Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Waltham Inclusive Neighborhoods @wneighborhoods.bsky.social · 1d

Come organize for more abundant and affordable housing in Waltham this Sunday at the library!

Waltham Inclusive Neighborhoods @wneighborhoods.bsky.social · 7d

Waltham Inclusive Neighborhoods Autumn Social!

🗓️ 10/17/25 @ 6 PM
📍 Deep Ellum (467 Moody St)

Connect with your neighbors, housing advocates and community leaders to discuss housing affordability and inclusivity. See you there!

1 2 2

Waltham Inclusive Neighborhoods @wneighborhoods.bsky.social · 22d

After a short delay, the roommate housing hearing is back on for next Tuesday!

4

Waltham Inclusive Neighborhoods @wneighborhoods.bsky.social · Sep 14

Waltham friends, and we’d love for you to join us at our next organizing meeting.

We’ll be covering:
• Updates on the city’s comprehensive zoning review
• Statewide housing legislation in the works
• Roommate housing as part of the affordability puzzle

3

Waltham Inclusive Neighborhoods @wneighborhoods.bsky.social · Sep 9

The week ahead: City Council returns for the fall with a new zoning plan walthamtimes.org/2025/09/07/t...

The week ahead: City Council returns for the fall with a new zoning plan – Waltham Times

Waltham City Hall. This week marks City Council’s return from its summer break to its regularly scheduled meetings. The council’s regular session will be

walthamtimes.org

3

Reposted by Waltham Inclusive Neighborhoods

Abundant Housing Massachusetts @abundanthousingma.org · Sep 8

The MA housing menu is broken—too few affordable options, too many zoning restrictions.

The YIMBY Bill is the recipe for change. 🏡 Hearing Sept 17.

🍴 Sign the letter
🍴 Submit testimony
🍴 Share + spread the word

Learn more at:
www.abundanthousingma.org/takeactonyim...

1 6 28

Waltham Inclusive Neighborhoods @wneighborhoods.bsky.social · Aug 26

Recent article with lots of context on 40B housing development in Waltham.

Waltham will soon be able to limit new development through Chapter 40B walthamtimes.org/2025/08/24/w...

Waltham will soon be able to limit new development through Chapter 40B – Waltham Times

Canva stock image. This Tuesday, the city’s Zoning Board of Appeals will open its fourth active hearing for an apartment building permit through Chapter

walthamtimes.org

1

Waltham Inclusive Neighborhoods @wneighborhoods.bsky.social · Aug 26

TODAY! ZBA meeting in support of more multi-family development in Waltham.

1

Waltham Inclusive Neighborhoods @wneighborhoods.bsky.social · Aug 13

The good news is, there are many ways this situation can be improved!
Most of the policies affecting Waltham and Massachusetts’ housing shortage are determined on the local level, so it takes local support to bring real change!

The Boston Globe @bostonglobe.com · Aug 13

For decades, buying a starter home in Massachusetts was a common milestone for younger adults. These days, it’s much less common, especially compared with other states. See the data here: trib.al/5BomkkS

A real estate sign sitting outside a Massachusetts home. The white text reads: "Massachusetts has the fourth lowest younger adult homeownership rate in the US."

1 2

Reposted by Waltham Inclusive Neighborhoods

Elizabeth Warren @warren.senate.gov · Aug 12

We need more housing.

Every single Senator on the Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee voted to advance a landmark package to help get more homes built and make the federal government a better partner to local communities.

Let's get this done.

68 250 1.3K

Waltham Inclusive Neighborhoods @wneighborhoods.bsky.social · Aug 13

📣 Join Waltham Inclusive Neighborhoods (WIN) for our August Organizing Meeting! 🏡 Let’s work together to bring more abundant and affordable housing to Waltham. All are welcome!
🗓️ When: Sunday, Aug 24th, 3:00-4:30 PM
📍 Where: Waltham Public Library - Trustees Room

3

Reposted by Waltham Inclusive Neighborhoods

jamelle @jamellebouie.net · Aug 11

also, “we can only build if no one can earn a profit” is just “we shouldn’t build” with a few extra steps

3 15 160

Waltham Inclusive Neighborhoods @wneighborhoods.bsky.social · Aug 2

🎉 HUGE thanks to everyone who came out to our WIN potluck social in Waltham! Some incredible WINS together: the transformative MBTA Communities Act, the landmark ADU legalization, and our Democratic City Committees award! 🏆 Let's keep the momentum going! 💪

4

Reposted by Waltham Inclusive Neighborhoods

City Nolan @ndhapple.bsky.social · Aug 1

Building *slows* gentrification; and *not* building makes it much worse: "The findings suggest that not allowing more homes to be built—even for high-income residents—pushes up all rents, making it harder for low-income tenants to remain in their neighborhoods." -- www.pew.org/en/research-...

New Housing Slows Rent Growth Most for Older, More Affordable Units

The nationwide housing shortage has driven rents up more in low-income neighborhoods than in the U.S. overall, but in areas that have recently added large amounts of housing, rents have fallen the mos...

www.pew.org

2 100 320

Reposted by Waltham Inclusive Neighborhoods

Gravel Influencer @gravelinfluencer.bsky.social · Aug 1

I mentioned recently that Salem, Massachusetts is proposing the elimination of parking minimums. A city councilor did a great FAQ on the proposal and on parking minimums generally. Some great information and talking points here!

Parking Reform in Salem: Honest Q&A
There’s been a lot of discussion about the Mayor's proposal to eliminate minimum parking requirements for new multifamily housing. It’s a big change, and it’s natural to have questions. This Q&A covers what the policy does, and doesn’t, do, what it means for Salem’s neighborhoods and historic character, and most importantly, why we are considering this change.

Why are we talking about parking? Doesn’t Salem need more parking, not less?

Nobody wants to ban parking. This change would remove the mandate to build more parking than people actually use.

Right now, Salem requires 1.5 parking spaces per new multifamily unit, with limited exceptions, no matter where it’s built or who’s moving in. This requirement has been in place for over 50 years.

But won’t getting rid of parking rules make parking harder to find?

That’s a fair concern. But in reality, Salem is already overbuilding parking, and a lot of it sits empty. When we require more off-street parking than needed, we sacrifice the alternatives that could have utilized the space or the costs associated with that unused parking.

Here in Salem, the following was observed in a sample set of multifamily housing developments:

38 percent of parking spaces go unused

Household demand for people living in multifamily housing was about 0.85 spaces, not 1.5

15 percent of Salem households don’t own a car at all

Nearly half of households report access to only one car

So right now, we’re making housing more expensive in order to build parking that the evidence shows is not needed.

Why not just reduce the parking requirement instead of getting rid of it entirely?

We could, but then we’re still guessing what the right number is. Every project is different. Some need more parking, some need less. By removing the requirement, we stop forcing a one-size-fits-all solution and instead let parking match the actual need for each project. This also makes it easier for small property owners, not just big developers, to build housing without paying for unnecessary parking.

Isn’t this going to drive up competition for street parking?

Larger projects of 6 or more units will still go through Site Plan Review. The Planning Board will assess each project’s approach to managing its transportation needs. That review will ensure adequate parking for residents, visitors, health aides, or car shares. We’re not throwing common sense out the window.

Other cities tried this, and the parking chaos people worried about never materialized. Developers still build parking when it makes sense, they just stop building more than necessary.

How does this affect the future for me and my family?

This is about expanding housing options so that your kids and grandkids can afford to live here in the future. Requiring too much parking drives up housing costs. A single parking space can add up to $40,000 to the cost of a project, which is often passed on to the buyer. It also eats up land that could be homes, shops, or green space. And it blocks smaller housing projects from even getting started.

What about Salem’s historic neighborhoods and tourism? Don’t we need parking for that?

We’ll still have parking. But parking mandates often hurt historic areas because they lead to tearing down buildings to create parking lots. That’s the last thing we need. Many of the historic housing options we all love were built before the existing parking minimums were implemented and couldn’t be built with the existing mandate.

Cities like Provincetown, MA, Santa Fe, NM, and Burlington, VT, got rid of minimums for selected uses downtown to protect their historic districts and keep their communities walkable. Tourists still come. In fact, here in Salem, we have no parking minimums for commercial uses in the downtown, as requiring off-street parking for commercial uses in the downtown core would run contrary to our policy goals of having an active downtown that supports historic preservation.

However, I want to be clear that the current proposal before the Council would eliminate the existing minimum parking mandate for multifamily housing. The City of Salem Zoning Ordinance classifies off-street parking as an accessory use, defined as “a use customarily incidental to that of the main or principal building or use of the land.” Accessory uses are required to be incidental to the primary use. In the case of multifamily housing, off-street parking is such an accessory use and must be used in service of on-site uses, meaning parking at multifamily housing developments is not available to tourists. In other words, nothing about this proposal takes away parking for tourists, it just stops forcing developers to build extra spots for private residential use.

Isn’t car access important for people with disabilities or older adults?

Of course. That’s why ADA-required parking stays in place. This change doesn’t affect federal accessibility rules. It just removes local mandates that often go beyond what’s needed.

Why make this change when Salem already feels too crowded?

Salem needs 2,229 new homes in the next 10 years to keep up with demand. We won’t get there if we keep forcing builders to dedicate valuable land and dollars to parking spaces that sit empty. This is about making sure Salem stays livable and affordable, not just for tourists, but for regular people trying to stay in their hometown.

What if a developer builds too little parking just to save money? Won’t that hurt neighbors?

Builders still need to make their projects marketable. If they don’t build enough parking, they risk not selling or renting their units. In practice, when cities remove parking minimums, developers build the amount of parking their future residents actually want—no more, no less. Plus, larger projects will still go through review where plans can be adjusted to avoid real problems.

Could this mean more cars circling the block looking for spots?

Cities that have removed parking minimums often see less driving overall, not more. That’s because when housing comes with less forced parking, some residents choose to own fewer cars or not own a car at all. The data shows this happens especially in walkable, transit-connected areas like downtown Salem.

Will this make traffic worse?

Building more parking contributes to more traffic. It encourages more people to drive, which leads to congestion. Reducing unnecessary parking helps support walking, biking, and mass transit, especially in a compact city like Salem. This is part of how we reduce traffic, not add to it.

2 16 51

Waltham Inclusive Neighborhoods @wneighborhoods.bsky.social · Jul 27

docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F...

WIN Summer Social and Potluck

WIN will be hosting a Summer Social and Potluck on Friday, August 1 from 6-8 PM at 30 Robbins St!

docs.google.com

Waltham Inclusive Neighborhoods @wneighborhoods.bsky.social · Jul 27

Join WIN for a Summer Social this Friday at 6pm.
Come connect with people in Waltham interested in promoting affordable, equitable, and sustainable housing in the city.
Newcomers, longtime residents, families, friends, etc are all welcome.
Please consider RSVPing at the link below:

1 1

Waltham Inclusive Neighborhoods @wneighborhoods.bsky.social · Jul 21

📣 Join Waltham Inclusive Neighborhoods (WIN) for our July Organizing Meeting! 🏡 Let’s work together to bring more abundant and affordable housing to Waltham. All are welcome!

3

Waltham Inclusive Neighborhoods @wneighborhoods.bsky.social · Jul 11

Waltham's city is targeting roommate housing! This hurts students & low-income residents who need shared living to afford rent.
ACT NOW:
1️⃣ Ward 8/9: Email Councilors Harris/Logan & ZBA (template in bio)
2️⃣ ALL: Attend ZBA Hearing, July 15, 7 PM, Govt Center Basement.
Support roommates!

1

Reposted by Waltham Inclusive Neighborhoods

Jonathan Berk 🏠 @berkie1.bsky.social · Jul 7

As the average household size shrunk since 1960, the median size of a new home in America doubled. We have to get back to building a variety of housing in all of our communities, providing starter homes and places for people to downsize into as life circumstances dictate.

1 19 54

Reposted by Waltham Inclusive Neighborhoods

Payton Chung @westnorth.com · Jun 30

One Weird Trick cut in-town new-house prices in these three growing cities by $200,000. What was it? Zoning, of course. Read more in @ggwash.org:

Greater Greater Washington @ggwash.org · Jun 30

Making it easier to build more, smaller houses would bring down home prices and help bring back the starter home. Part 2 in a series shows how three cities in North Carolina and Oregon have done just that.

Where re-legalizing starter homes cut new house prices

View this post on ggwash.org

ggwash.org

5 14

Waltham Inclusive Neighborhoods @wneighborhoods.bsky.social · Jun 26

We have our monthly organizing meeting this Sunday, June 29, at 3PM. You can join us either in-person at the library's Trustees Room or via zoom. We will be planning our future advocacy efforts regarding equitable zoning, affordable housing production, and city efforts to displace student renters.

Reposted by Waltham Inclusive Neighborhoods

Jonathan Berk 🏠 @berkie1.bsky.social · Jun 25

“An RTD study found that 40 percent of parking spaces at market-rate housing and 50 percent of spaces at affordable housing near transit went unused at peak times… Each spot adds up to $50,000 to each home’s purchase price or $200-to-300 per month to rents.”
www.westword.com/news/denver-...

Rigid Parking Minimums Increase Housing Costs: Making Denver Affordable Requires Flexibility

A propoal heading to Denver City Council would help lower rents and home prices in an era of high building material costs and exorbitant interest rates.

www.westword.com

1 14 47

Reposted by Waltham Inclusive Neighborhoods

Abundant Housing Massachusetts @abundanthousingma.org · Jun 23

🚨Action Alert: Support more homes on June 25th!
Two of AHMA’s priority bills are being heard by the Joint Committee on Housing Wed., June 25 at 1 pm.

We need your advocacy to get these bills passed. Sign-up to testify or submit written testimony here: www.abundanthousingma.org/%f0%9f%9a%a8...

1 1