City officials hoped developers would build more units per acre and pass along the savings to residents. It hasn’t turned out that way, and it’s an open question whether the pilot that permitted around 2,000 units in three years will come back.
In a break from Gov. Charlie Baker’s approach, Governor-elect Maura Healey has vowed to give housing developers top priority as the state seeks to accelerate surplus property sales in the new administration.
The draft guidelines are less than 72 hours old, but already housing advocates and scholars are calling rules implementing a year-old transit-oriented zoning law a major victory in the fight against Massachusetts’ housing crisis.
The powers of the mayor’s office include many revenue-neutral policy tools that allow Boston’s mayor to take substantive action on housing from day one.
Former Boston City Councilor Josh Zakim, who left city government to challenge Secretary of State Bill Galvin, has revealed his next act: a nonprofit housing policy advocacy group.
