Housing Headlines

NEWTON --- Advocates from groups such as Uniting Citizens for Housing Affordability in Newton (UCHAN), the Newton Coalition of Black Residents, and the Newton Housing Partnership said the city must do more to help residents who are struggling to remain in their homes. The push, intended to take advantage of the federal pandemic aid money, comes as the city has stepped up financial assistance to help families remain in their homes.

In communities across the state, tens of thousands of of people — teachers, firefighters, lab managers, engineers, nurses, and others — are leaving Massachusetts because they can't afford housing costs. Michael Goodman, a professor of public policy at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth says the state is facing a potential "brain drain." the single biggest reason companies gave for reducing their footprint in Massachusetts was the “cost of living. A Massachusetts Business Roundtable report notes that local companies are increasingly likely to hire out-of-state workers to work remotely because of their reluctance to come to Massachusetts.

BEVERLY --- Residents selected by lottery are beginning to move in to Anchor Point. Developed by Harborlight Homes, the new affordable housing building had 650 applicants for its 38 units. Residents were selected by lottery. According to the Salem News, some of the jobs held by residents include certified nursing assistant, school para-professional, postal worker, grocery store manager, administrative assistant, and Amazon and Uber drivers. Several families are moving in from homeless shelters. The majority of families are single-parent households, and some are multigenerational.

WESTBOROUGH --- The Westborough Affordable Housing Trust is exploring whether a five-acre site near the town's pickle ball courts can be developed into up to three units of affordable housing. The land, which is owned by the town, is currently zoned for single family and near a dead end street, which could be extended to bring utilities the site, officials said.

MELROSE --- Melrose Planning Board has approved permits for a 40-unit mixed-use development at the VFW facility. The plan, by Waypoint Development, would preserve the Chipman Avenue space in the lower level, while reserving six units as affordable housing. The transit-oriented development includes an indoor bike rack and is steps from the Melrose Highlands Commuter Rail stop.

The "Out of Reach" report by the National Low Income Housing Coalition finds that in Massachusetts a person earning minimum wage would have to work 107 hours each week to afford a modest, two-bedroom apartment at fair market rent or make at least $37.97 an hour for 40 hours. The Boston-Cambridge-Quincy area is the fifth most expensive metropolitan area in the country, only following four cities in California.