Scott Souza at Patch summarizes the findings of Boston Foundation’s Greater Boston Housing Report Card related to Newton..
Newton ranks below the eastern Massachusetts average in housing production, diversity of housing and affordability, according to The Boston Foundation’s Greater Boston Housing Report Card released on Wednesday. The report graded 147 cities and towns based on production of housing, racial composition, diversity of housing based on single-family homes, multifamily homes and rental properties as well as affordability.
The Boston Globe’s reporting on the study is here.
Listen to WBUR’s reporting here.
Not as low a Dover, though.
Well then that makes it ok.
Many of us who live in Newton are very lucky. The Boston economy provides us with fulfilling jobs that pay well, our commutes are bearable, and Newton is generally a wonderful place to live.
But reports like the one cited here make it clear that we need to make some changes to keep the good times rolling. It is crucial that we find ways to provide more housing with less non-renewable energy consumption per capita. If we do it well, we preserve most of what we love about Newton while energizing the city, providing housing for seniors and young families, and contributing our part to keep the local economy thriving.
I strongly believe that Newton should establish a city-wide goal of 12.5% true affordability, substantially more than the 40b law mandates. At Northland in particular, city “leaders” are missing one of the best opportunities to add a large number of affordable housing units to the city’s housing stock, by requiring 30% of the newly constructed residences be affordable as part of the Special Permit requested by the developer.
The lack of affordable housing in Newton is not going to fix itself. Northland presents an opportunity to take a significant step forward. It’s shameful that the Mayor and City Council have not properly prioritized affordable housing at Northland. But it’s not surprising. As I’ve posted several times, they are also oblivious of the need to provide educational space for our school system as part of the Northland development. All the focus has been on shuttle buses and parking, as Newton’s elected officials play right into the hands of developers.