Housing Headlines

SOMERVILLE -- Hundreds of residents packed City Hall recently to urge the city to move faster on its efforts to rewrite its inclusionary zoning laws so that more affordable units can be created. A plan put forth by city planners was rejected in 2014 and the city has been working on a new plan that they expect to unveil in 2016. Residents at the meeting said the city needs to move faster as rising prices are pushing lower- and middle-income families out of the city.

WALTHAM --- After months of debate, the city council approved just before Christmas a measure that will use $2.1 million in Community Preservation Act funds to create a rental voucher program that will help 50 families secure affordable housing.

NORWOOD --- The selectmen and Zoning Board of Appeals are disputing a state opinion that the town has not yet gained greater control over Ch. 40B applications by having affordable housing on 1.5 percent of its land.

ANDOVER --- The Andover Community Trust has stepped forward to oversee the resale of a permanently affordable condominium after the family that had been living there outgrew it. The condo, located in Abbot Pond Condominium development, is listed for $168,192 and can be bought by an income-eligible individual or family.

WINCHESTER --- Neighbors continued to voice their concerns about a developer's bid for a Ch. 40B permit to build 95 units of housing, focusing this time on the size of a tot lot and whether the town's fire department could gain access to the property in the event of a fire. In response to fire safety concerns, Fire Chief John Nash said the building meets state code and would have better access than many other buildings in town.

PROVINCETOWN --- Selectmen voted recently to allow year-round homeowners to get a real estate tax exemption that will lower their tax bills while part-time residents will have to pay more. Provincetown is the fourth town on the Cape to do this, joining Barnstable, Nantucket and Tisbury.