Housing Headlines

BOSTON --- In an interview and podcast with Commonwealth Magazine, Tom O'Brien of HYM Investment Group provides an update on seeking approvals for the redevelopment of Suffolk Downs and more broadly about the need for housing. "“One of the most important statistics that I’ve focused on in the last six months is that over the last five years we’ve created 300,000 jobs inside Route 128. During that same period of time, we only created 110,000 new units of housing. The broader public really needs to understand that we need to build more housing and we need to build it at all levels, a lot of it.”

WATERTOWN --- As first noted on Dec. 30 in MHP's housing news roundup, here's more on how Watertown became to be the first community in the state to achieve safe harbor from Ch. 40B comprehensive permit land use applications by proving that more than 1.5 percent of its developable land is being used for affordable housing. In pursuing safe harbor, the town calculated its use of developable land at 2.29 percent and the state's review found it to be 1.74 percent. However, the state included Mt. Auburn Cemetery in the calculation, which was not part of the town's calculation.

BARNSTABLE --- Determined to make a dent in the Cape’s housing shortage, the Barnstable Town Council has voted unanimously to make $2.5 million in Community Preservation Committee funds available for affordable housing.The vote transfers funds into the town's affordable housing trust fund, which is an effective way for towns to use local funds to support affordable housing initiatives.

SALEM --- A zoning plan to allow 180 apartments across seven different parcels failed by a single vote to get the two-thirds majority necessary for passage, delaying for now an attempt to rezone a part of the city from business to multi-family residential.

GLOUCESTER --- A popular downtown restaurant that in recent years has become a vacant eyesore is about to face the wrecking ball as it will be redeveloped by the North Shore Community Development Corp into 30 units of affordable rental housing. "This is wonderful noise to my ears," said Mayor Sefatia Romeo Theken, who said she is hopeful of seeing more housing downtown, such as condos as the Cape Ann YMCA site on Middle Street.

NEWTON --- The Newton City Council has set March 3 (Super Tuesday) as the date when Newton voters will decide on the fate of Northland's 800-unit mixed-use development, a project OK'd by the City Council last year but challenged when opponents collected enough signatures to put the project before the voters. Opponents of the project had wanted April 7, saying March is too soon to educate voters on the issue. Opponents have also filed complaints against Mayor Ruthanne Fuller for using city resources to influence the outcome and the City Council for allegedly violating the Open Meeting Law when it held a meeting in January about how to proceed after the successful signature drive.