Jesse Kanson-Benanav

The settings of a specific production goal is important, and even moreso is the implication that the city DOES have a role in keeping market rents affordable through production of more homes in ALL parts of the city.

We could use much more of this in the housing discourse in Boston.

He also set a specific goal of building 200k homes across the city in 10 years, so that affordable AND market rate tenants can have "more housing such that they are not being priced out..."

Zohran just said: "I am going to make it easier for the private sector to build housing in this city because what we see today is not labor, it's not materials, it's the wait that is actually costing so many, so much to build that housing"

I wish we would hear that as clearly stated in Boston.

Protest sign idea:
"No Kings (except King Eng)"

2025 City of Boston Poll Results The poll results may be downloaded here:

For more information, please visit www.abundanthousingma.org/2025-city-of...

Given the desire for more action and dissatisfaction with current approaches, Boston residents showed broad support for a variety of policies that would make it easier to build more homes and increase housing choices. Support for these policies was strongest among renters and younger households.

These results align with surveyed attitudes on efforts to improve housing affordability. Three-quarters of residents say the City government is doing only a fair or poor job on efforts to make Boston more affordable

A new poll from the MassInc Polling Group, commissioned by AHMA, found that overwhelming majorities of Boston residents want the city to take stronger action to address the housing shortage. This support cuts across surveyed demographics, including renters and owners, neighborhood, and income.

2025 City of Boston Poll Results The poll results may be downloaded here:

📊 New poll: Bostonians want more housing.

Large majorities of both renters + homeowners support bold reforms to tackle the city’s housing shortage — and most say not enough has been done. 🏙️

www.abundanthousingma.org/2025-city-of...

Survey says Wu should do more to bring down Boston’s sky-high rents - The Boston Globe A poll by a state housing advocacy group found that most Bostonians want the city to move more aggressively to build more and rein in housing costs.

Great to see @abundanthousingma.org advocating that the Mayor use some of her political capital to push for substantive action on zoning reform and other efforts to increase housing supply in Boston.

Lyft driver in Decatur, GA: Where’s home?

Me: Boston.

Lyft driver: Cambridge?

Me: Yes, actually. How did you—

Lyft driver: You’ve got that look about you.

Me: 😮🤔😭

Not sure about DC, but they are surprisingly controversial in Boston

Replace every closed Starbucks in Boston with Tatte.

As a result, with regards to ADUs, owners of property in most residential districts across the Commonwealth may now build ADUs by-right, but most residential property owners in Boston cannot.

This means that reforms to Ch40A like last year's statewide ADU legalization (within section 3 of Ch 40A), the MBTA Communities Act (section 3A of Ch 40A), or any other amendment to Ch40A defacto exclude Boston.

Yes, MGL Ch 40A is the State Zoning Act and, for a number of historic reasons, it applies to every municipality in MA except Boston. Zoning in Boston was authorized by Section 660 of the Acts of the Legislature of 1956, a separate statute. 1/

Hard agree with @jerusalem.bsky.social: the Abundance movement does *not* want an abundance of Town Meetings. So much less adorable in real life than in Gilmore Girls. Right, @salimfurth.bsky.social @jessekb.bsky.social ?

This guy couldn’t be bothered to say a single word when one of his political allies assassinated the Speaker of the Minnesota House.

Well, if there is one thing that is clear from Tuesday's preliminary election results in Boston it's that we should build bike lanes everywhere.

The MA housing menu is broken—too few affordable options, too many zoning restrictions.

The YIMBY Bill is the recipe for change. 🏡 Hearing Sept 17.

🍴 Sign the letter
🍴 Submit testimony
🍴 Share + spread the word

Learn more at:
www.abundanthousingma.org/takeactonyim...

Boston City Council Questionnaire Abundant Housing MA curated a series of questions for Boston City Council Candidates to weigh-in on current and future housing policy.

It's Voting Day in Boston!

Make an informed vote and read responses to our housing questionnaire! The questionnaire features 10 qs that surveys candidates’ stances on recent initiatives like improving the City’s zoning code, and legalizing more homes.

www.abundanthousingma.org/resources/bo...

Boston City Council Questionnaire Abundant Housing MA curated a series of questions for Boston City Council Candidates to weigh-in on current and future housing policy.

We asked Boston At-Large Candidates, "What specific housing policy initiatives will you prioritize as an elected official?” 🧵Here is what they said. tinylink.net/o5Hwm

Boston City Council Questionnaire Abundant Housing MA curated a series of questions for Boston City Council Candidates to weigh-in on current and future housing policy.

Housing is on the ballot in Boston.

We asked City Council candidates where they stand on rent, zoning, Squares + Streets, and more. 🏘

🗳 Early Voting: Sept 2–5
🗓 Election Day: Sept 9

Vote informed. Vote pro-housing.
🔗 www.abundanthousingma.org/resources/bo...

Boston’s housing costs are pushing people out. The Housing Abundance Amendment is our vision for equity + abundance in housing.

📅 Thurs Sept 11, 6PM | 📍 Zoom
💻 Join us for a webinar on how HAA can reshape Boston’s housing future.
🔗 www.abundanthousingma.org/boston-housi...

In late July, AHMA Organizers —Elvira Mora and Montell Khaldi— joined The Builder’s Coalition (TBC) for a Development Tour of the City of Revere + Summer Social event. Read more at www.abundanthousingma.org/ahma-on-the-...

It is only barely hyperbolic to say NIMBYism and the downstream effects of making affordable housing inaccessible are why Democrats have lost so much ground.

Come to Massachusetts

In 5 years, Abundant Housing MA grew from volunteers ➡️ a statewide movement.

Now we’re seeking two new Board Members to help advance housing abundance across MA.

💡 Know a passionate housing advocate? Apply/nominate today. docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F...

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.