Housing Headlines

HARWICH --- The affordable housing trust has voted in favor of a conceptual plan that could allow around 49 units of affordable rental housing to be built on the southern part of the former Marceline property off Queen Anne Road near Route 124. The town can now request proposals from potential developers. The trust received technical assistance from MHP's Community Assistance team to develop conceptual plans for building housing on the land.

MEDFORD --- Medford is looking to become the latest Massachusetts municipality to send a home rule petition to the State House to enact a tax on “high-end real estate deals.” The city needs to build 671 more affordable housing units to meet a state requirement that at least 10% of its housing stock be affordable, said Matt Leming, a councilor behind the push.

BOSTON --- The grand opening this month of 140 Clarendon Street marks a new chapter for affordable housing in the Back Bay. The project – a partnership between Beacon Communities and the Mount Vernon Company – will create 210 affordable apartments, which include 111 supportive housing apartments designated for people exiting homelessness provided by The Pine Street Inn.

SOMERVILLE --- Mayor Katjana Ballantyne has announced a new municipal voucher program that aims to help families often underserved by broader government housing programs. “Our Housing Needs Assessment showed that households with young children and households including persons of color, especially Black and Latino persons, are disproportionately impacted by local affordable housing challenges," the mayor said.

CHATHAM --- The town is looking for help from residents at a March 20 meeting to develop a new housing production plan and a housing needs assessment. Chatham’s last housing production plan was completed in 2018 and expired in November. "Prices have gone up, and when prices at the market-rate go up, that means the gap between what's affordable and what's market-rate gets even bigger," said Housing and Sustainability Director Gloria McPherson. "So it's harder to achieve your goals."

SOUTH HADLEY --- The Planning Board has endorsed a zoning amendment permitting mixed-use multifamily residential development in a district that currently doesn’t allow it. The board voted 4-1 to recommend the amendment for approval at Town Meeting despite public criticism. The amendment heads to Town Meeting in May. “Things take a long time and we’ve been trying to expand housing in town for a quite a while,” Planning Board Vice-Chair Nate Therien said.