Newton’s housing crisis prevents the many workers who keep the city running from being able to live here. As costs soar, employees across industries are forced to commute from other communities.
“It doesn’t sit right with me that in Newton the person making my morning coffee can’t even afford to live here,” said Luke Mann-O’Halloran, a leader of Newton for Everyone, a coalition advocating for housing affordability and educating the public about its impacts on climate change, tax revenue, and diversity. “You can cut back on your coffee, but you need a place to live.”
Newton has roughly 3,000 municipal workers, but only about 660 of them – 22% – live here, said Ann Houston, head of the Newton Affordable Housing Trust (NAHT).
“It’s just too expensive,” she said. Lara Kritzer, Newton’s Director of Planning and Community Development, backed this statement noting Newton’s median household income is approximately $185,154.
The NAHT was created in 2021 to support the development and preservation of affordable housing in the city. The Community Preservation Committee (CPC) — which oversees grants for community housing, historic preservation, open space, and recreation – allocates 35% of Newton’s annual Community Preservation Act funds – about $1.95 million in 2021 – to the NAHT each year. This allows the NAHT to fund affordable housing projects directly, speeding up the approval process, while still requiring CPC and City Council oversight.
The NAHT’s third and latest project, Newton Gardens, is a 112-unit apartment complex at 129-151 North Street that is being converted into a mix of deeply affordable and workforce housing. Units will be available to people of various income levels, expressed as percentages of Area Median Income (AMI), which the Federal government calculates by household size. For the area around Newton, AMI is currently $114,200 for 1 person, $130,600 for 2 people, and $146,900 for 3 people. The Newton Garden units will be allocated:
- 14 units for tenants earning no more than 80% of AMI;
- 16 units supported by project-based vouchers, which are state subsidies to make up the difference between agreed-upon market rents and what tenants can afford (30% of their income); and
- 82 units of deed-restricted workforce housing for individuals earning up to 110% of AMI, to prevent future conversion to luxury rentals while helping to preserve middle-income workforce housing.
The Newton Gardens project will be funded through a mix of public and private investments and will be owned and managed by WinnCompanies of Boston. Of the $43.6 million total cost for the project, the NAHT has committed $4 million, the state has committed $9 million, and the rest is covered by private sources.
The goal is to address one of Newton’s most pressing challenges: the lack of family housing for those earning 60% or less than the area median income.
“We need every type of housing, but the most critical need is family housing that is affordable to households at 30 to 60% AMI,” Houston said. “When we think about how affordable it is, people should pay no more than 30% of their income for housing – otherwise they’re at a housing cost burden.”
Houston is also working to connect local officials and residents with resources to help them understand their roles in supporting affordable housing, including a free training series, “Strengthening Local Boards and Commissions to Support Affordable Housing.”
Marva Serotkin, head of the Newton Housing Partnership, has called Newton Gardens “a great example of using the trust fund to both increase and preserve affordable housing.” The Newton Housing Partnership, created in 1989, advocates for the creation and preservation of affordable housing. It advises on policies that increase affordable housing and works with developers under Newton’s Inclusionary Zoning ordinance, which requires a specific percentage of units within new residential developments to be affordable.
With Newton’s average rent of $3,500 per month – requiring an income of roughly $140,000 – and the average home sale price at $1.7 million – requiring an income of roughly $410,000 — housing is out of reach for all but the wealthiest.
“Most young families starting out can’t buy into the community,” Houston said. “They’ll have to come in with inherited wealth.”
Some residents resist affordable housing projects, fearing potential impacts on single-family neighborhoods – like lower property values, increased traffic, or changes to Newton’s suburban character – but advocates say expanding housing options is necessary. “It’s not about replacing homes; it’s about creating options for people,” Mann-O’Halloran said. “The more we build, the more prices will go down, which benefits everyone.”
The high cost of living in Newton has made it difficult for all groups to find stable housing, from students starting careers to seniors looking to downsize. “There are really not many options for seniors who want to downsize,” Houston said. “It’s generally more expensive to move into an apartment than to stay in your single-family home.”
High housing costs are not a problem just for residents – they also affect businesses. “Why would a business locate here if its workers can’t?” asked Esther Schlorholtz, chair of the Newton Fair Housing Committee, which works to prevent discrimination and increase inclusivity in housing.
“Restricting affordable housing availability can lead to discrimination, potentially segregating communities along socioeconomic and racial lines,” Schlorholtz said. “If you don’t have affordable housing then you won’t be able to be a community that is free of discrimination.”
Mann-O’Halloran echoed this concern. “We need to ask ourselves, who do we want in Newton? If we say diversity matters, our housing policies need to reflect that.”
Newton’s housing shortage has environmental consequences too. “When people have to commute long distances because they can’t afford to live near their jobs, it’s not just a housing issue – it’s a climate issue,” Mann-O’Halloran said. He notes that expanding housing options – whether for young professionals starting out, families seeking stability, or seniors looking to downsize – reduces traffic and carbon footprint, while fostering sustainability.
Housing advocates hope projects like Newton Gardens will pave the way for more development and policy changes that prioritize affordability, accessibility, and inclusivity.
The need for diverse housing options extends beyond just affordability – it affects Newton’s ability to sustain a vibrant, multigenerational community where workers, families, and seniors alike can live and thrive.
“We all want to have a thriving community, but that means it has to be a community that’s growing and evolving,” Houston said. “Sometimes that desire not to see change is the piece that actually causes a community to deteriorate, because change is always happening.”
Alexyss Lopez is a senior majoring in Journalism at Boston University and working with Fig City News via her department’s new initiative within the BU Newsroom program.
