Hanson Reverses Course on Affordable Housing Property, Fights to Keep $90,000 in Looming Earmark Expiration
HANSON - June 23, 2026 - In a dramatic policy shift, the Hanson Select Board voted unanimously to reconsider a prior decision and move forward with exercising its right of first refusal to purchase an affordable housing unit at 902 Main Street. The move came after regional housing director James Marathas revealed the recent creation of the Hanson Housing Authority Development Corporation—a new non-profit tool that allows the town to preserve local affordable housing inventory and manage the asset using federal subsidies without encumbering municipal tax dollars. Meanwhile, the town entered a logistical scramble to forensically backfill municipal invoices before a June 30 deadline to prevent $90,000 in state landmark earmark funds from being returned to the Commonwealth.
The Full Story
The meeting began with a joint session of the Wage and Personnel Committee, where officials approved a 2% cost-of-living adjustment for non-union personnel. The increase, which takes effect at the start of the new fiscal year on July 1, covers department heads and non-contract staff such as the library custodian and facilities workers. Town Administrator Lisa Green confirmed the bulk of the funding was already baked into line items approved at the May town meeting. Additionally, Green presented an updated legal opinion confirming that the position of Town Planner and Director of Land Use Oversight will report directly to the Town Administrator rather than the Planning Board, resolving an ongoing structural ambiguity.
The primary focus shifted rapidly during the Select Board session, which brought a highly consequential discussion on local housing policy. James Marathas, Executive Director for the Quincy Housing Authority—which manages Hanson’s housing programs under an interstate management agreement—briefed the board on significant structural changes. Marathas revealed that the federal government is systematically offloading public housing, prompting the recent creation of the Hanson Housing Authority Development Corporation.
This newly formed 501(c)(3) entity is structured to act as a nimble partner to the town, capable of holding deed restrictions, collecting rents, and executing capital improvements completely insulated from the town’s general operating budget.
The revelation directly impacted a pending decision regarding Unit 35 at 902 Main Street, a local condo currently restricted under affordable housing guidelines and valued at $270,000. Under standard rules, the town had a 120-day window to exercise a right of first refusal. At its previous meeting, the Select Board had voted to let the property drop its affordability restriction and head to the open market, operating under the historical assumption that the town lacked the infrastructure to function as a landlord.
