THERE IS AN intense debate in progressive circles (behind the scenes, for the most part) on whether to pursue a ballot initiative for the 2024 election to enable municipalities to enact policies to stabilize rents in their communities. Some advocates and lobbyists argue against pursuing such a measure, claiming that it is unlikely to win […]
Housing
Posted inCourts, Environment, Housing
Norwell homeowners pit affordable housing against conservation
WHEN MEMBERS of a Norwell town meeting voted almost 20 years ago to make a 6.3-acre piece of land available for affordable housing, they might have considered being a bit more specific. Because of some uncertainty surrounding the designation, the affluent suburban town is now in the middle of a classic land use showdown while […]
Posted inGovernment, Housing
Wu hints at housing tax incentives, moves to overhaul zoning
FRUSTRATED BY THE slow pace of housing development in the city, Boston Mayor Michelle Wu on Wednesday said she is moving forward with a zoning reform initiative and also considering new tax incentives to speed up production. Speaking to the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce, Wu offered few details on the tax incentives, but said […]
Posted inEconomy, Government, Housing
Augustus: No silver bullets in the housing crisis
THE MASSACHUSETTS housing world is under strain from every angle, and every housing gambit is a long game. Healey administration housing officials are facing a bleak to-deal-with list, hampered by the lowest rental vacancy rate in the country – just 2.8 percent – and a 200,000-unit shortage. The emergency shelter system is crushed by waves […]
Posted inPolitics
Is Massachusetts becoming the state of emergency?
IN GOVERNMENT, as in life, what gets the most attention is often a matter of priorities. It’s hard to focus on too much at once, so the most important things get pushed to the top of the to-do list. Sometimes, though, even setting out an agenda of top priorities doesn’t seem to be enough. Lately, […]
Posted inHousing, State Government
Housing activists look to bond bill for funding, possible transfer fee
STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICE IT’S NOW eight months into Gov. Maura Healey’s administration and the wait continues for major proposals from the Corner Office to address perhaps the governor’s signature issue: housing affordability and production. Some people in the advocacy world feel that’s going to change soon, and want the governor to “go big” to […]
Posted inEducation
Arriving students victims – and villains – in Massachusetts housing crunch
IT’S AS REGULAR as clockwork – and as orderly as a hurricane. Each fall, hundreds of thousands of college and university students descend on the state’s roughly 150 institutions of higher education. For first year undergraduates at most of these schools, they can usually expect to haul their bags into a dormitory on campus, wave […]
Posted inHousing, Immigration
Healey calls in National Guard to aid shelter effort
STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICE FACING A STEADY influx of migrants from other countries, Gov. Maura Healey on Thursday activated up to 250 National Guard members to provide basic services at emergency shelter hotels. Healey’s office announced the move Thursday afternoon, saying that her new executive order applies to locations that do not have a contracted […]
Posted inHousing, State Government
State tweaks MBTA Communities housing law
STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICE THE STATE ON Thursday gave more flexibility to cities and towns required to have at least one zone in which denser, multi-family housing is permitted, but also expanded the list of state grant opportunities that can be denied to any town that does not comply with the law meant to spur […]
Posted inGovernment, Housing, Immigration
The migrant shelter crisis is also a housing crisis
THE MASSACHUSETTS state shelter system, now serving around 20,000 people across 5,600 families, is strained almost to capacity – a “humanitarian crisis” of migrant families drawing renewed attention to the ongoing Bay State housing crisis. The governor made an emergency declaration asking for federal aid to deal with the impact of the migrant influx on […]