Housing Headlines

On April 30th, Framingham City Council voted unanimously to adopt a new housing ordinance that would raise the minimum age of senior housing development residents from 55 to 62.

In a new video, the Newton-Needham Chamber of Commerce issues call to action for solutions to address region’s housing shortage. Without more housing, both affordable and market, the region’s employers are struggling to find workers.

At a public hearing on Tuesday, Newton Upper Falls residents spoke out both in favor and in opposition of a proposed 22-acre project on Needham Street. Jay Walter of local community group "Livable Newton" spoke out in support of the project, while Leon Schwartz of "Rightsize Newton" questioned the scale of the project.

To help mitigate rising housing costs, city officials in Peabody are exploring a zoning overlay to produce more multifamily housing, with a particular emphasis on the area around the Northshore Mall. With City Council voicing support, the overlay is set for public hearings on April 18 and April 25. If approved, the overlay would raise the affordable housing requirement to 25% in the designated areas.

The debate around the proposed 10,000 unit development at Suffolk Downs continues to center around the number of affordable units that will be included. “Twenty percent affordable housing is something I’d like to see the developer get to us,” said Boston City Councilor Lydia Edwards. In regard to that number, developer Thomas O'Brien argues, “And so we really we just can't see a way that we can make that math work.”

Citing its intent to “help reverse the legacy of housing discrimination,” Boston Mayor Marty Walsh and Framingham Mayor Yvonne Spicer co-author a column praising presidential-hopeful Elizabeth Warren's American Housing and Economic Mobility Act.