Greetings, everyone, and happy official summer! Let’s start today with a little history. I’ve been doing some research on Brookline’s zoning, especially the down zonings in the 1970s through the 1990s, and came across this great quote in the September 15, 1973 edition of the Brookline Chronicle Citizen. Celia Hozid, then a resident of the senior housing development 100 Centre Street, was quoted as saying that she “strenuously objects” to the proposed reduction in permitted height of buildings, and that “This town is supposed to be for everybody.” Thank you Celia, and we agree! (Unfortunately, 1973 downzoning also had supporters and did pass Town Meeting.)
On Monday, June 26, join our friends at the Great Boston Interfaith Organization (GBIO) for their Statewide Major Action to Support Housing Justice
GBIO has 900 to 1,000 folks registered to come together and voice their support for GBIO’s Housing Justice Campaign (see details here), including better funding for public housing, meaningful implementation of the MBTA Communities Act across the state, and new funding for affordable housing development through the Real Estate Transfer Fee (RETF). Speakers will include Lieutenant Governor Kim Driscoll, recently-appointed Housing Secretary Ed Augustus, Boston Mayor Michelle Wu, and Rahsaan Hall, President of the Boston Urban League. The event is at Temple Israel, 477 Longwood Avenue in Boston (right next to Brookline), from 7:00-8:30 pm (though attendees are encouraged to arrive and find seats by 6:45). You can see the GBIO event flyer here and can register here, or just register at the door. (Note that on the drop down menu for “GBIO Member Institution”, simply click the first line for “Tenant, Building Trades, or non-GBIO Institution” — everyone is welcome!)
Also on Monday, June 26 at 6:30 pm, via Zoom, the Community Preservation Act Committee is meeting for a report on results of the community engagement, including the survey, and presentation of a draft of the Community Preservation Plan goals. You can register here, and see the full agenda here.
MBTA Communities Act (MBTA-CA) Updates. There is a lot of activity this week as Brookline continues to grapple with how to comply with the MBTA-CA. Since Brookline needs to pass the zoning changes needed to comply during the Fall 2023 Town Meeting (starting around November 15 this year), with a filing deadline for Warrant Articles of about September 1, there is a lot of work to be done in the next two months.
- This Tuesday, June 27, the MBTA-CA Multifamily Permitting Committee (MMPC) will present a formal update at this week’s Select Board Meeting. For a preview, you can see the planned slide deck presentation here. The meeting starts at 5:00 but then goes into Executive Session (public excluded) for 45 minutes, with MBTA-CA likely on the agenda around 7:00, but this isn’t exact, so if you are interested check in to see how the meeting is going. You can register for the Zoom meeting here, or attend in person at the Select Board Meeting Room on the 6th floor of Town Hall at 333 Washington Street.
- On Wednesday (6/28) and Thursday (6/28), the Planning Department will present workshops for “property specific test fits” to show how the new proposed zoning in the Harvard Street Corridor may apply to specific properties. More information at the Town’s MBTA Communities Act workshops page here. Zoom registration for June 28 is here and June 29 is here, both at 12pm.
- Join the Yes! in Brookline campaign. Click here to add your name to the growing list of supporters of meaningful MBTA-CA compliance and sign up to urge the Select Board to get behind meaningful compliance too! Stay tuned for opportunities to make your voice heard and support more transit-oriented housing in Brookline.
Worth Reading. The Brookline Community Foundation’s Economic Inequality in Brookline Report was released several weeks ago, and is compelling (but disturbing) reading. Among the findings:
- Nearly 1 in 4 community members are experiencing economic strain,
- 36% of community members are housing burdened, meaning they spend more than 1/3 of their income on housing costs, and
- Childcare costs in Norfolk County are the 4th most expensive in the country.
You can see the full report here. Of course, some of these things are beyond our control as one town in a larger economic environment, but there are many things we can do to make a difference — including continuing our efforts at B4E to provide more affordable housing in Brookline for households of all types and at every economic level.
Thanks and have a great week,
Jonathan Klein, on behalf of Brookline for Everyone