Greetings Everyone, we hope you are surviving — or perhaps even enjoying? — this very cold January. At least it’s been mostly sunny!
It’s Time to Get Involved: How You Can Make a Difference in 2025
I’m not going to mince words here: we really need your help to move our local, pro-housing agenda forward. There are lots of ways to get involved, including running for Town Meeting, serving Board or Commission, or becoming part of a B4E precinct team. We encourage you to attend one of our three Zoom Information Sessions where you can learn more. The first one is this Tuesday Jan. 28 from 6-7 pm, then on Monday Feb. 10 from 3-4 pm and Tuesday Feb. 11 from 7-8 pm. No commitment is required to attend, just interest, but we’d love to have you come and learn easy ways you can help us make a difference. Please sign up here, and we will look forward to “seeing” you (on Zoom).
And, for those that can afford it, we also need your help financially. While our all-volunteer board and many volunteers throughout the year provide the labor, we rely on contributions from people who value the work we’re doing to make sure that we can keep informing and mobilizing our Brookline neighbors. Please use this link to donate directly to Brookline for Everyone so that we can continue our important work. And thank you!
How to Find Housing Opportunities in Greater Boston: Housing Navigator
Here’s a quick reminder about our favorite way to search for affordable housing in Massachusetts, Housing Navigator. We’ve mentioned them several times before, and they continue to improve their tools. We love their bi-weekly newsletter (you can see it here, and can subscribe here), which features include First Come First Served (FCFS) units, new Lotteries, and Short Waitlists which are always being updated. Check it out!
Key Meetings of Interest this Week and Next
- The Preservation Commission meets this Tuesday, Jan. 28 at 6:30 pm via Zoom for presentations on both the Washington Street “Complete Streets” Redesign Project as it affects the Brookline Village National Register Historic District, and the MBTA Green Line C Branch (Beacon Street) Accessibility Upgrades in the Beacon Street National Register District. While each project involves many important details that we need to get right, we think both are critical parts of upgrading our public transportation infrastructure to improve Brookline as a walkable, bikeable, and transit-accessible community. The agenda is here, and you can click here to join the meeting; no pre-registration is required.
- On Wednesday, Jan. 29 from 10:00-11:00 am, Representative Jake Auchincloss is holding a YIMBY Caucus Update & Town Hall (via Zoom, register here). Come learn about his recent cofounding of the House YIMBY (Yes-In-My-Back-Yard) Caucus and his efforts to support housing production in Congress. The meeting will consider his ideas about how Congress can encourage housing development, remove barriers to the construction of new homes, and invest in the infrastructure needed to unlock more affordable and walkable neighborhoods nationwide. The meeting will also have the opportunity for comment and discussion.
- The Zoning Board of Appeals continues its public hearing, via Zoom, this Wednesday, Jan. 29, 7:00 pm on the Chapter 40B application to build 103 residential units in Chestnut Hill on the block bounded by Hammond, Sheafe, and Heath Streets, with 26 of the 103 homes restricted as affordable at 80% Area Median Income. We are excited to see a substantial development of new homes close to Boylston Street (Route 9) and the commercial district abutting the Newton line. The project background and plans are available on the Brookline Town website here, and you can register for the Zoom meeting here. If you are supportive of more housing at this site, as we are, we encourage you to attend or submit written comments for the ZBA c/o Nicole Pare at npare@brooklinema.gov and Polly Selkoe at pselkoe@brooklinema.gov.
- Finally, the Massachusetts Chapter of Mothers Out Front is holding its first in-person State Assembly since 2019 on Sunday, Feb. 2 (12:30 – 4:30). This year’s Assembly will take place at the NonProfit Center (TSNE, 89 South St., Boston) and will include time both before and after for catching up and connecting with MOF members from across the Commonwealth. The State Assembly will include a presentation of MOF’s new 2025-2026 state campaign, small group discussions, an opportunity to get to know each other and to get energized about the important climate work ahead. Yu can see the draft program here, and register here.
Worth Reading: Time to Eliminate Tenant-Paid Broker Fees. We’ve been watching with approval the movement to eliminate broker fees being charged to tenants for rentals in Massachusetts. Last fall, Boston, Cambridge and Somerville all filed Home Rule Petitions for authority to outlaw these, and two weeks ago, propelled in part by these strong local movements, Governor Healey announced her proposal for statewide legislation, which we think is promising. For more background on efforts last year, and in other states, check out the article from earlier this month in the Boston Globe.
Have a great week,
Jonathan Klein,
on behalf of Brookline for Everyone