Housing Headlines

NEWTON --- Concerned that its "local preference" policy for affordable housing applicants unduly benefits white people, Newton is considering changing it to provide more housing access for people of color. The current policy sets aside 70 percent of affordable units for people who live, work or have children in the city schools. Changing the standard is not without precedent as Brookline recently lowered its local requirement from 70 to 25 percent.

HAVERHILL --- Mayor James Fiorentini is proposing a bylaw that would require that 10 percent of new housing built in the city be affordable. City officials acknowledged that details need to be worked out, such as what project size would trigger the requirement and whether developers could make payments in lieu of creating affordable units. Fiorentini agreed but said, "we need to keep our city affordable so that the average Haverhill resident can afford to live here."

PROVINCETOWN --- With the town's year-round rental stock down 40 percent from 2000, the Provincetown Independent weekly newspaper take an in-depth long look at how this is impacting year-round residents and workers and explores whether funds from the town's recently-expanded short-term rental tax can't be used to prevent year-round homes from being converted into short-term vacation rental properties.

ARLINGTON --- With the town expected to get $34 million in federal COVID-19 relief funds, Town Manager Adam Chapdelaine is drafting a plan to present the town and housing is on his list. “Our first priorities I think are going to be to recoup any losses we have had to the general fund due to the pandemic, and also working with tenants and homeowners on aid to help them if they have been negatively impacted by the pandemic,” Chapdelaine said. “We will also be looking at small business aid, updating our water and sewer system, affordable housing, working with homeless outreach programs, public health upgrades and updating the school HVAC systems.”

IPSWICH --- Developer John Bruni will appeal the Zoning Board of Appeal's decision to grant him a Ch. 40B comprehensive permit, saying the town's OK of 150 mixed-income apartments has made his Essex Pastures development uneconomic. Bruni had proposed to redevelop his Essex Road commercial property into 194 apartments and will appeal the decision to the state's Housing Appeals Committee. (Note: MHP provided the developer with a project eligibility letter, which developers must obtain to apply for a Ch. 40B permit).

WATERTOWN --- Anticipation over the imminent opening of more housing at Arsenal Yards is being tempered by rising real estate prices. In a recent story on Watertown real estate, it was reported that in the last six months, 56 single-family homes were sold for an average price of $864,000 and 164 condos sold for an average price of $664,000.