Calvin T. Brown voted in favor of the motion. Both lawmakers indicated they support the plan but want to ensure strict safeguards are in place. They emphasized the need for minimum residency requirements to verify that applicants claiming Chelsea resident status meet the necessary criteria.

The next step involves the city manager and the Chelsea Housing Authority finalizing the administrative details of the lottery. The 70 percent preference will apply to the centralized waiting list for inclusionary zoning units as it moves into the implementation phase.