Housing Headlines

SALEM --- In an effort to promote progress in Salem's "Point" neighborhood and showcase the creativity of its residents, the non-profit North Shore Community Development Corp. is supporting a massive public art project that is allowing street artists to paint murals on 40 of its buildings. Read Yvonne Abraham's column and check out the North Shore CDC video that comes with it.

DORCHESTER --- In a departure from the usual stories where residents express fears that new housing will increase traffic, developer ARX Urban is saying its plan to knock down two Hancock St. auto shops and build 31 units will reduce traffic and are backing it up by including only 22 parking spaces in the project.

BOSTON --- At a community meeting aimed to get resident feedback on eight city-owned lots that are being considered for development, residents indicate there's been enough development, enough gentrification and if any more development happens, they want it to be affordable housing. The publicly owned lots under consideration are in an area known as the Washington Park Urban Triangle. Roxbury has more vacant land than any other neighborhood in the city due in part to past urban renewal programs that allowed the then Boston Redevelopment Authority to acquire many parcels.

BOSTON --- In a story that's oft-repeated in the South End and Chinatown, approximately 14 people who live in a four-story brick house in the South End stand to lose their homes if a local investor follows through with a bid to buy the property for $2 million from a family that's owned the building for 30 years.

BOSTON --- Fire officials say the cause of last month's six-alarm fire that tore through Dorchester's nearly complete 83-unit Treadmark building was caused by an improperly installed exhaust pipe from basement generator that was being tested at the time the fire broke out. Fire officials also expressed repeated concern that it took 90 minutes for workers on the scene to call in the fire.

NEEDHAM --- In the wake of an arrest of a housing authority resident in connection with the murder of an elderly neighbor, the Needham Housing Authority has told residents it is now considering extending its background check procedures to include review of out-of-state records, something it says it's currently not required to do.