‘Housing Zoning reform will test white support for Black lives’

‘Housing Zoning reform will test white support for Black lives’

by | Aug 22, 2020 | Affordable housing, Newton, zoning | 11 comments

The Globe Ideas Section story’s headline is “Housing will test white support for Black lives” and it includes multiple references to Newton, even a photo of a “Right Size Newton” sign.

But for Newton, the headline might as well read: “Zoning reform will test white support for Black lives.”

Increasing the housing supply for Black Americans would be one of the quickest and most effective ways to bring about a more just society. Even now, the legacies of

Oran: ’28 Austin has rapidly become a new and welcoming addition to Newtonville’

Oran: ’28 Austin has rapidly become a new and welcoming addition to Newtonville’

by | Feb 22, 2020 | Affordable housing, Newtonville | 36 comments

Scott Oran, one of the developers of 28 Austin Street submitted this update in response to Bryan Barash’s Village 14 thread from earlier this week.

Thanks Bryan for starting this timely conversation.

I am writing as one of the developers of 28 Austin Street to share some facts.

We are so proud of how 28 Austin Street has rapidly become a new and welcoming addition to Newtonville exceeding even the expectations of its many supporters.

And yet we anticipate

Globe editorial on region’s (and Newton’s) housing election

by | Nov 2, 2019 | Affordable housing, Boston Globe, development | 24 comments

Read the full editorial here but here’s a key excerpt….
For local politicians, the easy way out is often to oppose just about anything — and hope some other community picks up the slack. But the most tragic consequence of the resulting housing shortage is that it worsens the very problems that antidevelopment forces often contend that they care about. Preventing development in dense urban areas near transit pushes the demand off to auto-centric suburbs, where it does more environmental damage. Displacement of low-income residents happens when insufficient supply creates gentrification pressures on existing neighborhoods. When you hear critics complain that developers only build new luxury housing, it’s worth remembering that failing to build those new units to keep the market in equilibrium turns all housing into luxury housing. Newton has resisted development, and now its median sale price for single-family homes is above $1 million.