WHILE WE HAVE BEEN in federal court arguing the constitutionality of the Massachusetts eviction moratorium, the Trump administration’s Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) just issued an emergency order imposing a nationwide residential eviction moratorium through December 31, 2020. The moratorium, issued under the CDC’s emergency authority to respond to public health crises and without the usual rule-making […]
Housing
Posted inUncategorized
It’s a renter’s market in Boston
“IT’S A RENTER’S MARKET” hasn’t been uttered in the Greater Boston area for over a decade, but now it’s being heard over and over again as landlords cut their prices to attract tenants in a market transformed by the coronavirus. Here’s a glimpse of the deals being offered. A two-bedroom in Allston for $1,900 with […]
Posted inUncategorized
One in three renters at risk for eviction, advocates say
A NEW EVICTIONS ANALYSIS using polling and research data from the US Census Bureau’s most recent housing survey indicates one in three Massachusetts renter households are at risk of eviction. Housing advocacy group City Life/Vida Urbana, along with researchers from MIT’s Department of Urban Studies and Planning, compiled the analysis. About 300,000 renter households are […]
Posted inOpinion
Preventing evictions, promoting housing stability
THE PANDEMIC will have a lasting effect on our society that we can only begin to imagine. With over 150,000 Americans dead and counting, the psychological toll will be felt for a long time. But some of the pain that will likely come once the pandemic ends is avoidable. When Gov. Charlie Baker lifts the […]
Posted inOpinion
Getting rid of fossil fuels in buildings
ATTORNEY GENERAL Maura Healey recently ruled that Brookline’s clean energy bylaw prohibiting installation of oil and gas lines in new and substantially renovated buildings violates state law. It’s true—state preemption law does not allow cities and towns to pass energy requirements stronger than the state’s code. But cities and towns still have substantial leverage. While […]
Posted inUncategorized
Landlords challenge constitutionality of eviction ban
TWO LANDLORDS from Randolph and Worcester are challenging the constitutionality of the ongoing eviction moratorium, arguing the state is allowing their tenants to basically take property without paying for it. The two landlords are Marie Baptiste, a nurse from Randolph who says her tenants owe her about $20,000 in back rent, and Mitch Matorin, who owns […]
Posted inThe Download
Landlords challenge constitutionality of eviction ban
Two landlords from Randolph and Worcester are challenging the constitutionality of the ongoing eviction moratorium, arguing the state is allowing their tenants to basically take property without paying for it. The two landlords are Marie Baptiste, a nurse from Randolph who says her tenants owe her about $20,000 in back rent, and Mitch Matorin, who […]
Posted inUncategorized
Baker’s Housing Choice bill short on choice
LET’S START with something everyone agrees on: Massachusetts is in a housing crisis. Now for something that’s up for debate: the solution is to build more market-rate housing across the state. Gov. Charlie Baker’s Housing Choice Bill, introduced in the 2019-2020 legislative session, and currently being considered as part of an end-of-session economic development package, […]
Posted inPolitics
Equity concerns imperil Baker housing bill
THE RACIAL RECKONING that is overtaking Massachusetts may have one surprising casualty: Gov. Charlie Baker’s housing bill. After two and a half years, Baker’s “Housing Choices” bill is emerging for a House vote on Monday, part of a must-pass economic development bill. The bill has support from a wide coalition of business, municipal, and development […]
Posted inOpinion, Race/Racism
Zoning is major artery of systemic racism
LAST WEEK, US Department of Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson announced the administration would be ending Affirmatively Further Fair Housing (AFFH) regulations, referring to them as “a waste of time for localities to comply with.” This news comes after weeks of President Trump threatening in Tweets and press conferences to remove the regulations because the regulations […]