Justin S.

"The reality is that when homes are scarce, high and middle-income earners can trade down into lower-income neighborhoods to find housing, but low-income households have nowhere to turn, so they end up having to compete for their own homes and wind up paying higher rents."

Adding homes lowers rents for low-income tenants, even if they do not move into the new homes.

Policies that impede the construction of homes - even those marketed as luxury housing - hurt tenants.

Design Review is hostile to low-income tenants.

The Research All Points in the Same Direction: Adding More Homes Curbs Rents for Low-Income Tenants - Metropolitan Abundance Project The Center on Poverty and Inequality at Georgetown Law made a surprising and contrarian argument in a new paper: adding more homes does not benefit low-income tenants. Three recent separate analyses…

TL;DR: Adding housing actually cuts costs for those who need it most. 📉

Didn't think we needed it, but still grateful for the solid data (again).

So little bit a surprise but we also sent out a little mailer to almost every voter in the district today, both announcing the campaign and getting input!

The first responses are coming in! Fill it out at voteburhan.com/survey

Also, the first few years were mostly projects permitted prior to the change.

I think they wanted to build labs, which Cambridge also taxes via linkage

To improve Squares and Streets, Boston could set an overall goal for new housing, apportion that to the n’hoods, and then have the n’hoods decide where to put it—modestly across the board or significantly in squares/on corridors. As is, a n’hood could essentially decide not to upzone anything.

bsky.app/profile/jsai...

NYC Planning (@NYCPlanning) In a city that moves a mile a minute, it shouldn’t take two years to get an affordable home through environmental review! Watch @NYCMayor stand with @GovKathyHochul to support streamlining state SEQR...

Can we get @zohrankmamdani.bsky.social to speak about housing to some folks in Boston?

fxtwitter.com/NYCPlanning/...

Great to hear from @planning.boston.gov last night. The AB Community Plan is a generational opportunity to set the neighborhood on a path to build more housing, support local businesses, and invest in pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure. Hope to see folks at the Wed. meeting and ABHA after-party!

YouTube video by Cambridge Community Television Zoning Lessons For Housing Affordability

Here’s a link to the video of the panel. www.youtube.com/watch?v=JqkT...

Cool Paper on the progressive effect of upzoning Here is an amazing paper.

open.substack.com/pub/kevinerd...

“Opposing upzoning probably mostly protects low density wealthy neighborhoods and creates more displacement in low-income neighborhoods.”

“The shortage increases the price of parcels in low-income neighborhoods proportionately more than high-income neighborhoods. Under zoning constraints, then, redevelopment is more likely to be nudged into low-income neighborhoods.”

@kevinerdmann.bsky.social just discussed the terrific paper by MIT PhD student Vincent Rollet, who was on the @somervilleyimby.org and A Better Cambridge panel on Zoning for Affordability last October.

Is Jan 26 now available in full?

Do you happen to know if there is a video available anywhere? This version doesn’t seem to be working. cambridgema.v3.swagit.com/events/44601

Every homeowner commenting against new housing at city council meetings

@massgovernor.bsky.social @kimdriscollma.bsky.social we can’t wait until the late 2030s!

Luckily, I saw your post before I started trying!

FYI, fellow Cambridge City Council agenda reviewers

How do we fix America's housing crisis? Check out my plan at the link below.

www.gallego.senate.gov/wp-content/u...

We have the #cambma City Council 2026-7 committee assignments!
cambridgema.iqm2.com/Citizens/Det...

Notably, as to chairs:
Ordinance is MM+JSW.
Housing is BA+JWS.
New member AAZ gets Public Safety and co-chairs Finance, Human Services.
New member TF co-chairs Economic Development, Transportation.

Governor Healey at ADU event.

Governor Healey at ADU event.

In-law suites, granny flats, backyard cottages – whatever you call them, you can now build ADUs without special permits.

In the first half of 2025, homeowners filed almost 1K applications. We're making it easier and cheaper to build housing that works for your family.

Thank you to everyone who wrote to the Cambridge City Council and gave public comment in support!

New housing stops landlords from raising rents—take it from the CEO of AvalonBay, one of NYC's largest landlords:
"We're well-positioned… we face significantly less new supply. Land entitled for multifamily is hard to come by, the amount of time it takes to get those entitlements… sets us up well.”

You may not believe that building new housing lowers rents, but your landlord does:

Aerial view of a densely populated residential area with homes displaying a mosaic of autumn-colored trees in vibrant shades of red, yellow, and orange.

🌳 From 2018–2024, Cambridge's tree canopy experienced an overall increase of 5%! 📈

The Department of Public Works' updated tree canopy assessment is now available, thanks to aerial imagery & LiDAR data.

📝 Read the full report: https://camb.ma/48LMGJh

You could also send the corporate landlord statements to investors about earnings risks, which all include something like “if a lot more housing gets built, it will reduce rents and lower our earnings.”

Rents have gone down in a lot of the country thanks to more apartments getting built.

a man holding a microphone with the words why would you do that behind him ALT: a man holding a microphone with the words why would you do that behind him

YIMBY avengers assemble! Can someone provide good debunking on the "corporate landlords hoard vacant apartments" urban legend?

I met someone tonight who holds fast to this and we agreed to exchange sources, but my main source is "this makes no economic sense"