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Boston Globe
19-02-2025
- Business
- Boston Globe
Is this the fix for Massachusetts' housing crisis?
TODAY'S STARTING POINT It's become common to see housing in the US described as a crisis. Across much of the country — But in recent years, advocates for more housing at lower cost have seen a shift. ' There's so many more people speaking up,' said Rachel Heller, who leads the Change has happened at both the state and local levels. Legislators on Beacon Hill have passed new laws, communities have changed zoning rules, and developers have moved to convert underused buildings. The issue's political profile has risen, too, with housing affordability Today's newsletter explains what Massachusetts is doing to make housing more plentiful and less costly — and the limits of those efforts so far. Advertisement More, more, more Communities across the state have taken steps to expand the housing supply. The MBTA Communities Act, which Governor Charlie Baker signed into law in 2021, requires cities and towns served by public transit to revise their zoning rules to make it easier to create more multifamily housing. Of the 177 communities required to make changes, Accessory dwelling units, known as 'granny flats,' are another recent change. A provision in Advertisement Some local communities have gone further. The Cambridge City Council voted this month Developers have also taken new steps. Some have proposed renovating Cutting costs Some communities are also moving to lower housing costs. In December, Boston More expensive construction materials and higher interest rates have also made it costlier for developers to build new homes. The Affordable Homes Act includes a $50 million fund to jump-start construction on thousands of projects paused because of financial challenges. The big picture These changes are important steps, experts say, but they are probably not enough. Governor Healey has set a goal of 222,000 new homes in the state over the next decade. Meeting it would require significantly increasing the number of homes the state permits each year, which was less than 12,000 in 2023. If you've been doing the math, you can already see that it doesn't add up. Advertisement 'Those policies will certainly make a dent,' my colleague Andrew Brinker, who covers housing, told me. 'But not a huge one.' One reason is that policy changes can take time to take effect. Another is local opposition. Last year, Milton voters Closing the housing gap will likely require other changes, advocates say. Some suggest eliminating parking lot size requirements or allowing triplexes, quadplexes, or townhomes by right on lots. And still other measures may be needed to address adjacent problems, As Heller puts it, 'There's been a lot of good policies that have been put in place over the last few years. And we need more.' 🧩 9 Across: 🌤️ 27° POINTS OF INTEREST Nicholas Portillo (center left), a fifth grader at Dever Elementary School, was among those protesting the proposed closure. JOSH REYNOLDS FOR THE BOSTON GLOBE/Josh Reynolds for The Boston Globe Boston and Massachusetts Accusation: A Norfolk Superior Court judge 'We have no voice': The Boston City Council is once again pushing to Tug of war: In a Boston courtroom, ICE and local prosecutors are Inside successor: Boston College chose the Rev. John T. 'Jack' Butler, S.J., Trouble at Fenway? Rafael Devers doesn't want to move from third base even though the Red Sox just signed an All-Star corner infielder in Alex Bregman. Now his teammates New England Drive away: Herb Chambers is selling his New England Why'd he cross the road? A baby seal that somehow The Trump administration Backwards: Trump criticized President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine after US and Russian officials met to talk about ending the war, falsely accusing Zelensky of having 'started it.' ( No emergency ... yet: A judge declined to immediately stop Elon Musk and his DOGE staff from accessing federal data or firing government workers, but said that Massachusetts and 13 other states' case against Musk's status is 'strong.' ( Justice departure: A top federal prosecutor quit after refusing to launch what she called a politically driven investigation into Biden-era climate spending. ( Cabinet makers: Senate Republicans confirmed Howard Lutnick, a billionaire investor who has defended Trump's tariff agenda, to be commerce secretary. ( Downer: Trump and Robert F. Kennedy Jr. plan to investigate what they call the 'threat' of prescribing antidepressants, stimulants, and weight-loss drugs to children. ( Nation and World Gaza hostages: Hamas said it would release the bodies of four dead hostages, including infant and toddler siblings, tomorrow. ( Not guilty: A jury in Los Angeles acquitted the rapper A$AP Rocky in the 2021 shooting of his former friend. ( Zizian update: The police arrested three members of a cult-like Bay Area fringe group after they allegedly trespassed in Maryland. One of them Walk the walk: About 40 percent of Americans — mostly Democrats, Black shoppers, and Gen Zers — refuse to patronize certain businesses because of their political stances. ( Checkup: Pope Francis has pneumonia in both lungs, the Vatican said, and he remains hospitalized 'in good spirits.' ( BESIDE THE POINT 🚲 Bike fight: Bring up bike lanes in Boston and watch the arguments explode. Which led the Globe's 🖍️ Sketchy royals: Kensington Palace released four portraits drawn by Catherine, Princess of Wales, and her three children. You have to guess who drew which. ( Advertisement ⚠️ America's deadliest workplace: Why didn't safety regulators shut it down? ( 👮 Step by step: Boston native Donnie Wahlberg, actor and New Kids on the Block alum, is returning to the 'Blue Bloods' franchise for 👰 The Big Day: By their second date, they each 🏠 Trading spaces: Would you ever swap your home? More and more people are saying, 'Mais bien sûr!' ( 🍸 No more vodka shots: As women age, they can't hold their liquor nearly as well as when they were younger. The culprit could be menopause. ( 📚 Read this: The US used to be able to do big things. A new book 🖐️ Are fingerprints really unique? Here's a video guide to how to read those black smudges. ( 📧 Want this sent to your inbox? Ian Prasad Philbrick can be reached at
Boston Globe
05-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Boston Globe
Photos of the month: January 2025
With her math lesson in the background, Eday Garcia Vázquez, 10, ate breakfast at her Dorchester home before heading to Dever Elementary School. The state took over the Paul A. Dever Elementary School in Dorchester over a decade ago and now Boston Public Schools is proposing to close it. Craig F. Walker/Globe Staff Northeastern goalie Lisa Jönsson celebrated winning the 2025 Dunkin' Women's Beanpot Championship at TD Garden on Jan. 21. Danielle Parhizkaran/Globe Staff A snowy owl in full flight just before sundown on Duxbury Beach on Jan. 20. Their wing span is up to 5 feet long, and they are the largest owl in North America by body mass. Stan Grossfeld/Globe Staff Houston Rockets guard Jalen Green drove through Boston Celtics centers Luke Kornet (left) and Kristaps Porzingis during the first quarter at TD Garden on Jan. 27. Danielle Parhizkaran/Globe Staff Juliet Dong performed during her classical ballet variation at the Youth America Grand Prix semifinals at the Hanover Theatre in Worcester on Jan. 18. Erin Clark/Globe Staff It was announced that New England Patriots head coach Jerod Mayo was fired after the game against the Buffalo Bills on Jan. 5. Barry Chin/Globe Staff At the Skating Club of Boston, a skater was reflected in a window near a display honoring coaches Evgenia Shishkova and her husband Vadim Naumov, who were among those killed in the plane crash in Washington, D.C. John Tlumacki/Globe Staff John Lally took in the sunrise at the Fan Pier Marina before going to work in the Seaport District on Jan. 2. Craig F. Walker/Globe Staff Areli (left) and her two children, Yareli and Lucas, waited backstage before Yareli performed at a holiday dance recital. Areli, from El Salvador, has lived with the anxiety of being deported for years now, but her worry turned into dread after President Trump was sworn into office and began issuing orders to launch mass deportations of certain immigrants. Jessica Rinaldi/Globe Staff Doug Zeghibe, executive director of the Skating Club of Boston, paused after speaking with the media at the rink on Jan. 30. Zeghibe that six of the club's members were victims of the midair collision in Washington, D.C. , including two coaches, two teenage athletes, and the athletes' mothers. Craig F. Walker/Globe Staff Dog walker Tony Latessa and his charges passed over a fresh coat of snow during their morning walk at Pope John Paul II Park in Boston Jan. 29. Craig F. Walker/Globe Staff Preparing for church in the sober house he now lives, Anthony James, 61, pulled on shoes his late mother saved for him when he was struggling with addiction. Jessica Rinaldi/Globe Staff Kalia Jordan, 15, (left) prepared to throw a snowball at her mother, Lakia, on Woodley Avenue in Boston following a winter storm on Jan. 20. Brett Phelps for The Boston Globe Duke University Cooper Flagg slam dunked on Boston College during first half ACC action at Conte Forum on Jan. 18. Matthew J. Lee/Globe Staff With their father, Andy Suarez, in the background, Sarah Suarez, 17, shared a kiss and an embrace with her 7-year-old sister, Sofia, outside Cambridge's Kennedy-Longfellow School, which is set to close at the end of the school year. Pat Greenhouse/Globe Staff Longtime patrons shared a laugh at the bar during jazz night at Slade's Bar and Grill in Boston on Jan. 14. The historic establishment, a fixture on Tremont Street since 1935, has hosted the WeJazzUp band for nearly 25 years, continuing its legacy as one of Boston's enduring venues from "The Negro Motorist Green Book" era. Erin Clark/Globe Staff Marshfield High School's Noah Feldman stole the ball from Silver Lake's Ethan Borgesen on Jan.3. Barry Chin/Globe Staff A shark costume was placed by the shore by a group who had arrived dressed as characters from the movie "Jaws," during the L Street Brownies Annual New Year's Day polar plunge in Dorchester Bay on Jan. 1. Jessica Rinaldi/Globe Staff Matthew McConnell embraced Christina Nardone after the two tied the knot right before taking the plunge into Dorchester Bay during the L Street Brownies Annual New Year's Day polar plunge. Jessica Rinaldi/Globe Staff
