Princeton also recently adopted a Boarder Bylaw, which I find quite interesting because it allows homeowners to legally rent parts of their primary residence (a maximum of two separate spaces) to boarders to supplement their housing expenses. Here’s a link to the November 2024 Princeton Special Town Meeting Minutes detailing the voters’ decisions made on Bed and Breakfasts, Short Term Rentals and Boarders, with the text of the relevant portion of the same included below. Also below is a press release from RCAP Solutions, detailing a grant that includes this wording: The proposed solution involves creating a program to match graduate students with senior homeowners in Worcester and the surrounding communities who have available rooms to rent – addressing housing shortages while fostering intergenerational connections.
If you are a Princeton property owner and are considering an application for any of the uses below, I’d suggest that you contact the Planning Board to have an informal discussion at one of their meetings, so that if/when you do apply, you are covering all your bases.
ARTICLE 6. Moved and seconded to amend Section III.1.(G)(b) of the Zoning By-Laws by striking the current provisions of Section III.1.(G)(b) and replacing them with the following:
(b) Subject to a special permit granted by the Planning Board as provided in Section VIII.3 of this By-Law: (i) home specialty retail, (ii) bed-and-breakfast, (iii) short-term rentals, or (iv) boarders, as defined in Section XVIII.1.(B)
And moved and seconded to amend Section XVIII.1.(B)(1) by striking the current provisions of
Section XVIII.1.(B)(1) and replacing them with the following:
(1) Bed-and-breakfast, short-term rentals, and boarders.
The purposes of this Section XVIII.1.(B)(1) are to allow by special permit and site plan review additional, more affordable, and more diverse, residential uses that are consistent with Princeton’s dominant rural, residential, and agricultural character, while encouraging economic opportunities from ecotourism, providing additional housing, allowing live-in home care assistance, and affording dwelling owners an opportunity to generate some income. There shall be no more than two adults in any bedroom or suite of rooms. Special permits under this section XVIII.1.(B)(1) are personal to the current owner, and are for one year but may be renewed annually on an application for renewal approved by the Planning Board at a public meeting. A public hearing is not required on an application for renewal unless a neighbor has complained in writing to the Planning Board that the use has negatively impacted the neighborhood.
(a) Definitions.
(i) “Bed-and-breakfast” means transient overnight lodging in a dwelling for no more than seven (7) consecutive nights with the dwelling owner in residence, involving not more than three (3) guest bedrooms or suites, with guest meals limited to breakfast prepared in a central kitchen and no cooking facilities located in individual guest bedrooms or suites.
(ii) “Short-term rental” means the leasing of a dwelling to a tenant for less than 31 days, with or without the dwelling owner in residence in the dwelling. No dwelling shall be leased for short-term rentals for more than a total of 60 days per calendar year.
(iii) “Boarding” means providing a bedroom or a suite of rooms in a dwelling to a non-transient tenant with the dwelling owner in residence, with meals in a central kitchen and no cooking facilities located in individual guest bedrooms or suites.
There shall be no more than two guest bedrooms or suites with boarders.
2/3rd vote required
Town of Princeton Special Town Meeting November 20, 2024
The Moderator declared the vote PASSES via electronic vote at 8:58 PM (Yes– 74, No- 9.)
RCAP SOLUTIONS PRESS RELEASE
RCAP Solutions is thrilled to have received a generous $10,000 grant from the Greater Worcester Community Foundation to pilot an Intergenerational HomeShare Program in collaboration with the Worcester Community Connections Coalition of YOU, Inc., an affiliate of Seven Hills Foundation, with additional help from other community partners. This initiative comes at a critical time as the City of Worcester and other municipalities across the state are grappling with an unprecedented housing crisis.
The proposed solution involves creating a program to match graduate students with senior homeowners in Worcester and the surrounding communities who have available rooms to rent – addressing housing shortages while fostering intergenerational connections.
The success of a similar program in Boston has laid the groundwork for this initiative and demonstrates that homesharing is a valuable and viable option for increasing affordability and social relationships.
With this funding, the first step of the process will be to conduct outreach to seniors in Worcester and the surrounding towns. The primary objective is to gauge interest among older adults who have available rooms for rent. By creating a pipeline of homeowners eager to participate, we aim to grow this initiative into a comprehensive program supported by additional funding.
“RCAP Solutions’ commitment to affordable housing and strengthening communities is evident through our initiative in piloting this program,” stated Brian D. Scales, President & CEO of RCAP Solutions. “We are grateful to the Greater Worcester Community Foundation for their support, and we are excited to collaborate with the Worcester Community Connections Coalition on this important project.”
This proposed opportunity will encourage homeowners to keep their rents low (below market rate) to alleviate financial challenges faced by graduate students, while empowering these older adults to remain engaged within their communities. Background checks and screenings will be conducted to ensure safe and lasting matches. Through collaborative efforts and strategic outreach, RCAP Solutions and the Worcester Community Connections Coalition of YOU, Inc. are committed to making a positive impact on housing accessibility and intergenerational connectedness in Worcester and beyond.
“Bringing this model to Worcester is a doable, winnable effort that can help address the current housing crisis – even if in one small way. Many efforts like this are desperately needed at this time. The program’s intergenerational piece also provides wonderful, needed support to our seniors to help keep them in their homes,” noted Anne Bureau, Program Director for the Worcester Community Connections Coalition of YOU, Inc.
“Affordable housing is a critical challenge across Worcester County,” said Pete Dunn, President & CEO of Greater Worcester Community Foundation. “The Intergenerational HomeShare Program offers an innovative approach to addressing the housing crisis while fostering connections between generations and strengthening the community.”
For more information about the pilot program or if you or someone you know is interested in participating, please contact RCAP Solutions’ Housing Consumer Education Center (HCEC) via phone: (978) 630-6773 or email: HCECedu@rcapsolutions.org. Alternatively, you may complete our Interest Form here.