Adding density, as legislated in the MBTA Communities Act and proposed by Newton, would transform the built environment in our village centers from New England village feel to Urban/City. It is unnecessary and does not address housing affordability. The Urban Institute has concluded that up-zoning does not lead to greater affordability.…
Posts published in “Housing”
In her May 12th newsletter, Mayor Ruthanne Fuller announced that the Massachusetts Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) will not include the former Hotel Indigo as part of its Temporary Emergency Assistance Family Housing due to the high cost of transforming the property. The property, owned by Mark Development,…
On May 18, 4PM-5:30PM, the Over 60’s group at the First Unitarian Universalist Society in Newton will host Part 2 in its online series on housing options for seniors. This session features: The panel discussion will be Zoom. All must register in advance. After registering, participants will receive a confirmation email with…
SEB Housing is working with Allee on the Charles and MassHousing to provide an affordable rental opportunity at 15 Riverdale Avenue in Newton. Lottery applications are being accepted until 2PM on May 23. See the Information Packet. For more information, call 617-782-2300 x207.
Last week, Damien Croteaux-Chonka’s letter cited Minneapolis as an example of a place where rents have gone down from building many more units and as a model for creating affordable housing elsewhere. Lacking direct evidence, he cites an article by Christian Britschgi, in the libertarian magazine Reason, who pays homage…
Margaret Ward recently asked the question: where did the cost of housing go down as a result of building more units? The answer is Minneapolis. In short, Minneapolis eliminated minimum parking requirements for new residential developments, which facilitated the increased construction of smaller apartment buildings, such as duplexes and triplexes.…
Newton’s prevailing theory is that building a lot more inventory will lower the cost of housing. Then, please tell me why Manhattan is not affordable? They have greatly densified over the last few decades. Or Seattle? Or Washington DC? Surely there must be cities that you can cite where the cost of…
Engine 6 Newton Housing Advocated regrets that Mark Development has put on hold its plan to develop land around the Riverside MBTA station for laboratories and 550 units of much needed housing. We strongly support, however, its decision to negotiate with the state to use the shuttered Indigo Hotel on…
Wondering whether you can age in place or will need to move? The Over 60s’ group at the First Unitarian Universalist Society in Newton will host a talk — Moving through the later ages: a discussion of when, where, and why to move — on Thursday, March 2, 4PM-5:30PM. It’s by Karen Wasserman, executive…
On March 23, the Over 60’s group at the First Unitarian Universalist Society in Newton (FUUSN) will host a Zoom session for Part 2 in its series on Housing Options for Seniors. Panelists include: The panel session will take place online (Zoom link) on March 23, 4PM-5:30PM. All are welcome.…