What’s up with affordable housing in Newton?
Wednesday, April 29 at 7:00
Location: Congregation Dorshei Tzedek / Second Church
Join us to take a look at affordable housing in Newton – what we have, what approaches have resulted in affordable housing, and what steps the City can take to ensure we have affordable housing in the years to come.
The Newton Housing Priorities Task Force was created to answer these questions. Their recently completed report can help guide the City on steps to take and on the most effective ways to use the funds of Newton's Affordable Housing Trust.
Ann Houston, Chair of the Housing Trust and member of the Newton Fair and Affordable Housing Partnership will help us understand what the Task Force found, what's worked in the past to create affordable housing and where we should go from here.
60 Highland St. West Newton
Over 100 community members joined us online and in person as Amy Dain, a housing policy expert, Senior Fellow at Boston Indicators, and Newton resident, walked us through the hard data on housing two years after Newton passed the Village Center Overlay District (VCOD).
The reality is clear: the feared "floodgates" of development never opened. Instead, Newton is seeing a manageable, incremental pace of growth.
Our first movie night in January, was a huge success - nearly 50 Newton residents joined us to watch What Luxury Housing Does to Homelessness, a compelling film by Justine Underhill, an award-winning journalist and City Councilor in Falls Church, Virginia, Justine Underhill is known for her unique ability to use storytelling to make complex issues understandable.
April 2026
What's Up with Affordable Housing in Newton?
March 2026
Two Years of VCOD: Where Are We, and What's Next?
February 2026
Does "Luxury" Housing Help or Hurt the Unhoused? The Data Might Surprise You
December 2025
Housing Progress in Newton 2025
October 2025
Priced Out: How Newton's Housing Shortage Drives Away Our Teachers
August 2025
Will Newton be a place our kids can afford to live—or a museum of homes only the wealthy can buy?
Housing & Opportunity
A diverse range of homes for families, for people who work in Newton to live in Newton, for staying in Newton when down sizing, and for our adult children to return to live here.
Housing & Community
Thriving villages, people living in the village and nearby, public gathering spaces all help build a strong and welcoming community in Newton.
Housing & Sustainability
Living near transit, and villages helps reduce our dependence on cars. Safer streets makes it easier for walkers and bikers to get to school, go to a village or see friends.