Housing Headlines

CONCORD --- At the Trinity Episcopal Church's 12th annual forum on family homelessness, state Undersecretary for Housing Chrystal Kornegay discussed the lack of multifamily housing, saying that zoning regulations from town to town are hampering the production of multi-family housing. To emphasize her point, she noted that 207 of the state's 351communities haven't permitted any multifamily housing in the last 10 years.

\SOUTHBOROUGH — The Zoning Board of Appeals is sticking to its decision to grant two conservation waivers for the 180-unit Park Central Ch. 40B housing development on Rte. 9, despite hearing from the Conservation Commission about not being able to weigh in.

Noting that "every day, 13 acres of forests and farmland are being lost to low-density, residential sprawl," the Cape Cod Times has editorialized in support of "An Act Promoting the Planning and Development of Sustainable Communities" which would update Massachusetts laws and is aimed at encouraging more housing and mixed-use developments.

CAMBRIDGE --- The Cambridge Housing Authority has plans to use proceeds from a $30.8 million bond from MassDevelopment to demolish and reconstruct the Jefferson Park apartments in North Cambridge. The project will create a 104-unit affordable multifamily housing complex, with 32 one-bedroom units, 53 two-bedroom units and 19 three-bedroom units.

BOSTON --- Boston Community Ventures has filed plans to build a mixed-use building with 44 units at the intersection of Washington and Green streets, just steps from the Green Street Orange Line stop in Jamaica Plain.

BOSTON --- Boston Globe contributor Renee Loth opines that it's time for Boston to adopt the Community Preservation Act, arguing that it would provide valuable funds for housing, historic and open space preservation, and that by not having it, the city has missed out on over $300 million in state matching funds that the law provides. The city council is being asked to consider putting the ordinance on the November ballot.