Jesse Kanson-Benanav

Burhan Azeem and Jesse Kanson-Benanav from Cambridge, Massachusetts | Podcast Episode on RSS.com Burhan Azeem and Jesse Kanson-Benanav tell the story of Cambridge's significant zoning reforms, including eliminating single-family zoning and allowing six-story buildings citywide. These reforms,…

Cambridge: The Paris of the northeast? Maybe! Find out how housing champions @burhanazeem.bsky.social and @jessekb.bsky.social are making the home of MIT and Harvard an abundant, affordable, and beautiful city on the newest episode of The Stoop!

Available wherever you get your podcasts! 🎙️

4. What's one issue in politics that you've changed your mind about? The role of the private market in housing construction. How so? I clearly recognize now that there is a very important role to be played, and one that city government must facilitate through the increasing of density around mass transit hubs, the ending of the requirement to build parking lots, as well as the need to up-zone neighborhoods that have historically not contributed to affordable housing production - namely, wealthier neighborhoods.

And as a progressive leader, Mamdani has exemplified the consensus that supporting new homes is the progressive position.

Bqhatevwr

Housing abundance is good politics, pass it on.

Grateful for the shadows cast by tall buildings today. #shade #heatwave

Apropos of nothing...

Prince wearing sunglasses that have a third lens on his forehead

In 2014 Prince debuted his third-eye sunglasses. Five years later, Minneapolis legalized triplexes throughout the city.

Friends doing a renovation came across this fantastic bit from the @bostonglobe.com in October, 1897 offering $1,000 for the best prediction of state elections.

Haha didn't even notice that one!

Wow, I was just served this ad on another platform. The geography here - I didn't realize Dorchester was southwest of Brookline.

Of course! Come work your magic in MA, please? 🙏

Jokes aside, and with all due respect... congratulations to @peteharrison860.bsky.social and the @desegregatect.bsky.social team for this amazing achievement!

I can't believe drive-through country of Connecticut will reform parking statewide before we will.

Connecticut just adopted a MASSIVE pro-housing law that:
- Ends costly parking mandates (1st state east of the Rockies to do so)
- Incentives transit oriented development & fair share
- Allows middle housing in commercial zones
- Allows manufactured homes everywhere

Go @desegregatect.bsky.social!

Cities choose to defer to a handful of noisy residents who are relatively insulated from high housing costs.

Episode 349: Home is Where the Polls Are — MassINC Polling Group This week, it's a double housing policy polling special from the MassINC Polling Group. Jenn interviews Jesse Kanson-Benanav of Abundant Housing Massachusetts about a new poll MPG conducted for them, ...

It's all about housing this week on the Horse Race. First, Jenn talks to @jessekb.bsky.social about a new @abundanthousingma.org poll (done by MPG). Then MPG's Olivia Wine joins to talk about a new report on the Massachusetts Rental Voucher Program www.massincpolling.com/our-work/epi...

Poll Finds Strong Support for More Housing Development Voters strongly support land use policy changes that would make multifamily development easier in Massachusetts, according to a statewide survey commissioned by Abundant Housing Massachusetts (AHMA).

Our new poll for @abundanthousingma.org is out this morning. "Poll Finds Strong Support for More Housing Development."
bankerandtradesman.com/survey-finds...

Poll Finds Strong Support for More Housing Development Voters strongly support land use policy changes that would make multifamily development easier in Massachusetts, according to a statewide survey commissioned by Abundant Housing Massachusetts (AHMA).

Good morning! New MPG poll out today, for @abundanthousingma.org, finds strong support for more housing, even at the local level.
bankerandtradesman.com/survey-finds...

81% of Massachusetts voters surveyed in a recent
@massincpolling.bsky.social / @abundanthousingma.org poll support "state lawmakers passing a bill to make it easier to build more homes, and a greater variety of housing options, in Massachusetts."

2025 Polling Results New statewide poll finds that majorities of MA voters support building more homes compared to preserving neighborhood character

Big news for housing advocates: New polling shows strong, bipartisan support for more housing across Massachusetts—even when it means changes to neighborhood character or local control. The momentum is real, and it’s growing.

www.abundanthousingma.org/resources/20...

#mapoli pope vote counting update: Granby in within seconds. Other cities and towns trickling in. Boston will be completely counted by Sunday afternoon. Final state results posted in July.

Why is it so hard to find an affordable single-family home in Massachusetts? A single-family home with a white picket fence has always been a hallmark of the American Dream. Now it’s turning into something of a nightmare for some would-be home buyers.

"We need different tools... and one strategy to address that is to say perhaps you can build 2, 3, or 4 homes on a lot that previously was only allowed to have a single-family house on it.” @jessekb.bsky.social @abundanthousingma.org
www.boston25news.com/news/local/w...

But it does allow detached ADUs! There was never a prohibition on that, so I was somewhat confused where Emily got that from. Maybe didn't explicitly require detached, but per Tim's other tweet the regs have addressed that.

How did you define weak ADU legalization? ADU's are allowed by-right on 95%+ of residential zoned land in Massachusetts now, without owner-occupancy requirements, and limited or no parking. Some issues w/setbacks that we're trying to figure out, but we've generally talked about it as pretty strong!

Good news from Brookline!

Former Cambridge city councilor faces kidnapping, intimidation charges after alleged incident at hotel - The Boston Globe Police arrested Nadeem Mazen, a councilor from 2014 through 2017, in April. He pleaded not guilty.

www.bostonglobe.com/2025/05/06/m...
"Former #CambMA city councilor Nadeem Mazen was arrested last month and is facing several charges including kidnapping after an alleged incident at a local hotel, police and court documents show...."

Beyond Skepticism: Data Confirms Auckland's Zoning Reforms Delivered on Housing Promises Three rigorous studies, 43,500 new homes, and a 28% drop in rents: The data is in on Auckland's great housing experiment

Auckland went all in on YIMBY, and the results are clear: 43,500 new homes in 10 years, and rents down 28% relative to peers.
www.population.fyi/p/beyond-ske...

San Antonio Apartment Surplus Spawns Generous Concessions - Connect CRE San Antonio apartment owners are brawling with a glut of units. When that happens, concessions are not far behind. According to MRI ApartmentData, San Antonio delivered 14,500 units in the past year, ...

San Antonio rents continue to drop as new apartments open and vacancy rises. www.connectcre.com/stories/san-...

It's almost like the evidence is staggering!

Obviously Trump doesn't realize how much of a revenue boost it would be to the sanctuary cities of Boston and Cambridge to revoke Harvard's tax exempt status.