Housing Headlines

BROCKTON --- With an estimated 600 children in its schools who are classified as homeless, the city is organizing a collaborative effort with the business and nonprofit community to acquire funding to address family homelessness. The cy says these families are living in three hotels and 89 other scattered locations around the city.

NEWTON --- In the new print edition of Commonwealth Magazine, Jack Sullivan takes a look at the state's Ch. 40B housing law through what's going on in Newton, where the city overwhelmingly voted against a 2010 state referendum to kill the law, yet has been tough on most every 40B proposed in the city proposed since that ballot question.

NATICK --- Selectman Josh Ostroff pens a detailed column tracing Natick's housing history, how it once fought 40Bs and how it learned to use the law to gain greater control of its housing destiny.

ARLINGTON --- Following a presentation of calculations by town counsel, the zoning board of appeals voted to declare that 1.53 percent of its land is devoted to affordable housing, which if approved by the state would give the town safe harbor and greater control over developers trying to build with Ch. 40B permits.

BOSTON --- The Baker-Polito Administration recently awarded $40,000 in Planning Assistance Toward Housing (PATH) grants to Lynn and Rockland to help these communities meet their housing needs. Lynn received $25,000 to support the creation of three Ch. 40R Smart Growth districts while Rockland received $15,000 to create a Housing Production Plan.

WORCESTER - The city's historical commission has voted to allow the exterior of the historic Vernon Theatre Block in Kelley Square to be modified to accommodate plans to convert the upper two floors into 10 apartments.