GREENFIELD — In an effort to alleviate the city’s housing shortage, Board of Assessors member Chuck Green is proposing an amendment to the city’s zoning ordinances that would allow residents to permanently reside in campers and trailers on private land with permission from landowners.

The proposed amendment will go before the Economic Development Committee for review on Tuesday, Sept. 10. Green, citing Housing Greenfield Coordinator Susan Worgaftik’s estimate of the city’s 600-to-1,000-unit housing shortage, said he is proposing the amendment as a resident, rather than an assessor.

“Even though it’s not technically a Board of Assessors position, I, as a concerned citizen, want to take part in housing policy discussions. I have a lot of personal friends and neighbors who are greatly impacted by the housing crisis,” Green said. “This is a major part of our community — it’s a real serious issue.”

According to Greenfield Zoning Ordinance Article 7, Section 11, which regulates the occupation of mobile homes and campers, “No mobile home, trailer or camper shall be used for permanent residence” in Greenfield. Green said he is advocating to remove this line from the ordinance, along with portions regulating the temporary occupancy of mobile homes.

If enacted, Green said the amendment could potentially reduce rent rates in the city, as the option of living in a camper or trailer could compete as a cheaper alternative to rental housing. He added that trailers or mobile homes could serve as an alternative to couch surfing or sleeping outside for those who cannot afford housing.

“A person with a rental can charge almost anything they want, and a person who wants to get a rental has no choice, because there’s 10, 20, 100 people who want that same apartment. It’s inelastic demand,” he said. “If people with less means weren’t competing for those apartments because they decided ‘I’m just going to get an old camper and live on my friend’s lot’ all of a sudden, there’s not that crazy demand for an inexpensive apartment.”

Green also addressed some of the concerns he believed would be raised over the proposed amendment, noting that opponents may be wary of the negative health and safety conditions that could correlate with long-term camper living. He argued that the city’s Health Department could more easily enforce these regulations in mobile homes or campers than it could with tent encampments.

Regarding concerns that the presence of parked mobile homes and trailers in Greenfield would alter the community’s character and appearance, Green said mobile homes would likely act as less of a threat to the city’s appearance than street or park encampments. He argued that many of the concerns expected to arise from the amendment are motivated, in his opinion, by stigma or discrimination.

“This could be any one of us. Any of us could lose our job or have a significant medical bill to pay, and we’ll be in the same boat,” Green said. “This is almost a moral issue. These are our friends and neighbors, and you want to help your friends and neighbors. … Nobody wants to live in a trailer, especially in wintertime. But what other options do we have? We’re not forcing anyone to do anything, just simply removing a barrier.”

Anthony Cammalleri can be reached at acammalleri@recorder.com or 413-930-4429.