Massachusetts "anti-snob" zoning law continues to foreground tension over the need for affordable housing and how many units communities are willing to accept.
"The resistance to new affordable housing in communities such as Salisbury -- so fierce that higher prices are an acceptable tradeoff for fewer homes -- has become a prominent theme as lawmakers on Beacon Hill consider changes to the state's affordable-housing law, known as Chapter 40B." However, despite their distaste for density, some residents in communities like Salisbury are, in fact, acknowledging the need for more affordable housing. Furthermore, many housing advocates and developers in Massachusetts contend that "without the law, which fast-tracks residential projects in communities where less than 10 percent of the housing stock is affordable by state guidelines, many towns would not build moderate- or low-income housing. Town leaders pay lip service to the need for affordable housing -- so local workers, police, and teachers can live where they work -- but don't actually want to see any built, these advocates say."
Thanks to Connie Chung
FULL STORY: Mixed signals on affordable housing
Depopulation Patterns Get Weird
A recent ranking of “declining” cities heavily features some of the most expensive cities in the country — including New York City and a half-dozen in the San Francisco Bay Area.
California Exodus: Population Drops Below 39 Million
Never mind the 40 million that demographers predicted the Golden State would reach by 2018. The state's population dipped below 39 million to 38.965 million last July, according to Census data released in March, the lowest since 2015.
Chicago to Turn High-Rise Offices into Housing
Four commercial buildings in the Chicago Loop have been approved for redevelopment into housing in a bid to revitalize the city’s downtown post-pandemic.
How California Transit Agencies are Addressing Rider Harassment
Safety and harassment are commonly cited reasons passengers, particularly women and girls, avoid public transit.
Significant Investments Needed to Protect LA County Residents From Climate Hazards
A new study estimates that LA County must invest billions of dollars before 2040 to protect residents from extreme heat, increasing precipitation, worsening wildfires, rising sea levels, and climate-induced public health threats.
Federal Rule Raises Cost for Oil and Gas Extraction on Public Lands
An update to federal regulations raises minimum bonding to limit orphaned wells and ensure cleanup costs are covered — but it still may not be enough to mitigate the damages caused by oil and gas drilling.
City of Costa Mesa
Licking County
Barrett Planning Group LLC
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Mpact Transit + Community
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
City of Universal City TX
ULI Northwest Arkansas
Town of Zionsville
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