September 2024 Newsletter
What’s up with Northland and Riverside?
What's up with that hole in the ground? Updates on building projects across Newton
What’s up with Northland and Riverside?
Two of the most contentious developments in recent years are headed back to the City Council, and in both cases the developers are looking to reduce the commercial portion and increase the housing.
Mark Development’s Riverside and the Northland Needham Street project face the same headwinds. The work-from-home revolution has left commercial offices nationwide nearly vacant, making it impossible to build more.
Here in Boston the lab market, which seemed so hot just a few years ago, faces the same challenges. One Colliers study says that there are more than 1.1 million square feet of lab space available in the Newton/Waltham/ Needham area alone.
When the Riverside and Northland Needham Street projects cleared their various permitting hurdles before the pandemic, the office and lab space market still had life. But today we face a vastly different environment.
It does beg the question, why did these projects take so long to go from permitting to building?
What Streetsblog calls “Newton’s onerous ‘special permit’ review process for large developments” doesn’t help things.
The years spent hammering out a deal with the City Council, talking and negotiating with neighbors, navigating archaic zoning requirements, fighting local lawsuits and, in Northland’s case, battling a referendum drove up the projects’ costs while also causing the delays that led us directly to today.
All of this adds up to projects that are reduced in scope and vibrancy than when first presented to the City Council.
A lot has to do with the rising cost of construction. Material costs increased by 43% since 2020, exacerbated by labor shortages and supply chain problems due to Covid. Interest rates went up, too. All this meant that the financing for the projects changed rapidly, even as the cost of building shot up.
The bottom line is that the bottom line on the finance sheets doesn’t look the same as it did when developers conceived of these projects. Investors backed away, with many projects stalling or going back to the drawing board.
Riverside
Streetsblog notes that “Plans to replace that pavement [Riverside] with something more useful have been circulating for decades.” The MBTA first approved developing a project at Riverside in 2009! The City Council approved that proposal in 2013. But those plans fell through. The more recent special permit for the site was approved in 2020. “But so far, none have been able to thread the needle between financial viability” and all the time it takes to get approval from the City.
Now, what had been a mixed-use proposal with offices, lab space, and housing looks more like a housing-only development, at least in phase one, with 541 units proposed, up to 20% of which would be affordable. Some commercial development could be incorporated in phase 2 along with more residential. The new proposal also reduces Green Line commuter parking by a third.
The MBTA board has approved the changes, and a proposal will be submitted to the City to begin the review and permitting process yet again.
Northland
Over on the Northland property on Needham Street, under revised plans, the office space and some of the smaller residential buildings are gone. The historic mill is becoming all residential while most of the other buildings will still have stores and restaurants on the ground floor. The amended proposal includes a net increase of just 22 housing units, as it reduces the number of new buildings on the site. Fewer buildings will mean more public open space.
But the loss of office space is forcing the developer to revise its offer of a regular shuttle to the Newton Highlands MBTA station. Today there is MBTA bus service that stops right by the site about every half hour at rush hour, although less frequently at other times.
Offices generate more traffic than residential. Therefore, with no office space and only a slight increase in the number of apartments, many fewer car trips would be generated by the revised project.
A number of community elements would remain, including a bike path, splash park and public park areas like a village green.
A specific proposal has not yet been presented to the City Council. After that occurs, the Land Use committee will review the proposal and hold public hearings before making a decision.
What’s the explanation?
The truth is that developing these massive projects takes time and work that is often difficult for the layperson to see. Many of us go past the Northland site, as well as the Newton Crossing (a.k.a. Dunstan East) site, and see a large empty area. But under the surface work is going on, removing existing foundations, stabilizing unstable soils, building underground systems to move sewage and stormwater, and laying the electrical and telecom conduits.
While these projects may not look like they did before, they will be thriving locations with new neighbors helping to add life to our city.
What's up with that hole in the ground? Updates on building projects across Newton
For a brief update on other developments around Newton, take a look at What's up with that hole in the ground? on our website.
Due to delays, changing financial conditions and lawsuits, the original developers on a number of the proposed projects in Newton have had to sell or are selling either the land alone or the land with the special permit plans. Just another of the myriad explanations for delays in providing more housing.
Come talk with us at our table at these local events.
Upper Falls Village Day – Sunday, September 15
Newtonville Village Day – Sunday, September 29
Harvest Fair – Sunday, October 20
Let us know if you'd like to help out at our table!
Discover what we are currently reading and watching!
Harris and the Democrats are creating solutions to the housing crisis, Elizabeth Warren, Boston Globe. 09/2024. “The rise in housing prices is Econ 101: We don’t have enough housing for all our people, and the resulting shortage drives up prices across the country. The solution is equally simple: Build more housing to drive down prices. We need more housing everywhere and for everyone.”
WATCH: The Problem with "Luxury Housing", About Here, 08/2024. New housing developments seem to be overwhelmingly unaffordable to the average person, why is this happening?
How New Apartments Create Opportunities for All, Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis, 2024. “Market-rate rental construction in Minneapolis has freed up more affordable homes for households across the income spectrum.”
Newton for Everyone is dedicated to promoting housing opportunities for people of all ages, means, backgrounds and abilities in Newton. The housing shortage affects all of us. We believe that diverse housing options are crucial to fostering a thriving community, a sustainable environment and a robust economy.
Please Forward to Friends and Colleagues.
July 2024 Newsletter
How will State Representative candidates address MA housing needs?
How will State Representative candidates address MA housing needs?
While most of the nation is focused on the Presidential election in November, here in Newton the action is happening right now.
Early voting at city hall is open August 24 - 30, and September 3, the polls will be open for primary elections for the two state representative seats. Vote by Mail ballots will be arriving any day. Both Kay Khan and Ruth Balser are retiring, making it a race for both the Middlesex District 11 and Middlesex District 12. (Information on voting in Newton.)
As there are only Democrats vying for Ruth Balser’s seat, the representative in Middlesex District 12 will be determined on September 3. Therefore, your vote in this primary will be key to the outcome. And we know that State House members tend to hold onto their seats for many years, which makes the primary even more important.
Housing is one of the biggest issues facing the Commonwealth, so Newton for Everyone asked the candidates for both seats questions on housing and other topics. We received responses from four candidates: Alex Jablon and Amy Mah Sangiolo, vying for the District 11 seat, and Bill Humphrey and Rick Lipof, vying for the District 12 seat.
Neither Greg Schwartz (Middlesex District 12) nor Vladislav “Steve” Yanovsky (Middlesex District 11) responded.
We focused our questions on specific issues around housing, including the “millionaires tax,” which puts an additional 4% tax annually on income in excess of $1 million. The funds are designed to go toward public education and transportation, two issues central to battles around new housing. We asked:
The so-called “millionaires tax” was advertised to be allocated to education and transportation. How would you prioritize spending these funds?
We also asked candidates to address the problem of young adults leaving the state, as highlighted in a survey by the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce. We asked:
Young adults are increasingly leaving Massachusetts for housing that is more affordable, including tens of thousands who now live in adjacent states to afford working here. What specific changes would you support at the state level to stem this tide?
Affordable housing remains a huge issue here in Newton as housing prices continue to rise. What’s more, Newton has reached its 40B Safe Harbor, meaning that we are unlikely to see additional affordable housing built in Newton through this statute. So Newton for Everyone asked:
“Should the state modify Chapter 40B to achieve more truly affordable housing units than are required under the current law? If so, how?
Should the state further incentivize the development of affordable housing in communities that have achieved 40B Safe Harbor status? If so, how?
The answers will certainly help as voters decide who should represent them on Beacon Hill, so we highly recommend spending some time learning where the candidates stand, in their own voices.
Volunteering to Advocate for Diverse Housing
If you would like to find out how you can help advocate for more diverse housing, let us know.
Discover Our Current Reading List!
Gentrification as a housing problem. Works in Progress Newsletter, July 17, 2024. The root cause of displacement is inflexible supply.
The magic number to afford a home in Boston? $217,000 in annual income. Boston Globe, July 18, 2024. “...unless local Massachusetts officials ease zoning regulations and allow more construction of housing, the dream of owning a home will go unrealized for too many of us.
3 strategies to decarbonize transportation: US DOT report. Smart Cities Dive, July 15, 2024. First recommendation: “Land-use planning to enhance convenient access to jobs, shopping, schools, entertainment and other services through transit-oriented development; supporting walking, biking and micromobility options and establishing transportation demand protocols.”
The Olympic Village: High-performance housing illegal to build in the U.S. Medium, June 25, 2024. Single-stair housing, also known as point access blocks, offer more daylight, ventilation, and efficiency while looking better than most new multifamily buildings in the U.S. Point access buildings with 4-5 stories would be good on smaller lots like those in Newton’s village if the building code allowed them.
Newton for Everyone is dedicated to promoting housing opportunities for people of all ages, means, backgrounds and abilities in Newton. The housing shortage affects all of us. We believe that diverse housing options are crucial to fostering a thriving community, a sustainable environment and a robust economy.
Please Forward to Friends and Colleagues.
June 2024 Newsletter
Where is the Next Generation Going to Live?
NFE Event: How New Housing Can Help Bolster School Budgets
Where is the Next Generation Going to Live?
If you're reading this, you likely already know that we need to build more housing to meet the needs of the region, but a few recent facts paint a dire picture.
For one, statistically, if a couple wants to buy a home in the Boston area, it will take them 40 years to save enough for a down payment.
What's worse, this imbalance between housing demand and supply is driving nearly a quarter of our younger population to talk about leaving the region entirely in the next five years. A study from the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce points out that the key factors driving this are the high cost of rent and the inability to buy a home. This isn't just about our children; it's about having a vibrant and dynamic economy for Newton and the region as a whole. Without housing, we risk losing our community.
“Our young residents are not only the future of the workforce, but also our current leaders and champions of our small businesses, downtowns, and workplaces,” said Chamber of Commerce president James E. Rooney in a press release. He called on us to "elevate the voices of young residents" as they struggle to navigate the region’s cost of living issues.
More Housing = Lower Rents
Of course, we know that building enough new housing to meet market demand can help us combat rising rents. A study, covered by Bloomberg CityLab's Sarah Holder, found that building housing does, in fact, put downward pressure on prices. Writes Holder:
Six years after Auckland, New Zealand, rezoned three-quarters of the city to allow for denser housing and upped its housing stock by about 4.1%, rents for three-bedroom units citywide were 26% to 33% lower than in similar urban commuting zones, according to one 2023 study.
Another study on German municipalities between 2010 and 2017 found that when yearly new housing supply increased by 1%, average rents fell by 0.2%, and that building market-rate housing eases cost burdens for renters across the income spectrum.
Redfin found that prices for residential sales and rentals in Austin dropped because new housing had been built there. A December study found that prices there are down 6.2% year over year, even as those in other similarly situated communities increased. This is thanks, in part, to a massive increase in multifamily luxury properties. That doesn’t mean Austin is cheap, but it does show how development can impact prices.
In some cities such as New Rochelle, NY and Minneapolis, MN rents have continued to rise even as new housing has been built, but studies point to a much lower rate than other locations.
The Urban Land Institute agrees that lack of housing supply is driving up rents and prices, but cautions against focusing on just a few scapegoats. Its paper on the subject offers up some very modest and moderate changes that could drive up supply.
It certainly worked in Minneapolis, where the Fed reported that, thanks to a chain of moves as availability increased, 100 new market-rate units led to 70 new vacancies in lower-income neighborhoods.
We can do that here in the Boston area, but it will take our collective and collaborative efforts.
NFE Event: How New Housing Can Help Bolster School Budgets
Newton’s schools are often cited as a primary reason why people move here, and keeping those schools from overcrowding is often cited as a reason to limit new housing here. It’s a big reason why many people push back on large multifamily properties, and why those buildings often have few, if any, three bedroom apartments. The theory goes that three bedroom apartments attract families, while studios, one, and two bedroom units attract either couples or families with fewer children.
The basic fear is that housing will draw heavily on existing city resources while not providing sufficient revenue to pay for those services.
But an event hosted in May by Newton for Everyone, attended by over 100 people in person and online, suggests exactly the opposite, that new developments could, in fact, provide a revenue boost to the city, which we could use to augment our school budget.
Guest speakers Elise Rapoza of MassINC and Luc Shuster, executive director of Boston Indicators, presented their research, which found that more housing means more revenue. In fact, the average municipal revenue increase across the state was just over $1600 per unit.
While this number represents just the potential from the housing itself, there are additional sources of revenue that come with additional housing, like increased commercial activity and both aid and incentives from the state.
As Schuster said in the talk, “The economic case for new housing is kind of a slam dunk.”
The whole video is worth a watch; check it out here.
Also, read coverage of the event in the Newton Beacon and in Fig City News.
Volunteering to Advocate for Diverse Housing
Thanks to all those who helped out at the Newton for Everyone table at recent village days and the Juneteenth celebration. Many new people heard about the importance of more diverse housing in Newton and signed up to stay in touch.
If you would like to find out how you can help advocate for more diverse housing, let us know.
Discover Our Current Reading List!
America’s Magical Thinking about Housing, Derek Thompson, The Atlantic, 2024. The solution to increasing rents and prices is pretty straightforward: build more homes. Austin is adding homes at more than twice the national average (based on its existing stock) and rents have come down 7% in the past year.
Minneapolis Land Use Reforms Offer a Blueprint for Housing Affordability, Pew Charitable Trust, 2024. “Rents stayed flat as more apartments were built, even as the rest of Minnesota saw increases.”
No, Really. Building More Housing Can Combat Rising Rents, Sarah Holder, Bloomberg, 2023. “Building more can slow rent growth in cities and free up more affordable vacant units in surrounding neighborhoods, without causing significant displacement.”
Upzone Update. A biweekly newsletter from Boston Indicators and Amy Dain that tracks and analyzes MBTA-C compliance efforts, including links to media coverage and upcoming events.
Newton for Everyone is dedicated to promoting housing opportunities for people of all ages, means, backgrounds and abilities in Newton. The housing shortage affects all of us. We believe that diverse housing options are crucial to fostering a thriving community, a sustainable environment and a robust economy.
Please Forward to Friends and Colleagues.
May 2024 Newsletter
Safer Bike & Pedestrian Infrastructure – Better for Business, Better for Housing
What's in the Affordable Homes Act? Will it pass?
Given recent discussions about both the Washington St. Pilot project and the Newton Highlands Enhancement project , check out our article connecting better infrastructure for people walking and biking with better business and more housing.
Join us at our event this Thursday, May 30 – “Can New Development Help School Budgets in Cities like Newton?” What role can local development, including increasing the housing supply, play in increasing the tax base and school funding? What are the practical implications of the research on increasing school funding through increased local development. Hybrid event: In person at Congregation Dorshei Tzedek, 60 Highland St. and virtually on zoom. Register: Click here for in-person Click here for zoom
Safer Bike & Pedestrian Infrastructure – Better for Business, Better for Housing
If you haven’t been following, there is a battle happening on Washington Street. The City is proposing a pilot that includes protected bike lanes and better pedestrian infrastructure. What would we lose on the street? Two car travel lanes. Most of the funding is from ARPA funds, which were granted to the city in the wake of the pandemic as a way to improve urban life.
While this may seem like a battle between cars and bikes, it’s much more. It’s actually a battle over housing. More bike infrastructure leads to a reduced need for parking, and less parking means more housing.
Less parking can make market rate rents more affordable
Take the example of Everett, which recently made a series of moves that effectively eliminated minimum parking requirements. The result? More housing getting built within developments that would otherwise have required more parking.
In one case, land that developers originally purchased to use as parking became 125 units of affordable housing. Even better the city is seeing an increase in market-rate infill housing. But here’s the thing, those “market rate” apartments are renting for what would be 80% AMI if they were built as “Affordable Housing.”
Simply put, by reducing the need for parking the city is building more homes, and those homes are affordable. It’s not just Everett either: a Yale study found that reducing car dependency and changing how we approach parking reduces housing costs. (Video of the Everett story)
Bike lanes = Cleaner air, less congestion, less need for parking
McKinsey found something similar when it looked at the impact of bike infrastructure on land use and housing. The consulting firm found that installing protected bike lanes increased bike and e-bike usage, thereby decreasing car use. That not only results in cleaner air, but also in reduced congestion and reduced need for parking.
Tibbits-Nutts connecting transportation and housing
When MassDOT Secretary Monica Tibbits-Nutt spoke at the Charles River Chamber recently, she said that most of her time is spent talking not about how to move people but about housing and economic development. She says she spends more time thinking about housing than about transportation for a simple reason: people don’t live where they work. That leads to more traffic. (Video of Monica Tibbits-Nutt)
Review of 32 studies – Adding bike and pedestrian infrastructure brings more business
The economic vitality of Newton’s villages is a huge issue as we look at changes. More housing along with upgrades to roadways and improved safety for people walking or biking will lead to more foot traffic which leads to more business for local stores and restaurants. But the fears tend to be around car traffic and parking.
Business Insider reporter Adam Rogers looked at 32 studies and found that, despite pushback from local businesses, adding bike and pedestrian infrastructure to urban areas like Newton's villages brings in more business. Add that to a study in Cambridge that found when an area builds protected bike infrastructure bike use increases dramatically.
The bottom line is this: parking, driving, biking, and public transportation are all tied to housing policy. These battles are one and the same.
What's in the Affordable Homes Act? Will it pass?
As the legislative session draws to a close, debate continues on the state's major housing bond bill, the Affordable Homes Act. It includes $4 billion in capital spending authorizations, close to 30 substantive policy changes and two targeted tax credits. Take a look at our summary of what is included and advocate for more housing.
Come talk with us at our table at these local events
Newton Highlands Village Day – June 9
Juneteenth – June 15
Let us know if you'd like to help out at the table!
What we are reading
Upzone Update. A biweekly newsletter from Boston Indicators and Amy Dain that tracks and analyzes MBTA-C compliance efforts.
Do land-use reforms spur housing development? You betcha. Route Fifty, 2024. After years of adjusting land-use regulations, Minneapolis boosted its housing stock by 12%, while rents grew at just 1%. Meanwhile, the rest of Minnesota increased its stock by 4% as rents rose 14%.
Why State Land Use Reform Should Be a Priority Climate Lever for America, RMI, 2024. “Encouraging better-located, less car-dependent communities, we can solve the nationwide housing shortage while dramatically cutting pollution."
Expanding Affordable Housing Opportunities: Zoning and Land Use Case Studies,Bipartisan Policy Center, 2023. A webpage with case studies from 9 cities and states with a summary of their impact.
Newton for Everyone is dedicated to promoting housing opportunities for people of all ages, means, backgrounds and abilities in Newton. The housing shortage affects all of us. We believe that diverse housing options are crucial to fostering a thriving community, a sustainable environment and a robust economy.
Please forward to friends or colleagues.
April 2024 Newsletter – Welcome!
Welcome to the first edition of the Newton for Everyone newsletter. Each month we'll share the insights and stories about housing in the Newton area.
Welcome to the first edition of the Newton for Everyone newsletter. Each month we'll share the insights and stories about housing in the Newton area.
Since launching back in September, we've had a lot of questions about what we stand for and what Newton for Everyone aims to do. So, here's our answer:
Our goal is to update you on progress of making Newton a more welcoming and equitable place, while also providing the information and insights you need as you go out into the community to talk with neighbors, elected officials, or anyone else who is interested in the topic.
Who we are
Since launching back in September, we've had a lot of questions about what we stand for and what Newton for Everyone aims to do. So, here's our answer:
Newton for Everyone is dedicated to promoting housing opportunities for people of all ages, means, backgrounds and abilities in Newton. The housing shortage affects all of us.
We believe that diverse housing options are crucial to fostering a thriving community, a sustainable environment and a robust economy. We strive to actively shape and influence the political discourse on city policies to address today's pressing community needs and build for the future.
What's happening around the MBTA Communities Act
The MBTA Communities Act is an opportunity for cities like ours with access to transit to welcome new housing. It affects 177 municipalities in the region and most are working on developing or have already passed zoning designed to reach the stated goals. (Chart as of 4/10/24)
Just because we have zoned for housing doesn't mean doesn't mean it'll get built. As Luc Schuster points out in Commonwealth Beacon, the rezoning is just a single step in the right direction, even if it may be slow to happen.
Still, for many municipalities around the Commonwealth, this act provided the impetus needed to kickstart zoning changes that, we hope, will result in more homes for more people. Here in Newton the city council approved an overlay district and while it's not everything that housing advocates hoped for, it's a step in the right direction.
Besides Newton, the big story has been Milton's vote and ongoing battle. Adrian Walker writes in the Globe that the state can't let Milton just flout a law, as that would undermine state laws overall. Attorney General Andrea Campbell has already taken action, even as other communities are making noise about rejecting the law. He sums up the state's housing battles this way:
But housing has always been an issue fraught with controversy — the original, ultimate NIMBY issue. No one ever says they oppose affordable housing, or more housing for families, or new housing that will attract new neighbors who don’t look like them. But cities and towns have a long well-documented history of insisting such housing belongs somewhere else.
Why is this necessary? For one, housing has grown so expensive that Boston risks losing a quarter of our younger population. That's why even the Boston Business Journal Editorial Page is getting behind the MBTA Communities Act. The editors write "Simply put, there are not enough workers who can afford to live near the businesses that desperately need them. That means businesses must become more vocal in the conversations taking place in their towns and advocate for the passage of zoning plans to alleviate their worker shortage."
As a community we need to keep an eye on this and ensure that the changes lead to results.
Upcoming Events
Join Us on 5/30/2024 at 7pm
Can New Development Help School Budgets in Cities Like Newton?
Hybrid event: In person in West Newton & On Zoom
REGISTER NOW!
Come talk with us at our table at these local events
Waban Day – May 19th
Newton Highlands Village Day – June 9th
Juneteenth – June