Housing Headlines

The Obama era fair housing law that President Trump and housing secretary Ben Carson ended last month is not the top-down, diversify-the-suburbs-or-else requirement Trump is making it out to be,local housing experts say. "It was very mild," said Marc Draisen, executive director of the Metropolitan Area Planning Council. Added Rachel Heller of the Citizens' Housing and Planning Association: It was a tool to spark conversations "about why a community is the way it is."

HUDSON --- Town officials are moving to draft a warrant that would ask voters at fall town meeting to declare the former policy station surplus property and transfer ownership to the town's housing trust so it can issue guidelines to attract developers who would build affordable housing.

BOSTON --- Plans by the Pine Street Inn and The Community Builders to build 62 affordable apartments and 140 studio units for the homeless have hit a snag as the landlord of a building across the street has challenged the city's zoning decision, saying the five-story project will hurt business at Turtle Swamp Brewing.

WORCESTER --- A bid by a real estate company to have the option of developing former Main South mills into housing cleared another hurdle as the city's planning board OK'd a petition to have the properties rezoned to allow housing. A lawyer for Consigli Real Estate Holdings of Hopedale said his client is pursuing the change in order to build about 60 units of housing. The petition now goes to the city council for final approval.

PEABODY --- Despite resuming business, the Peabody Zoning Board of Appeals did not immediately set a date on a Ch. 40B comprehensive permit land use request to build 133 condominiums on a former hospital property. An attorney for the developer said the ZBA has decided not to begin hearings via Zoom and ZBA Chair Frances-Bisazza-Gallugi voiced concern that at a neighbor might be left out of a Zoom hearing due to the inability to participate remotely.

FRAMINGHAM --- Following up on a vote it took last week, the Framingham City Council made it official on Aug. 4, voting 10-1 to enact a nine-month building moratorium on apartment construction. The issue now goes to Mayor Yvonne Spicer, who could either approve or veto the legislation. The council can override a veto with a two-thirds vote.