Floor Plan for a Triple-Decker
Edwin H. Marble, in “The Menace of the Three Decker”, mentions that the first triple-decker was created based on a mistake from the architect and builders in the 1850s (qtd. in Heath, p. 48). The cost estimate was less than what developers could build the houses for, so rather than have a two and a half story house with a mansard roof, the house became a three floor house with a flat roof(qtd. In Heath, p. 48). All to be occupied by different families. The triple-decker turned out to be a great success story off of a mistake. They were immediately popular to the working class families in the industrial city of Worcester. Most triple-deckers consist of three bedrooms, a living area, kitchen, bathroom, and balcony. This was more than enough for a single family, and now that there are three of these spaces in one singular house, it became much more enticing to live in. For one it was much more affordable compared to a family having to purchase or rent out of a two story single family home. And secondly, there was this added community aspect of living in a triple-decker. New families could now easily make friends and be a part of their community in a new way. Three separate families sharing a roof over their heads was more than just an obligation but rather could result in a new sense of family. Those who lived above or below were now all a part of the same family. However, there were downfalls to living this way. Being stuck on a middle floor in a triple-decker could be compared to being stuck in a middle seat while flying on an airplane. There is always something going on on either side of you. In this case, directly above and below. In the New England Historical Essay on the Rise and Fall of triple-deckers it is stated that, “It described the unpleasant experience of a middle-floor tenant, with tramping feet on the thin board floor overhead and the aroma of cooking from the lower floor. Children squabbled, mothers quarreled over yard use on wash day and clutter blocked the landings.”
The city of Worcester has made efforts towards making housing more affordable. This starts with identifying what options are available and compatible. Triple-deckers are both. Triple-deckers that were once considered affordable housing options are now selling for much higher prices, ranging from $500,000 to $700,000 per unit. Scott Hayman mentioned that naturally occurring housing in the Green Island District, typically older properties which tend to be much more affordable, is becoming less available due to the fact that they are run down properties that are suspect to gentrification in the city. Hayman explained several methods for creating affordable housing. One such method is through a use restriction, where a property owner fixes up a house and rents it to people who cannot afford more expensive housing. Landlords who take part in this receive benefits from the government for renting to low income citizens for a set period of time. In addition, Worcester has an affordable housing trust fund that helps develop affordable housing. A trust fund like Worcesters’ is in place to raise money in order to develop affordable housing.(Hayman) Inclusionary zoning is also used, which requires private developers to make a certain percentage of their developments affordable. For a person or family to be eligible for affordable housing they must have an average income less than 80% of Worcester’s mean income. While private efforts drive most of the affordable housing initiatives in Worcester, Hayman mentioned that community development corporations, non profit groups of citizens in a neighborhood who tackle issues in their area, have also played a role in creating affordable housing. The two main corporations that currently exist are the “Worcester Common Ground” and “Worcester Community Housing Resources/Main South”. These efforts have been propelled through the launching of “Worcester Housing Now”, a project to make existing housing more affordable and targeting triple-deckers. Worcester mayor Joseph Petty following the start of “Worcester Housing Now” said, “triple-deckers are the soul of Worcester, and bringing back offline units will provide some immediate relief to the lack of affordable rental unit availability.”(Bonacci)
The history of triple-decker housing shows that it was initially created as an affordable housing option for working class families in Worcester and it sure has been successful. Marc Levitt while speaking on the original purpose of the triple-decker that “It’s complicating a lot of the original roles of triple-deckers, they’re no longer affordable as each flat is selling for huge amounts of money, but they also are a part of our privatized world so each floor, while close to the two other floors, nonetheless the relationship between neighbors is much less sort of family and close friends and much more of semi-isolated type of apartment living,”(Luttrell). So, I believe that if Worcester were to mandate that all triple-deckers be used for the sole purpose of affordable housing through use restrictions, affordable housing trusts, and community development corporations, the “old feeling” of? Worcester will be revitalized. Jenn Falcon, an owner of a Worcester triple-decker said, “They’re the history, and If you just turn them into all the same thing and if you put rich people in them from Boston, then it’s not Worcester anymore,”(Luttrell). Keeping Worcester residents in Worcester should be a priority of the city to keep its roots intact. The fact that three separate families can share one roof creates a sense of community that can not be easily found in other housing options. Given the success of triple-deckers in the past and the need for affordable housing, I believe that triple-deckers would make an excellent affordable housing option for residents in Green Island.