Housing Headlines

BOSTON --- If you've fallen behind on what's going on in Dudley Square, the Bay State Banner's Yawu Miller will help you catch up. In his latest story, Miller summarizes four projects that are going head and reports that the Boston Planning and Development Agency is seeking bids for three more open parcels in the square, the largest being the site of the former Blair Family Foodland, which is now a parking lot. The RFP put out by the city is seeking a mixed-use, commercial/residential development that could rise between six and 15 stories.

As Gov. Baker's Housing Choice bylaw proposal remains in legislative limbo, other states like New York, Washington and Oregon have been successful in passing measures designed to promote housing construction.

NEWTON --- Despite getting the necessary two-thirds super majority from the 24-member Newton City Council, Northland's plan to turn 26 acres near Route 128 and the Needham line into a mixed-use project with 800 apartments faces another potential test as a local group hopes to collect the necessary signatures within 20 days to force a city-wide referendum.

DORCHESTER --- At a series of community meetings, residents have been asked for feedback on several renovation options for the Fields Corner public library branch, including a five-story mixed-use $33 million proposal that would offer two library floors below three floors of housing with about 33 studio, one- and two-bedroom apartments or up to 36 apartments if the sizes of the apartments were reduced to get 12 on each floor.

BOSTON --- Once upon a time, every step along Gaoxin Wu's walk to work was an interrupted reminder of his Chinese heritage. Now, due to rising home prices, he and other longtime residents are watching their neighborhood disappear into the shadows of new upscale businesses and luggage-toting tourists looking for their Airbnb, writes Boston Globe reporter Milton J. Valencia. Indeed, according to the Chinatown Community Land Trust, the number of Asian residents in the neighborhood has dropped from 70 to 58 percent since 2000.

CHATHAM --- Struggling to find workers for his nursing home and assisted living center, Bill Bogdanovich has begun buying Cape Cod properties to rent to his employees. So far, he has bought two six-bedroom buildings an eight-unit building and is now looking for a fourth property. Residents with existing leases have stayed but Bogdanovich has filled open units with about a dozen employees, according to the Boston Globe.