Housing Headlines

SOMERVILLE --- According to the Somerville Community Corp., the Land Use Committee of the Board of Alderman voted on Tuesday May 3 to send an inclusionary zoning proposal to the full Board of Alderman for a possible vote at this Monday's meeting. The committee voted not to exempt Assembly Row from the new requirement.

NEEDHAM --- Town Meeting approved a special overlay district for a northern Highland Ave. commercial area near the Newton line that would allow mixed use and up to 250 units of multifamily housing.

FRAMINGHAM --- Town Meeting approved an overhaul of the town's 2004 affordable housing inclusionary bylaw. The new changes require that developers include affordable housing in their projects and eliminates the option that allowed developers to provide a cash payment or build affordable housing elsewhere. Town official explained the change is being made so the town can avoid creating concentrated pockets of affordable housing.

NEW BEDFORD --- Two long-standing transitional housing programs for the chronically homeless are now struggling to keep their doors open after failing to secure federal grants they have been counting on for years. Instead, a second round of HUD funding through its Continuum of Care program went to a permanent supportive housing program called Prism. A HUD spokesman said permanent housing is being prioritized because it is more effective at ending homelessness.

TRURO --- At Town Meeting, voters OK'd the acquisition of four free parcels of land from the state near the intersection of Highland Road and Rt. 6. The town plans to use the land for affordable housing.

LITTLETON --- Despite protests from residents urging the town to buy the entire property, the Board of Selectmen voted in favor of a Host Community Agreement that will allow for the sale of the Couper Farm to developers who will preserve 22 of the 34 acres and develop the remaining land into no more than 23 dwellings that will include a 12-unit rental project with four affordable units.