Housing Headlines

The Citizens' Housing and Planning Association voice its support for the state's new multifamily zoning requirement for MBTA communities, saying the recently released guidelines represent a path forward and calling on every community "to seize this moment to design an affordable, inclusive, and sustainable future."

NEWTON --- Village 14 contributor Sean Roche takes a look at what the state's new zoning requirement means for Newton and what areas near the commuter rail and seven Green Line stops make the most sense to zone for multifamily so it adds up to the required 550 acres.

Way Finders president and CEO Keith Fairey applauds Gov. Baker and the legislature's agreement on legislation that will use $600 million in federal recovery funds for direct housing investments. Fairey says it could help the Pioneer Valley address its housing challenges, which include an 11,0000units housing shortage, more than half of renters paying more than 30 percent on housing and a homeownership gap in which just 30 percent of Black and Hispanic households own homes compared to 70 percent of white households.

National zoning expert Salim Furth of George Mason University writes that Massachusetts' new multifamily zoning law guidelines can be a national model that will "strengthen local village centers" that will "put shoes onto sidewalks" and reinvigorate local businesses. The draft guidelines were released on Dec. 15, 2021 and public comment will be accepted through March 31, 2022.

BOURNE --- As the town considers a 42-unit mixed-income housing proposal, the developers received some good news as state legislation to spend federal relief money earmarked $1 million to support project. The funds will offset some of the financial impact of reducing the proposal from 51 to 42 units, said David Quinn of the Housing Assistance Corp of Cape Cod, one of the project's developers.

CHELSEA --- In early December, the city council OK'd the sale of the former Salvation Army building at 440 Broadway to Traggorth Companies, which is proposing to redevelop the site into a mixed-use building that will include 18 affordable rental apartments and 10 affordable homeownership units.