Housing Headlines

NORWELL --- Norwell residents who want to build an accessory dwelling unit now can do so by right after residents approved a change to the town's zoning bylaw. The change only required a simple majority thanks to a new 2021 state law that reduced the voting threshold from two-thirds to one-half for for certain housing and housing-related zoning votes.

MANCHESTER --- Already known for having more downtown housing than other small communities, Manchester may be well-positioned to comply with the state's new multifamily requirement for MBTA communities, according to Sue Brown, the town's planner. At a recent briefing with the select board, Brown said the downtown's 100-acre zoning district is located within the required half-mile distance from the town’s MBTA commuter rail stop. “I think we can embrace the goals of protecting the town’s character and its natural resources and really promote housing where it’s most appropriate,” she said.

Median rents for one-bedroom apartments in Melrose, Cambridge, Waltham and Framingham are up by at least 30 percent compared to last year, with average increases ranging from $550 to $650 more each month, according to a report released last week by the rental listing website Zumper. Experts interviewed for the story - including MHP's Tom Hopper - all agree that the state is not producing enough housing and that measures like the state's new multifamily zoning requirement for MBTA communities would help increase home supply.

WEYMOUTH --- Business owners in the town's Jackson Square area say efforts to make zoning changes that would spark revitalization while protecting the village's character are not dense enough to make redevelopment economically viable. At issue are proposed height limits of 1 1/2 to four stories depending on the location. Some business owners would like to see a four-story standard throughout the district.

NEWTON --- Mayor Ruthanne Fuller has named seven residents to the city's new affordable housing trust, stating that the trust "has the ability to create a streamlined process to provide funding for new affordable housing projects." Named to the trust were Tamirirashe Gambiza, a certified public accountant and member of the Commonwealth Land Trust; Ann Houston, former president of the Citizens’ Housing and Planning Association; Jason Korb, principal of Newton-based developer Capstone Communities LLC; and Peter Sargent, formerly of the Massachusetts Housing Investment Corporation. The trust also includes Councilor Alicia Bowman and Community Preservation Committee member Judy Weber.

Local officials who say state zoning reforms are taking away local control are peddling a "fallacy," the Banker & Tradesman declares in an April 3 editorial. The editorial argues towns still have a strong say in what gets built and it urges lawmakers to stand by the state's new zoning requirement for MBTA communities and pass additional zoning proposals this year so the state can better address its housing crisis and take steps toward limiting greenhouse gases.