Housing Headlines

BROCKTON --- Following a rash of fires, fights and overdoses, city officials recently moved in and bulldozed Brockton's Tent City, a long-running camp for the homeless on land owned by the CSX rail company. City officials estimated that 75 to 80 people were living in 16 camp sites at the time of the demolition.

HAMILTON --- The town's zoning board of appeals has granted a Ch. 40B permit to Habitat for Humanity, allowing it to build two affordable for-sale homes on a single-family lot. Previously, the town's affordable housing trust provided $250,000 to help Habitat purchase the property.

YARMOUTH --- The town's efforts to create zoning that would encourage redevelopment of some of its Rt. 28 motel sites ran into stiff opposition recently as 130 residents packed a public meeting to voice their displeasure at a proposal by Dakota Partners to build 120 apartments on the site of the former Cavalier Motor Lodge and Bass River Motel.

WEST TISBURY --- Members of the long-established Martha’s Vineyard Commission (MVC) and the more recently established All-Island Planning Board (AIPB), met recently to discuss how the six Island towns can work together to address Island-wide issues. The agenda was dominated by affordable housing and an MVC-commissioned study that will produce a housing plan for all six towns.

BOSTON --- Former City Councilor Mike Ross argues that Boston continues to build housing it no longer needs and needs to build more larger multi-unit apartment buildings. Ross said since 2000, 18 percent of all new housing was single-family homes and the number of single-family homes was more than all structures built between five and 19 units.

BOSTON --- An abandoned industrial property right by a Fairmount Line stop is expected to transform into a site for mixed-income housing and local jobs. The city recently granted approval to a development team lead by the Dorchester Bay Economic Development Corporation to create the so-called Indigo Block project, located at 65 East Cottage Street in Dorchester’s Upham’s Corner. The proposals for the 2.75 acre property includes 80 apartments (44 affordable), nine condos and a two-story commercial building.