Massachusetts’ Gov. Maura Healey and Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll have taken the unusual step of setting up a nonprofit to advocate for pro-housing efforts at the local level.
One Commonwealth Inc., will work to provide political and financial support for local housing initiatives, a key pillar of the governor’s agenda. The organization will raise money to help residents with grassroots training and pro-housing messaging. “While governors often support their favored candidates with donations from their campaign coffers or from separate political action committees, what Healey and Driscoll are doing is something different: creating an advocacy group to back an important policy,” reports the Boston Globe.
The nonprofit will likely join the fight to support a 2021 law that requires more than 170 municipalities served by public transit to modify zoning to allow multifamily housing. Dozens of cities and towns have passed zoning reform plans, but opposition is strong in some towns.
At least five communities to date have rejected plans to comply with the law. The town of Milton, whose voters rejected a rezoning plan, is facing the withholding of some grant funding and is being sued by the state’s attorney general for noncompliance.
The median price of a single-family home in Greater Boston has reached $900,000 this year, making the drive to build new housing more urgent.
Related Stories
MFPRO+ News | Nov 21, 2023
California building electrification laws could prompt more evictions and rent increases
California laws requiring apartment owners to ditch appliances that use fossil fuels could prompt more evictions and rent increases in the state, according to a report from the nonprofit Strategic Actions for a Just Economy. The law could spur more evictions if landlords undertake major renovations to comply with the electrification rule.
MFPRO+ News | Nov 21, 2023
Underused strip malls offer great potential for conversions to residential use
Replacing moribund strip malls with multifamily housing could make a notable dent in the housing shortage and revitalize under-used properties across the country, according to a report from housing nonprofit Enterprise Community Partners.
MFPRO+ News | Nov 21, 2023
Renters value amenities that support a mobile, connected lifestyle
Multifamily renters prioritize features and amenities that reflect a mobile, connected lifestyle, according to the National Multifamily Housing Council (NMHC) and Grace Hill 2024 Renter Preferences Survey.
MFPRO+ News | Nov 15, 2023
Average U.S multifamily rents drop $3 to $1,718 in October 2023: Yardi Matrix
Multifamily fundamentals continued to soften and impact rents last month, according to the latest Yardi Matrix National Multifamily Report. The average U.S. asking rent dropped $3 to $1,718 in October, with year-over-year growth moderating to 0.4%, down 40 basis points from September. Occupancy slid to 94.9%, marking the first decline in four months.
MFPRO+ News | Nov 1, 2023
Washington, D.C., Queens, N.Y., lead nation in number of new apartments by zip code
A study of new apartment construction by zip code showed Washington D.C., and the Queens borough of New York City are the hottest multifamily markets since 2018, according to RentCafe.
Adaptive Reuse | Nov 1, 2023
Biden Administration reveals plan to spur more office-to-residential conversions
The Biden Administration recently announced plans to encourage more office buildings to be converted to residential use. The plan includes using federal money to lend to developers for conversion projects and selling government property that is suitable for conversions.
Mass Timber | Oct 27, 2023
Five winners selected for $2 million Mass Timber Competition
Five winners were selected to share a $2 million prize in the 2023 Mass Timber Competition: Building to Net-Zero Carbon. The competition was co-sponsored by the Softwood Lumber Board and USDA Forest Service (USDA) with the intent “to demonstrate mass timber’s applications in architectural design and highlight its significant role in reducing the carbon footprint of the built environment.”
Smart Buildings | Oct 27, 2023
Cox Communities partnership levels up smart tech for multifamily customers
Yesterday, Cox Communities announced its partnership with Level Home Inc., a provider of next-generation smart IoT solutions for multifamily customers.
Student Housing | Oct 25, 2023
Pierce Education Properties acquires Penn State student housing
The two communities offer a wide range of amenities, including swimming pools with sun decks, study rooms with complimentary printing services, fitness centers, tennis court, and sand volleyball courts.
Giants 400 | Oct 23, 2023
Top 115 Multifamily Construction Firms for 2023
Clark Group, Suffolk Construction, Summit Contracting Group, Whiting-Turner Contracting, and McShane Companies top the ranking of the nation's largest multifamily housing sector contractors and construction management (CM) firms for 2023, as reported in Building Design+Construction's 2023 Giants 400 Report. Note: This ranking factors revenue for all multifamily buildings work, including apartments, condominiums, student housing facilities, and senior living facilities.
