MAURA HEALEY made history when she was sworn in as the 73rd governor of Massachusetts. She will have no shortage of challenges to tackle in the early days of her administration—but it is critical that she places health equity at the top of her list. For generations, marginalized communities in Massachusetts and across the nation […]
Opinion
Posted inOpinion
Five key elements of Baker’s legacy
AS HE LEAVES OFFICE after eight years as governor of the Commonwealth, the pundits are trying to assess what Charlie Baker’s legacy as governor is all about. Legacy means investments and direction with long-lasting impact that would not have been done otherwise. As someone who first became involved in state government more than 30 years […]
Posted inCriminal Justice, Health Care, Opinion
Medicaid should cover the incarcerated
THERE IS AN UNSPOKEN and growing public health crisis in our country. For millions of Americans with serious health care needs, their treatment is not being provided at a hospital or clinic, but at the county jail. Many outside of this field do not know that the social determinants of becoming involved in the justice […]
Posted inOpinion
Overcoming the restrictions on multi-family housing
Last in a series. CITIES AND TOWNS of Greater Boston have a long history of using zoning to restrict development of multi-family housing that might accommodate families with children. The systematic restrictions have disadvantaged multi-generational households seeking homes in condo or apartment buildings. The restrictions have also undermined the housing market’s dynamism and its ability to meet […]
Posted inOpinion
Where should new multi-family housing go?
WHERE SHOULD new multifamily housing go? This is a fundamental question facing 175 communities across eastern Massachusetts as they work to implement a new law intended to address the region’s housing shortage. The MBTA Communities law requires cities and towns served by Greater Boston’s public transit agency, the MBTA, to enact zoning that allows multifamily housing near […]
Posted inEconomy
With a clean slate, Healey has running room to act on urgent issues
NEW GOVERNORS RARELY ascend to the office as smoothly as Maura Healey. With several cabinet picks still to be announced as she takes office on Thursday, she is essentially working from a clean slate, largely unburdened by the standard swath of campaign promises. That clean slate offers boundless opportunity to shape policy and address questions […]
Posted inOpinion
Seeking predictable permitting for new housing
Third in a five-part series. IF YOU LIVE in an affluent suburb of Boston, your municipality is probably not using as-of-right zoning to permit construction of apartments or condos. If your community is served by the MBTA, then the Massachusetts state Legislature has mandated that your municipality zone for multi-family housing as-of-right. The clock is […]
Posted inOpinion
Solving the MBTA Communities zoning puzzle
IN 2021, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts adopted the MBTA Communities zoning law requiring municipalities served by the MBTA to zone districts “of reasonable size” for multi-family housing at a “gross density” of 15 dwelling units per acre. The law applies to 175 cities and towns. Some may already have zoning that meets the requirements. For most of […]
Posted inOpinion
What the MBTA Communities law means for your town
First of a five-part series. THERE IS A NEW concept in zoning, invented this year by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. In promulgated guidelines, the concept has been dubbed “minimum multi-family unit capacity.” I refer to the concept as “zoning capacity.” If you live in a community served by the MBTA, the concept may soon animate […]
Posted inOpinion
What’s causing the boarding crisis in hospitals?
“THEY’RE COMING in quiet,” the announcement said. They were the emergency medical technicians aboard the ambulance bringing Justice Thompson* from a hospital psychiatric unit to his first day at The Guild School. Though the ambulance siren was muted, there was nothing quiet about Justice’s arrival at The Guild. Two EMTs wheeled in a gurney holding […]