The Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) approved Winchester's Housing Production Plan on Feb. 25, 2019. The approval is a step toward receiving a "safe harbor" status from unwanted development. The plan has a five-year term and will expire in February 2024.If the town is able to produce 40 units of subsidized housing in year, or 80 units in two years, Winchester would qualify for "safe harbor" status for those two years, according to Town Planner Brian Szekely.