Housing Headlines

BOSTON --- In one of a series of meetings the city is holding to garner information for a report to the federal government on fair housing, Roxbury residents and officials discussed a range of issues, including landlords not accepting Section 8, displacement due to the high cost of housing and a city pilot program that would provide a financial reserve fund for landlords who rent to homeless.

WELLESLEY --- Reporter Jennifer Zarate runs down the three multi-family housing proposals developers are discussing with the town - a 95-unit plan for Delanson Circle, a 44-unit plan for Great Plain Ave. and a Rte. 9 plan (680 Worcester Ave.) that was before the town a year ago, but has resurfaced with a new owner.

BEVERLY --- The City of Beverly's plans to work with the nonprofit Harborlight Community Partners on building affordable housing has taken another step forward as the city has filed paperwork with the state about its intentions to rezone a site at the corner of Tozer and Sohier roads as a Smart Growth Overlay District that could result in 60 to 80 affordable apartments for the community. This type of zoning change requires approval from the local governing body.

MEDFIELD --- Building on the momentum of town meeting's approval, selectmen have appointed six people to the town's new Affordable Housing Trust. Medfield created the trust in hopes of making more progress toward having 10 percent of its housing affordable. The trust is being funded by an initial $1 million generated from a June tax override.

SHERBORN --- Reporter Sarah Freedman does a rundown on four developments that are seeking Ch. 40B land use permits from the town's Zoning Board of Appeals . The permits will allow the developers - Ben Stevens of Trask Inc. for three of them and Vin Gately of Heritage Properties - to build multi-family housing. All told, the proposals total 144 homes.

WAYLAND --- Developer Chris D'Antonio's plans to turn a rundown single-family property into 12 townhouses were finally unveiled before the Zoning Board of Appeals, which will weigh whether to grant the project a Ch. 40B land use permit. If granted, three of the units would be affordable. The project is known as Windsor Place and it has already attracted a lot of reaction from residents, who are concerned about impacts on the small neighborhood in the Cochituate section of the town.