Housing Headlines

BOSTON --- The grand opening this month of 140 Clarendon Street marks a new chapter for affordable housing in the Back Bay. The project – a partnership between Beacon Communities and the Mount Vernon Company – will create 210 affordable apartments, which include 111 supportive housing apartments designated for people exiting homelessness provided by The Pine Street Inn.

SOMERVILLE --- Mayor Katjana Ballantyne has announced a new municipal voucher program that aims to help families often underserved by broader government housing programs. “Our Housing Needs Assessment showed that households with young children and households including persons of color, especially Black and Latino persons, are disproportionately impacted by local affordable housing challenges," the mayor said.

CHATHAM --- The town is looking for help from residents at a March 20 meeting to develop a new housing production plan and a housing needs assessment. Chatham’s last housing production plan was completed in 2018 and expired in November. "Prices have gone up, and when prices at the market-rate go up, that means the gap between what's affordable and what's market-rate gets even bigger," said Housing and Sustainability Director Gloria McPherson. "So it's harder to achieve your goals."

SOUTH HADLEY --- The Planning Board has endorsed a zoning amendment permitting mixed-use multifamily residential development in a district that currently doesn’t allow it. The board voted 4-1 to recommend the amendment for approval at Town Meeting despite public criticism. The amendment heads to Town Meeting in May. “Things take a long time and we’ve been trying to expand housing in town for a quite a while,” Planning Board Vice-Chair Nate Therien said.

BROOKLINE --- MassDevelopment has issued a $39.9 million tax-exempt bond on behalf of 32 Marion Apartments LLC, a Brookline Housing Authority affiliate, for constructing 115 affordable housing units in Coolidge Corner. The one-bedroom units will accommodate seniors and individuals with disabilities, replacing 60 outdated public housing units. Construction began in January 2024 and is slated for completion by December 2025.

STATE --- Governor Maura Healey's $4.1 billion housing bond bill is moving forward in the legislative pipeline. The Housing Committee gave the measure a favorable report. After having custody of the bill (H 4138) for more than four months, committee members did not make any changes and advanced it as Healey drafted it.