Mayor Proposes Ambitious Housing Plan for Newton, Massachusetts

"Mayor Setti Warren on Thursday unveiled an ambitious housing plan for the city that he says will not only provide diverse housing options, but will help preserve the characteristics and values Newton has embodied," reports Ellen Ishkanian.

"The plan identifies 70 locations across the city as potential development sites," and proposes a mix of options in price, adds Ishkanian.

Mayor Warren presented the housing plan in response to increasingly expensive housing prices. The median price for a single-family house has reached $1.1 million—up from $855,000 in 2013. There are also only four rental units in the entire city available for rent. The article describes the mayor's motivation for the plan, and how it fits into other policy proposals from his administration.

The proposal already has political opponents. Ishkanian specifies the Newton Village Alliance, which has a mission "to preserve the character and scale of Newton’s villages and residential neighborhoods" and a track record of opposing developments in the city.