Report: More housing does not equal more school kids
I’m afraid this important topic may get lost among the election news but the Globe has a story today about a study from the Metropolitan Area Planning Council which refutes the notion that building more housing in the suburbs means more kids in the schools....Proposal would require all home builders to help create affordable homes
Mayor Warren’s Planning Department floated some ideas last month designed to create more affordable housing in Newton through changes to the city’s inclusionary zoning policies. I’m hardly an expert on zoning but will try to explain it as best I can. I hope others who know more about this will jump in, correct me and expand on this.
Under Newton’s current inclusionary zoning rules, when a developer builds a housing project of more than
UCHAN hosts Mayoral debate Oct 5th
U-CHAN (Uniting Citizens for Housing Affordability in Newton) is hosting a Mayoral forum on October 5th at 7pm at Eliot Church that is open to the public. If you haven’t had a chance to see our 2 Mayoral candidates go head to head, this is a great opportunity....
Three candidates for mayor share their vision for Newton Center parking lot
The Newton TAB asked city councilors and mayoral candidates Ruthanne Fuller, Scott Lennon and Amy Mah Sangiolo if they would support a mixed-use project in the triangle parking lot of Newton Centre.
Now tell us — and them — what you think.
Everything you want to know about accessory apartments* (*but didn’t know who to ask)
Newton’s Planning Department is hosting an information session on accessory apartments this Thursday July 13 from 7-8:30 p.m. at American Legion Post 440. This is an opportunity to learn more about Accessory Apartments and how they may benefit you: What is...
What does it take to make ends meet in Newton? A cost-of-living breakdown
City Councilor Jake Auchincloss shared this on his email newsletter. Reprinted here with his permission.
Residents spend approximately 15% more to live in Newton than in neighboring cities and towns of Middlesex County, and one in five families earn below the living wage of $78K, according to Making Ends Meet in Newton, a report sponsored by the mayor’s Economic Growth for All initiative.
Drawing on Boston College faculty to help apply
How bad is the housing crisis in Massachusetts?
In light of all the recent conversation, both at the local and the state level, about development, I wanted to share for discussion this recent presentation by the non-profit Massachusetts Housing Partnership.
Some of the highlights:
- Housing production has sharply declined in Massachusetts despite increases in population and employment
- Massachusetts now has one of the lowest rates of housing production in the U.S.
- Without adding any new people or new jobs, the state’s housing supply is already about 44,000 units short of demand. Most of that shortfall is in metro Boston.
- Most of the regions with which we compete for skilled workers are building more housing and have lower housing costs
I pose this question to my neighbors: At what point does this become our problem?
Surrounding communities that welcome development such as
Don’t like density? You might be showing your age
A study just released by the Boston Foundation suggests that how much you believe dense housing developments make a community better or worse might depend on how old you are.
What happens to prices when you build luxury apartments
Today’s Globe editorial is about the Boston rental market but the same laws of supply and demand apply here.Many of those new units, whether they’re condos or apartments, are too expensive for the average family. But the city believes that they’ve reduced the demand on older housing stock enough that owners of existing units have been forced to lower their prices to compete. The law of supply and demand, it would appear, is working in Boston.
Can-Do fundraiser honors Josephine McNeil
CAN-DO (Citizens for Affordable Housing in Newton Development) hosted its 14th annual “Yes! In My Backyard,” fundraiser last night. The event was a celebration of and tribute for Executive Director Josephine McNeil, who is retiring after 23 years. The...City Councilor Jake Auchincloss Addresses the Dissonance of Zoning and Immigration in The Upload
Newton City Councilor Jake Auchincloss has an article in Commonwealth Magazine’s The Upload today called “The dissonace of zoning and immigration.” It lays out the position that to be a truly Welcoming City, residents must support developments that...
Crazy Divers: Men be like...
drivers man be like