With the racial inequality now front and center, advocates in Newton are pushing for more diverse, denser housing to replace much of the region’s single-family stock as one way to help close the Black-white homeownership gap. But hurdles exist for the private sector to meet the need for lower-priced homes.
The national examination of our country’s racist past has sparked growing interest and debate over dusty, decades-old zoning rules suburban communities in the Boston area have thrown up over the years to bar construction of apartments and affordable housing.
The Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce weighed in with House and Senate negotiators on key aspects of economic development and job creation legislation that’s being worked out by a six-member conference committee, putting its support behind the House’s plans.
The withdrawal of AFFH policies at the national level and the stumbling approach to Housing Choice – a good vehicle, if an imperfect one – both limit housing opportunity in favor of the status quo.
It appears Gov. Charlie Baker’s Housing Choices legislation has unexpectedly returned from the grave, and not a moment too soon. And Beacon Hill should take a queue from four good ideas added to it by the state Senate.
The Senate unanimously passed its version of a major economic development bill Wednesday night after adding measures dealing with zoning reform
The state House of Representatives approved Gov. Charlie Baker’s zoning reform bill by a wide margin, as part of a must-pass economic development legislation which the Senate is scheduled to take up Wednesday.
A zoning reform long sought by Gov. Charlie Baker has reemerged as part of an economic development bill intended to help the state and local communities respond to the coronavirus pandemic.
Does the legislature of this commonwealth care about fixing a broken housing market? It appears not.
When Marc Draisen, one of the more mild-mannered public servants out there, has taken to calling their actions “shameful,” you know the NIMBY minority on the Salem City Council has stooped to a new low.
Gov. Charlie Baker is giving a little extra encouragement for legislators to pass his zoning reform bill.
Gov. Charlie Baker and Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito unveiled a $275 million COVID-19 economic recovery package to generate economic growth amidst the COVID-19 pandemic Friday morning. The legislation includes a long-stalled zoning reform.
The bill seeks funding to incentivize the construction of new housing near public transit, maintain broadband service in western Massachusetts, grow manufacturing jobs and support key technology industry clusters.
Comments lawmakers made Monday suggest that some members of that panel are split in their opinions of Gov. Charlie Baker’s proposal to make it easier for towns to OK housing developments.
The Senate “will be doing a housing bill, a comprehensive housing bill,” Senate President Karen Spilka said.
Gov. Charlie Baker and his top deputies continue to push lawmakers to advance their bill that would lower the voting threshold required for local zoning changes, a measure that’s failed to gain traction among lawmakers.
The state needs to fundamentally alter housing market dynamics to address an emergency shortage, Housing and Economic Development Secretary Mike Kennealy said Tuesday.
Gov. Charlie Baker was preaching to the choir last week when he implored Greater Boston’s business leaders to support his Housing Choice bill. But that doesn’t mean these same executives would be if they got on the phone with their select board members, city councilors and neighbors.
Top legislators and activists were over the moon when Gov. Charlie Baker proposed making Massachusetts carbon neutral in 30 years, but they can’t forget that density has to be a key component of how we get there.
House Speaker Robert DeLeo declined over the weekend to say how he feels about rent control and new fees on higher-priced housing transactions, ideas that are being pushed on Beacon Hill as potential solutions to the state’s housing affordability problem.
