Housing Headlines

BOURNE --- As the town considers a 42-unit mixed-income housing proposal, the developers received some good news as state legislation to spend federal relief money earmarked $1 million to support project. The funds will offset some of the financial impact of reducing the proposal from 51 to 42 units, said David Quinn of the Housing Assistance Corp of Cape Cod, one of the project's developers.

CHELSEA --- In early December, the city council OK'd the sale of the former Salvation Army building at 440 Broadway to Traggorth Companies, which is proposing to redevelop the site into a mixed-use building that will include 18 affordable rental apartments and 10 affordable homeownership units.

Following the release of draft regulations for a new law that requires as-of-right multifamily zoning near MBTA stations, Banker & Tradesman published an editorial praising lawmakers, state officials and the Baker Administration for working to issue regulations that could generate significant housing development near transit.

In a think piece for the Boston Globe real estate section, correspondent Jon Gorey talks to experts who argue that if single-family zoning prevents the development of condos, town homes and apartments, its elimination would be one way to be better able build multifamily housing and address our housing shortage.

Just as advocates for domestic workers used two feature films to address stereotypes as part of a campaign to win better working conditions, so too can housing advocates use culture and the arts to shift away from deeply ingrained narratives such as personal failure being the root cause of housing insecurity.

ORLEANS --- As part of its bid to redevelop the former Cape Cod 5 headquarters into 62 mixed-income apartments, Pennrose LLC has asked neighboring Harwich to contribute $100,000 in local funds to the project. The request is not unusual as Pennrose received local funds from Orleans, Eastham and Wellfleet when it built Nauset Green, a 65-unit affordable housing development in Eastham.