Jesse Kanson-Benanav's Avatar

Jesse Kanson-Benanav

@jessekb.bsky.social

Saying yes to homes for all across the Commonwealth of Massachusetts as Executive director of @abundanthousingma.org | http://linkedin.com/in/jesse-kb

1,845 Followers  |  527 Following  |  161 Posts  |  Joined: 17.05.2023
Posts Following

Posts by Jesse Kanson-Benanav (@jessekb.bsky.social)

Preview
New poll: 58% of Massachusetts voters support Legalize Starter Homes ballot question to build more housing statewide Boston – A new poll by YouGov and commissioned by Abundant Housing Massachusetts (AHMA), a statewide pro-housing organization, found that 58% of voters support a proposed ballot question to allow…

πŸ“Š NEW POLL: 58% of Massachusetts voters support the #LegalizeStarterHomes ballot question to allow smaller-lot single-family homes statewide.

Housing is the top issue for voters β€” outranking taxes and immigration.

It’s time to build more homes. 🏠

04.03.2026 22:00 β€” πŸ‘ 10    πŸ” 3    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

Let's try this again πŸ‘‹

Hi Bluesky - I'm Massachusetts' Attorney General. You might know me from suing President Trump nearly 50 times, beating Uber and Lyft in court, or being the first woman of color elected to statewide office in MA.

I officially left X today - help me find my MA people?

21.02.2026 16:32 β€” πŸ‘ 13762    πŸ” 3505    πŸ’¬ 893    πŸ“Œ 188

Screaming in Boston

13.02.2026 22:24 β€” πŸ‘ 22    πŸ” 7    πŸ’¬ 2    πŸ“Œ 0

Can you imagine our Mayor behind a podium that says "Let them Build?"

13.02.2026 14:43 β€” πŸ‘ 8    πŸ” 1    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0
Preview
YIMBYism continues to gain sway with latest Mamdani hires Mamdani is assembling a housing team aligned around expanding supply and accelerating development approvals as part of his affordability agenda.

Crying in Boston 😭
www.crainsnewyork.com/politics-pol...

13.02.2026 14:37 β€” πŸ‘ 16    πŸ” 3    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0
Preview
Maura Healey unveiled her latest plan to tackle Massachusetts’ housing crisis: Fewer staircases - The Boston Globe Fire codes have long required two staircases in mid-rise apartment buildings. But advocates worry that drives up construction costs. So the state will study doing away with one.

HOUSING NEWS: Massachusetts Governor Signs Executive Order to Study Single-Stair Residential Buildings

Gov. established an Advisory Group to study the conditions under which single-stair multifamily residential buildings could be permitted in Massachusetts.
www.bostonglobe.com/2026/02/12/b...

12.02.2026 21:26 β€” πŸ‘ 9    πŸ” 5    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 1
Video thumbnail

Police in Bloomington, MN just announced that one of the guys they arrested in an underage sex trafficking sting was a **background checker for ICE agents.**

He had a high security clearance in the Trump administration... and he was caught trying to abuse children. Sickening.

10.02.2026 20:53 β€” πŸ‘ 4941    πŸ” 2162    πŸ’¬ 155    πŸ“Œ 391
Preview
L.A. mayoral candidate Nithya Raman's record may surprise you Raman's stances on issues including homelessness, transportation, and protecting immigrants from the Trump administration are similar to those of opponent and former ally Karen Bass.

β€œYes, I’m a YIMBY,” Raman said, referring to the pro-housing β€œYes in My Backyard” acronym.

www.latimes.com/california/s...

10.02.2026 16:15 β€” πŸ‘ 2    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
Donate to support our work! β€” LUCE Immigrant Justice Network of MA

there’s a verified ICE report in East Somerville this morning, neighbors.

y’all have the LUCE number in your phones, right? maybe donate if you can, I just made mine recurring www.lucemass.org/donate

10.02.2026 13:35 β€” πŸ‘ 65    πŸ” 65    πŸ’¬ 2    πŸ“Œ 0

Amazing score by Mamdani bringing Andrew in to his already abundance-pilled administration. I've enjoyed getting to know and work with Andrew through @welcomingneighbors.us...and I won't tell anyone in NYC that he's actually a Mass. native! πŸ˜…

06.02.2026 20:50 β€” πŸ‘ 11    πŸ” 3    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

Missoula.

Montana.

In Boston still have single-family exclusive zones and other areas where even a classic triple decker can't be built by-right, not to mention a whole mess of costly parking mandates.

There's no reason, other than political will, that we can't do this in Boston.

03.02.2026 21:32 β€” πŸ‘ 21    πŸ” 7    πŸ’¬ 2    πŸ“Œ 0

People including a @bostonglobe.com columnist are lamenting the loss of a longstanding gas station in Jamaica Plain, and its replacement with 230 new homes.

No wonder we simultaneously crises in both housing and climate.

02.02.2026 18:06 β€” πŸ‘ 25    πŸ” 6    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 1

Allowing starter homes on smaller lots ➑️ building homes that everyone can afford.

Let's make it reality.

02.02.2026 17:02 β€” πŸ‘ 17    πŸ” 3    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
Post image

I really want to know the back story about how this person ended up with so many Amtrak cafe car sandwiches to give away on our local buy nothing group

29.01.2026 14:23 β€” πŸ‘ 19    πŸ” 4    πŸ’¬ 2    πŸ“Œ 0

Left Permanent
NIMBYs GOP control

🀝
Don't build homes in blue states

27.01.2026 22:49 β€” πŸ‘ 9    πŸ” 4    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

I know there was a protest at Park Street tonight but I found out too late. Does anyone know if others are planned for the near future (I suppose not tomorrow or Monday)? I'm feeling so angry and helpless that it seems likely it would be nice to be surrounded by others feeling similar.

24.01.2026 23:54 β€” πŸ‘ 8    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 3    πŸ“Œ 0

Alex Pretti was a colleague at the VA. We hired him to recruit for our trial. He became an ICU nurse- I lover working with him. He was a good kind person who lived to help and these fuckers executed him.

White. Hot. Rage.

24.01.2026 19:31 β€” πŸ‘ 60635    πŸ” 18876    πŸ’¬ 1404    πŸ“Œ 741

It sounds counterintuitive, but allowing buildings with just one staircase access can actually produce safer buildings.

Not to mention the tremendous effect on liveability that can come with smaller footprint buildings.

Read this excellent story!

17.01.2026 16:09 β€” πŸ‘ 21    πŸ” 5    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 1
Post image

I am shocked to learn that Montgomery Ward still exists (at least in catalogue format)

17.01.2026 16:15 β€” πŸ‘ 4    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 2    πŸ“Œ 0

(Ok, this is apropos of something in particular)

16.01.2026 16:24 β€” πŸ‘ 3    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

Apropos of nothing in particular, new development in Mass. increases a city's Prop 2.5 basis. That is to say, if a city is having property tax issues, incentivizing new housing & commercial dev is one way to increase revenue potentially w/out raising individual residential taxes or prop 2.5 override

16.01.2026 16:13 β€” πŸ‘ 12    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 3    πŸ“Œ 1

Seems Boston would beg to differ

15.01.2026 01:08 β€” πŸ‘ 4    πŸ” 1    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 1

Massachusetts has entered the chat

15.01.2026 01:08 β€” πŸ‘ 16    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 2    πŸ“Œ 0
Preview
UPenn faculty condemn Trump administration’s demand for β€˜lists of Jews’ Groups say EEOC demand for names and personal details echoes dark history and threatens safety and civil rights

History has nothing to say about a fascist government wanting a list of Jews at a higher education institution. I won't hold my breath waiting for Jonathan Greenblatt's condemnation.

14.01.2026 00:25 β€” πŸ‘ 31    πŸ” 10    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 4
Post image Post image

Congratulations to our 2025 Legislators of the Year @councillorsiddiqui.bsky.social and @burhanazeem.bsky.social, the newly selected Mayor and Vice Mayor of the Cambridge City Council!

05.01.2026 17:30 β€” πŸ‘ 10    πŸ” 1    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
Post image

I know there's lots of bad stuff in the world right now, but there is some good news

18.12.2025 23:33 β€” πŸ‘ 10    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 3    πŸ“Œ 0
Preview
Today in History: Supreme Court issues Bush v. Gore decision - The Boston Globe Today is Friday, Dec. 12, the 346th day of 2025. There are 19 days left in the year.

How would the trajectory of US and global politics have been different if this case went the other way and Gore won Florida?
www.bostonglobe.com/2025/12/12/m...

13.12.2025 22:39 β€” πŸ‘ 5    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0

No way in the world it would ever get done without the active involvement by and convincing of those in positions of power/influence (i.e., MA Assn of Fire Chiefs) that are "responsible for the current bad codes"

12.12.2025 21:22 β€” πŸ‘ 0    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0

If they're safe in Minnesota, they're safe in Massachusetts too.

Let's get it done: malegislature.gov/Bills/194/S2...

12.12.2025 20:35 β€” πŸ‘ 16    πŸ” 1    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0
An image by Alfred Twu comparing a variety of homes, up to 75' as studied by DLI for single egress to the MN state capitol, Duluth Old Central High School, the State Tree - the Red Pine, and other home types with a quote from Rep. Kozlowski which says "We thing about height (for more homes), 75 feet. That's a pine tree" coming from the state capitol. `

An image by Alfred Twu comparing a variety of homes, up to 75' as studied by DLI for single egress to the MN state capitol, Duluth Old Central High School, the State Tree - the Red Pine, and other home types with a quote from Rep. Kozlowski which says "We thing about height (for more homes), 75 feet. That's a pine tree" coming from the state capitol. `

In 2024 we helped to pass a legislative study to prove what we already knew.
That 75' single egress buildings are safe, and the #MNleg should legalize them.
Today that report is now live! dli.mn.gov/sites/defaul...

12.12.2025 18:47 β€” πŸ‘ 47    πŸ” 6    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 5