Housing Headlines

WEYMOUTH --- Almost a year after terminating its agreement with LStar for failure to live up to its agreement, the Southfield Redevelopment Authority Weymouth air base has chosen Brookfield Properties - in partnership with Tony Green and the company that developed Pinehills in Plymouth - as the new master developers for the former South Weymouth Naval Air Base. Brookfield - a global real estate company - was chosen in part for its success in taking over and turning around the University Station mixed-use project in Westwood.

GREAT BARRINGTON --- For the first time in memory, it was standing room only at a recent Community Preservation Committee meeting as dozens of angry residents - including one who cussed loudly and was almost removed - attended a meeting on a proposal to use $200,000 in town funds to buy the 7.25-acre Alden property and use it to build up to 48 units of affordable or mixed-income housing.

ORLEANS --- In its ongoing effort to work with a local nonprofit to turn its property into affordable housing, the town heard a variety of proposals from Ted Malone of Community Housing Resource Inc., the Cape-based company that has developed affordable housing in Provincetown, Truro and Wellfleet. During an informational meeting with town leaders and members of the Orleans Affordable Housing Trust, Malone walked through several scenarios that would put 11 to 14 apartments on land owned by Cape Abilities.

In an opinion piece posted today on Boston.com, the executive director of the Massachusetts Association of Community Development Corporations writes that we're doomed to repeat the boom-and-bust cycles of the last three decades if we don't take address the dysfunctions in our housing market. In the piece, Joe Kriesberg lists several major steps that need to be taken, including protecting tenants, begin to fix zoning by passing Housing Choice legislation and closing the racial homeownership gap by building more starter homes.

WELLFLEET --- After months of meetings, a local housing task force which is being supported by MHP held a public forum to garner input from residents about how to use a six-acre town parcel for up to 46 units of affordable housing. Before a crowd of over 60 residents, MHP's Laura Shufelt and Wellfleet Housing Authority Board Chairwoman Elaine McIllroy made presentations about the need for affordable housing and development possibilities for the site, which is on the east side of Route 6 behind the police and fire station and across the street from the town's elementary school.

NEWTON ---A local group which calls itself "RightSize Newton" has collected enough signatures to force a revote or public referendum of the city council's 17-7 OK of 800 units. The group also filed a complaint with the state that charges Newton Mayor Ruthanne Fuller with improperly using the city's website and her email newsletter to influence voters' opinions.