"A drop of approximately 20% in inflation-adjusted rents—as happened in Austin, Texas, and Minneapolis after those cities made reforms—could reduce poverty by 18% to 26% and child poverty by 21% to 38%." @pewresearch.org www.pew.org/en/research-...

The Housing Shortage Is a Major Driver of Poverty

Housing costs are usually the largest item in a household’s budget and can determine a family’s financial stability.

pew.org

New England has normalized building too little housing. It’s not just a Massachusetts problem, all six New England states have been lagging far behind the rest of the country in housing production for decades.

whenever I’m feeling sad and need a good laugh I just watch old clips of Marblehead residents reacting to proposed zoning changes at Town Meeting…

the reaction when you propose building a duplex in an exclusionary Massachusetts suburb

We need a good investigative journalist to look into these claims circulating on the Internet. Is the sky still standing in Salem, Massachusetts?

Jonathan Berk 🏠@berkie1.bsky.social · 2d ago

One year ago today, my City eliminated minimum parking requirements for multifamily housing. One year later: the sky didn’t fall. Most projects still include parking. But some infill housing is finally moving forward where parking mandates once made it infeasible. 📍Salem, MA

One year ago today, my City eliminated minimum parking requirements for multifamily housing. One year later: the sky didn’t fall. Most projects still include parking. But some infill housing is finally moving forward where parking mandates once made it infeasible. 📍Salem, MA

Marblehead, MA may have some of the most absurd residential parking requirements I’ve encountered. "For residential uses... there shall be TWO (2) exterior parking spaces for each dwelling unit. Garage, carport or tandem spaces shall not be used to satisfy this requirement."

"Are we kinda being pricks?" Volume 2. The Winthrop Edition.

The nor’ easter meets Halloween in Salem

Marblehead, MA may have some of the most absurd residential parking requirements I’ve encountered. "For residential uses... there shall be TWO (2) exterior parking spaces for each dwelling unit. Garage, carport or tandem spaces shall not be used to satisfy this requirement."

Some Falmouth Planning Board members balk at legalizing starter homes on small lots & complain “state overreach” is infringing on local control. Yet the homes located in some of town’s most in-demand n-hoods could not be built today because the lots deemed “undersized” by current zoning standards.

Jonathan Berk 🏠@berkie1.bsky.social · last wk.

“Communities depend on having housing options that working families & young people can actually afford. Supporting this ballot question will help break down barriers to homeownership, keep our state competitive, and allow our young people to stay & thrive in MA.” @massltgovernor.bsky.social

At a minimum, we need de-facto zoning. You should be allowed to build what already exists in an area.

Jonathan Berk 🏠@berkie1.bsky.social · last wk.

99% of Boston's existing residential parcels could not be built today under it's current 4,000+ page zoning code, the longest in North America. If your zoning makes 99% of your city illegal... it's time to throw it out and start over.

99% of Boston's existing residential parcels could not be built today under it's current 4,000+ page zoning code, the longest in North America. If your zoning makes 99% of your city illegal... it's time to throw it out and start over.

Massachusetts’ housing permitting system puts everyone in a bad position. Planning boards, staff, neighbors, and developers are often responding rationally to a system that fosters uncertainty, rewards delay, and makes housing more expensive. My new report, “Delayed by Design,” looks at why.

A U.S. Congressman, Governor, Lieutenant Governor, 5 mayors, 6 state senators, 8 state representatives, 13 city councilors, a county commissioner, select board members, and a county sheriff have all signed on to support Yes on 7 to legalize starter homes, once again, in Massachusetts.

“Communities depend on having housing options that working families & young people can actually afford. Supporting this ballot question will help break down barriers to homeownership, keep our state competitive, and allow our young people to stay & thrive in MA.” @massltgovernor.bsky.social

🚨Massachuestts' Gov. Healey has endorsed Yes on Question 7! . “Legalize Starter Homes” makes it easier to build smaller, more attainable homes on smaller lots. “By opening doors to first-time homeowners, we’ll help more young people afford to stay in MA and build their future here.”

It's been wild watching this play out on the South Shore. One town after another decides they don't want to upzone. Lawyers, town managers, etc tell people their town will lose state money. People vote down the upzoning. Town loses state money. Town sues, town loses. Repeat.

Jonathan Berk 🏠@berkie1.bsky.social · 2w ago

Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Campbell (D) is now undefeated in her efforts to uphold municipal compliance with the MBTA Communities Act.

Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Campbell (D) is now undefeated in her efforts to uphold municipal compliance with the MBTA Communities Act.

“Permissive zoning is not the same as permission to build.” My new report, Delayed by Design: How Discretionary Permitting Stalls Housing in Massachusetts, looks at how permitting uncertainty drives delays, increases costs & makes housing allowed on paper harder to build.

Learn more in our report, “Delayed by Design: How Discretionary Permitting Stalls Housing in Massachusetts.” buff.ly/VrboRp2

Shocking to absolutely no one... The SJC has, once again, upheld the MBTA Communities Act, ruling that it was was not an "unfunded mandate," despite claims to the contrary by Auditor Dizoglio. www.bostonglobe.com/2026/09/18/m...

State’s highest court renews its support for MBTA Communities Act, deems it ‘valid general law’ - The Boston Globe

Writing for the court, Justice Serge Georges Jr. dismissed Marshfield’s contention that the law creates an unfunded local mandate.

bostonglobe.com

Bloomington City Council voted 5-3 this week to eliminate mandatory minimum parking requirements citywide and cut minimum lot sizes in R3 zones from 5,000 to 2,000sf and R4 zones from 4,000 to 2,000sf. 📍Bloomington, IN

“Even well-intentioned communities can still find their housing production stuck in slow gear thanks to a lack of state guardrails governing site plan reviews, rules that give too many local boards veto power over individual projects…”

38 Norman Street should have been a 6-story, 32-unit by-right project in Salem’s most permissive downtown district. Abutter opposition led the developer to cut it to 4 stories and 20 units. They were sued anyway. Read my new Massachusetts permitting report; "Delayed be Design" out today.

38 Norman Street should have been a 6-story, 32-unit by-right project in Salem’s most permissive downtown district. Abutter opposition led the developer to cut it to 4 stories and 20 units. They were sued anyway. Read my new Massachusetts permitting report; "Delayed be Design" out today.

“Permissive zoning is not the same as permission to build.” My new report, Delayed by Design: How Discretionary Permitting Stalls Housing in Massachusetts, looks at how permitting uncertainty drives delays, increases costs & makes housing allowed on paper harder to build.

Boston should no longer be exempt from statewide zoning reform. It makes little policy sense for reforms designed to expand housing production to apply to 350 cities and towns while leaving out Massachusetts' largest city and housing market. Boston needs to do its part.

Haddon Hall, in Boston’s Back Bay is 116’ tall, nearly twice the height of the surrounding brownstones. Built in 1894, it took advantage of the fact that the Back Bay had yet to impose height limits. Its construction lead to Boston’s first height restrictions.

New Massachusetts growth strategy… Market Basket Oriented Development (MBOD)