New Hampshire’s 2017 ADU Failure Has Implications for Mass.
A 2017 law then seen as groundbreaking hardly generated few new homes. It left too much room for local officials to create hidden roadblocks, experts in New Hampshire say.
The Shape of Things to Come?
Perched at a gateway intersection to the Newtonville neighborhood, Mark Development’s Trio apartment block is a Rorschach test for competing visions of Newton’s future.
High-Profile Housing Bill Draws Support, Cautious Responses
Will the Yes In My Back Yard bill, recently filed on Beacon Hill, might well become called the Maybe In My Back Yard bill, based on the cool reception to some of the legislation’s key provisions?
Advocates, Legislators Line Up to Back YIMBY Bill
The state legislature’s Joint Committee on Housing heard a parade of testimony from housing advocates, their colleagues and ordinary voters in support of a bill that aims to supercharge zoning reforms statewide.
Is There Room for Housing at Coolidge Corner?
There’s broad agreement in Brookline that its main commercial corridor of Harvard Street is one of the town’s crown jewels. A pending fight over how to add more housing there is shaping up to be a hard-fought struggle.
Pro-Housing Group Expands Advocacy in MBTA Communities
A pro-housing advocacy group is expanding its staff to accelerate compliance with Massachusetts’ Housing Choice law, which requires 175 communities in eastern and central Massachusetts communities to allow high-density multifamily development.
Worrying Data Suggests Boston’s Housing Boom Is Stalling
Something is happening when it comes to the development of new housing in Boston, and it’s not good: the number of homes getting teed up for construction is falling off a cliff.
Economic Development Bill Emerges with $409M for Housing
Nearly 100 days after its original due date, the House and Senate on Wednesday struck an agreement on a major economic development spending package that could be on Gov. Charlie Baker’s desk by the end of the day Thursday.
On a Mission to Build Housing Democracy
Jesse Kanson-Benanav wants to help change the rules that shape who gets to live where and why, and he’s on a mission to bring new voices to the table who want to see more housing in Massachusetts.
Advocacy Org Scores Win with ADU Legalization Measure
A measure legalizing accessory dwelling units in many single-family homes statewide has made it over a significant hurdle in the state Senate, potentially setting a new housing advocacy group up for one of its first major statewide wins.
Towns Eye Dodge of ‘MBTA Communities’ Law
It’s the most ambitious attempt yet to grapple with the Bay State’s chronic housing shortage and the sky-high rents and prices it has fueled. But barely two months after its details hit the street, trouble is brewing.
Tough Time for Renters, Dilemma for Legislators
It’s a tough time to be a renter in Massachusetts, and there’s no question something needs to be done, and soon. But it’s not clear there are many good compromises in the offing on Beacon Hill.
Affordable Overlay an Effective Tool for Boston
I applaud Mayor Michelle Wu for making Boston’s housing affordability crisis an early focus of her administration. Cambridge shows that a zoning overlay which boosts affordable housing development can produce more affordable units than inclusionary zoning.
Cambridge Overlay Off to Fast Start
Developers seeking predictable approvals and diminished threat of drawn-out legal challenges are eager to tap into Cambridge’s new zoning designed to encourage 100 percent affordable projects.
Personnel File
From new VPs to fresh project managers, see who’s been hired, promoted and honored: it’s The Personnel File.
Boston’s Next Mayor Must Deliver Homes for All
A fundamental tension between outdated institutions that deliver progress on housing and the need for fundamental reform necessary for a more equitable future will underlie this race.
We Need Bold Leadership to Face Our Housing Crisis
It’s not clear that Boston’s leadership has yet to take into account how much of our city is at stake if we do not make bold changes in housing policy, now.
