Bedford adopted its first affordable housing plan in 1986. As housing prices soared in the 1990s, however, many Bedford residents found it difficult to remain in the town. Hardest hit were residents who’d grown up there; long-time residents who had trouble maintaining their homes as they aged; military families from the local Air Force base; and employees of the town and local businesses.

Though progress toward the city’s affordable housing goals had been slow and steady, many residents agreed that it wasn’t keeping up with demand, and efforts to increase the city’s inventory needed to intensify.

In 1994, Bedford formed a non-profit housing trust. Helped along by donations from developers, the trust began building homes for moderate and lower income families..

More funds for more homes were needed. In 2001, voters approved a small surcharge on property taxes, making Bedford eligible for matching state funding for affordable housing, open space acquisition, and historic preservation projects. Then, in 2002, the Massachusetts Housing Partnership awarded the town a $1 million grant for the development of affordable rental housing.

Between 1995 and 2009, Bedford added 284 units to the pre-existing 176 units for a total of 460 affordable units, representing almost 10 percent of the town’s total housing inventory.

As of 2009, the city ranked fourth in the state for affordable housing, with 18.3 percent of all housing existing as affordable units. The units are dispersed throughout the town, indistinguishable from existing housing. Bedford has realized its affordable housing goals in a way that preserves its small town character while increasing its diversity.