We want to start this week by thanking State Representative Tommy Vitolo for his work on the State’s FY25 Budget. In particular, his co-sponsorship of Amendment No. 1028 to increase financial operating support for the State’s public housing and his support for amendment no. 592 to increase housing support for people reentering society from incarceration. Both of these are priorities for the Greater Boston Interfaith Organization (GBIO) Housing Justice Campaign, which B4E has been actively supporting. Thank you, Tommy!
Election Day is May 7th — please Vote and Volunteer!
Volunteer to help campaign with B4E! We need folks to help us talk to voters in Coolidge Corner, to call and text voters, and to help us at the polls on Election Day. It’s easy and fun, and we’ll provide expert (but very short) training and back up. Let us know if you can help by filling out this simple volunteer form.
Watch our campaign video here and help us spread the word by sharing it directly on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. We think it is a great statement of our vision for a Brookline where housing options meet folks’ changing housing needs.
Finally, MAKE SURE YOU AND YOUR FRIENDS ALL VOTE! Early in-person voting at the Town Clerk’s Office (Town Hall, first floor) is currently underway and runs all week every day from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm through Friday May 3, when it ends at 12:30 pm. You can check your registration status here. And let your friends and neighbors who may not be as engaged in Town politics know how important it is to vote in the Town election. It’s not too late for their voices to be heard. You can find B4E’s endorsements here. Many of our friends and neighbors aren’t as engaged in local politics, so a nudge from someone they know with recommendations on who to vote for could make a big difference!
Apply to Join the Comprehensive Plan Steering Group. Please!
Brookline’s Comprehensive Planning process — the first in 20 years — is set to begin and the Town is looking for volunteers to serve on the Steering Committee which will help guide the process, garner and synthesize public input, and help make recommendations. This group will play a vital role in shaping our community’s future, and we need pro-housing residents to step up and participate in this important group. If you have been looking for an opportunity for more meaningful involvement with the Town, this could be it. You can learn more and apply here, or reach out to B4E directly at brooklineforeveryone@gmail.com for more information. Applications are due Friday, May 3.
Meetings of Note this Week
- The Affordable Housing Overlay District (AHOD) Study Subcommittee will be meeting Tuesday, April 30, via Zoom, at 7:30-9:00 pm (join here; no registration necessary). This month the Committee will meet with Kyle Talente, from the Town’s newly-hired consultant RKG Associates, about plans for their feasibility study to assist the Committee to determine where, and how, an affordable housing overlay (which would provide zoning incentives for 100% affordable developments) would/could work in Brookline. You can see all the Committee’s background documentation and work to date here in their “Rolling Meeting Agendas and Minutes.”
- The Housing Advisory Board (HAB) will have its regular monthly meeting Wednesday, May 1, from 5:30-7:30 pm via Zoom, where the agenda will include further discussion of WA 13 regarding ADUs (including proposed amendments), review and possible vote on a draft RFP for an Emergency Rental Assistance Pilot Program to be funded by the Affordable Housing Trust, and various updates. You can register here for the HAB meeting, and see the full agenda here.
Coming Next Week — More on Chestnut Hill Commercial Area
The Chestnut Hill Commercial Area Study, which is examining opportunities to create new commercial tax growth and enhance the livability and identity of the Chestnut Hill commercial area, held an introductory meeting and community workshop last week. The Town’s Economic Development & Long-Term Planning Division is leading the study, and will provide the Select Board with recommendations, implementation measures, and appropriate rezoning proposals for Town Meeting’s consideration in Spring 2025. There are two important opportunities to participate in this process next week:
- The Planning Board will hold an in person workshop on Monday, May 6, from 7:30-9:30 pm in the 3rd Floor Conference Room at Town Hall (333 Washington Street). The public is encouraged to attend and participate. For more information, contact Polly Selkoe (pselkoe@brooklinema.gov) in the Planning Department.
- A virtual community workshop will also be held on Wednesday, May 8th, from 6:00-8:00 pm. You can register for the Zoom meeting here, and can contact Meredith Mooney (mmooney@brooklinema.gov) in the Planning Department for more information.
If you are able to go to either event, we encourage you to talk about the importance of mixed use buildings that will provide both commercial development AND the opportunity for more, badly needed multifamily housing.
What We’re Reading This Week
We liked this short article, Why Multiple, Parallel Regulatory Authorities Make Housing Really Hard, by Scott Pollack and Susan Connelly and published by the Boston/New England division of the Urban Land Institute. As they say, “Zoning is just one of the many twists and turns that created the labyrinth of multiple, uncoordinated regulations that impact housing. Zoning reform is necessary but is insufficient to straighten out the Gordian Knot that we’ve tied. The housing crisis will not be solved by only thinking about supply. Every dollar spent on permitting, especially for workforce housing, is a dollar that could have been used to build more housing.” (Our emphasis.)