Housing Headlines

NEWBURYPORT --- The City of Newburyport says it is planning to use a new $50,000 state grant to explore zoning updates along its waterfront so as to allow for development that will address climate change, create more residential units and make the district compliant with the state's new zoning requirement for MBTA communities. “This grant will allow us to expand housing opportunities and provide additional transportation to the residents of Newburyport, while mitigating the impacts of climate change,” said Mayor Sean Reardon of the funds, which was made by the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs (EEA) Land Use Planning Program.

WORCESTER --- A dramatic increase in rent during the past six years has some residents leaving Worcester, which was formerly known for its affordability. Small communities around Central Massachusetts feel the pressure to accommodate the housing needs of people moving in. Worcester officials are considering mandating that all new housing complexes include a certain percentage of units affordable for lower-income households.

BOSTON --- Boston Mayor Michelle Wu is asking the state to partner with the city to construct 1,000 housing units outside of Boston for people experiencing homelessness and addiction. During a news conference, the mayor talked about the city’s response to the crisis along Mass. Ave and Melnea Cass Boulevard, where the combination of treatment services and availability of drugs has drawn people from across the region. Wu said the city has created 192 “low-threshold” housing units for people suffering from addiction.

WORCESTER --- The Central Mass. Housing Alliance is getting $2.6 million to address youth homelessness in Worcester County, one of three Massachusetts regions to receive such support from the federal government. In the last year, Worcester County has seen a 37 percent increase in unsheltered youth, said CMHA CEO Leah Bradley. CMHA will use the funds to create more transitional and permanent housing options. Others receiving funds are Lynn ($2.3M) and Barnstable County ($1.3M).

BEVERLY --- A special hearing was held recently to gauge resident reaction to a city councilor's proposal that any new builing projects be limited to three stories so as to limit the "pace and scale" of development. City Councilor Matt St. Hillaire said measure came about after a proposal this summer to turn the former Family Dollar Store on Cabot St. into a five-story building. Some residents who spoke shared growth concerns while others worried the limit would exacerbate the city's housing shortage and slow the rebirth the downtown has seen due to housing development on Rantoul St. near the train station.

CAMBRIDGE --- In what may be a first for Massachusetts, the Cambridge City Council has voted to end requiring parking space minimums, a move that will free up developers from zoning that demanded a certain number of parking spaces. Not having to include parking in a project could mean more space to build housing or lower costs to rent or own if parking's not included, officials say. Somerville enacted a more limited law in 2019 that ended requirements for off-street parking.