Housing Headlines

PROVINCETOWN --- Cape Cod Times reporter Lorelei Stevens takes an in-depth look at the continued loss of affordable year-round housing in Provincetown, as more and more homes and apartments are being lost to the second home market. Locals are being pushed out and town officials are saying it's a crisis, one calling it the beginning of the "Aspenization" of Cape Cod.

NEWTON --- The chairwoman of the city's Council on Aging draws from personal experience to express her support for more mixed-income apartments in Newton, specifically the proposal on Austin St. in the Newtonville business district, which is steps away from the MBTA.

STONEHAM --- In the wake of the state's Housing Appeals Committee's rejection of town's challenge of a 264-unit housing proposal for Weiss Farm, first-term Selectmen Caroline Colarusso is seeking state action that would modify Ch. 40B. Selectmen took no action on Colarusso's suggestions, noting that there are several pieces of legislation already pending.

DEVENS -- Zoning changes approved by Town Meeting voters Monday will allow for up to 120 units of senior housing and new health-care usage opportunities in Shirley, but a top state economic-development official said the failure of one warrant article in Harvard could thwart biotechnology development at Devens.

MARLBOROUGH --- All signs point to the city council approving next week a change to its inclusionary zoning bylaw allow developers to pay at least $50,000 per unit instead of designating 15 percent of their units affordable in any multi-family project of 20 units or more.

DEVENS -- The Devens Enterprise Commission -- the one-stop permitting board for Devens redevelopment under the direction of MassDevelopment -- gave a green light this week to a 124-unit subdivision on Grant Road that will include both single-family homes and multi-unit rentals when the six-phase project is complete.