The mayor recently vetoed a new mixed use zoning district overlaying Bay Colony on Winter St after being unanimously passed by city council. We’re hosting an info session Monday July 27 with more info.
Waltham Inclusive Neighborhoods
@wneighborhoods.bsky.social
Advocating for more abundant and affordable housing in Waltham, MA. subscribe to our email list: walthampolitics.com/win Linktree: https://linktr.ee/WIN_Waltham
Empty offices are costing Waltham millions 📉 The solution? Housing! 🏠 Despite the “bad math” you often hear, new apartments actually generate a massive net surplus, paying for both new city services AND old municipal debt.
Attention voters in South and eastern Waltham! There is a contested state primary combing up in September and the deadline to register is in August. Alison Leary (endorsed by AHMA) and John Lawn are running for State Rep.
Join us this Sunday 6/28 at 3 PM at the Waltham Public Library - Trustees Room. We'll discuss: -Affordable housing updates -Abundant Housing MA's endorsement of Alison Leary -The statewide starter homes ballot initiative -Planning our summer social
City Council takes initial vote to approve west Waltham neighborhoods, considers expansion walthamtimes.org/2026/06/11/c...
City Council takes initial vote to approve west Waltham neighborhoods, considers expansion – Waltham Times
City councilors at their meeting this Monday took the first step to approve a plan to add three new neighborhoods to the west side of town. Councilors
walthamtimes.org
Massachusetts’ housing crisis is a slow-moving disaster. Every year we fail to act, we lose more workers, push families away & weaken the Commonwealth’s future. If the Legislature ends this session without major housing reforms, it will amount to malpractice. www.bostonglobe.com/2026/06/16/m...
More than half of Massachusetts voters say they’ve weighed leaving the state, new Suffolk/Globe poll finds. Here’s why. - The Boston Globe
One in four of the 500 voters polled said they’ve seriously considered a move, despite the vast majority also saying they had enough money to live comfortably.
bostonglobe.com
Apartment residents use electric heat and drive less, meaning they produce one-third the climate pollution as residents of detached homes. Less regulation blocking apartment construction means more housing, lower costs, and reduced pollution. www.motherjones.com/environment/...
Massachusetts' Lt. Governor just backed pro-housing legislation—reminding cities that when local inaction leaves families without homes, the state is ready to help. That's what leadership looks like. 🏛️✅
Driscoll offers support for YIMBY legislation
Bay Staters “need to remember that zoning and zoning laws are provided to municipalities from the state,” said Rep. Andy Vargas. So, he said, “if we're not building housing, it's time for the state…
commonwealthbeacon.org
Replacing an empty parking lot with new homes is good for everyone walthamtimes.org/2026/05/26/r...
Replacing an empty parking lot with new homes is good for everyone – Waltham Times
Postcard circa 1930–1945 of the Waltham Watch Factory. Boston Public Library Tichnor Brothers collection. The Watch Factory is one of Waltham’s historic
walthamtimes.org
Great video about how moving chains work, with a real example youtu.be/QQYMUMTI7fk?...
Building More Housing Creates 'Moving Chains' of Affordability
YouTube video by Pew
youtu.be
"Americans are rightly frustrated about the high cost of housing. Fortunately, the country has decades of evidence about how to bring down those costs: We need to build more homes." - @nytimes.com Editorial Board www.nytimes.com/interactive/...
Opinion | America Needs to Build More Housing
Basic economic principles point to the solution for the housing affordability crisis.
nytimes.com
Building delightful, walkable cities with beautiful apartments is somehow still an overlooked climate solution: www.sightline.org/2026/05/05/c...
Climate Is Stuck, Housing Isn’t | Sightline Institute
Why apartments may be the most powerful domestic climate move of the Trump years.
sightline.org
Pizzi Farms seeks zoning reform to become housing development walthamtimes.org/2026/04/14/p...
Pizzi Farms seeks zoning reform to become housing development – Waltham Times
Rick Pizzi hold a schematic of the proposed housing development at the site of Pizzi Farm. Photo by Artie Kronenfeld. The owner of neighborhood ice cream
walthamtimes.org
Waltham faith leaders to gather for emergency summit on homelessness walthamtimes.org/2026/04/14/w...
Waltham faith leaders to gather for emergency summit on homelessness – Waltham Times
With Waltham’s homelessness crisis deepening, faith leaders from across the region are gathering for an emergency interfaith summit aimed at coordinating
walthamtimes.org
When a 1-unit house is replaced with ONE larger house, the new house is ~3X pricier. When replaced by 5+ houses, each new house will be (on avg) cheaper than the original house. www.aei.org/research-pro... Change is part of the deal. Will we choose greater physical change, or greater price change?
Payton Chung 🏳️🌈@westnorth.com · 4mo agoNew buildings are MUCH more expensive than old ones. A slightly-larger new bldg can only exist if it's MUCH pricier; a much-larger new bldg can divide those fixed costs across many more sq ft.
Join Waltham Inclusive Neighborhoods and show up to speak in favor of zoning updates that will promote more housing in Waltham.
Waltham Inclusive Neighborhoods@wneighborhoods.bsky.social · 4mo agoPublic hearing scheduled for April 13th, 7:30pm at City Hall.
Public hearing scheduled for April 13th, 7:30pm at City Hall.
Waltham Inclusive Neighborhoods@wneighborhoods.bsky.social · 6mo agoAffordable housing only works if the policy works. WIN’s recommendations focus on what actually gets homes built: deeper affordability for those who need it most 💵, fewer roadblocks like excessive parking ⚠️, and rules that make on-site affordable units the norm, not an exception 🏡.
Austin’s surge of new housing supply drove down housing prices across the board, with the largest benefit going to renters in the lowest cost buildings: “Rents declined about 11% in older non-luxury buildings that cater to lower-income renters, known as Class C buildings.”
Austin’s Surge of New Housing Construction Drove Down Rents
After decades of explosive growth, Austin, Texas, in the 2010s was a victim of its own success. Lured by high-tech jobs and the city’s hip reputation, too many people were competing for too few homes....
pew.org
Oregon's legislature passed a bill requiring cities to fund affordability mandates for new buildings or scrap them. Portland's unfunded version had driven builders to cap projects at 19 homes to dodge the mandate. www.sightline.org/2026/03/05/o...
Oregon’s New Path to Inclusionary Housing: Fully Funded and Flexible | Sightline Institute
An environmental justice champion led the push to end counterproductive, unfunded mandates.
sightline.org
this is incredible. lalali chan and @houseourneighbors.bsky.social produced a zine based on slides from a presentation i did on why setbacks make for terrible neighborhoods and cities with less space for trees. it's perfect
we have to build more housing to get these people out of red states
Alejandra Caraballo@esqueer.net · 5mo agoKansas is sending letters to trans people telling them that their licenses will be revoked as of tomorrow and that they risk arrest for driving on a suspended license. This is pure cruelty. www.erininthemorning.com/p/kansas-sen...
Massachusetts invests over $16 BILLION annually in public education, a critical investment in our Commonwealth’s future. We should make sure that future can actually stay here. That means building enough housing so our graduates can put down permanent roots in Massachusetts.
Changes coming to Route 128 👀 1,000 homes at Bay Colony, 400 at Jones Rd, 600 at Market Basket — plus the Green St connector and a new commuter rail station. More homes. More tax base. No new schools needed. Smart growth that works for Waltham. 🏘️🚆
new from me: a story about VACANCY CHAINS, the idea that underlies the argument that more housing is good even if you can't afford it www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2026/0...
High-End Construction Really Does Help Everyone
A new rung at the top of the housing ladder permits people lower down to climb up.
theatlantic.com
Our next organizing event is Sunday Feb, 22nd at the library. A zoom link is also available through WIN’s website.
Allowing starter homes on smaller lots ➡️ building homes that everyone can afford. Let's make it reality.
Abundant Housing Massachusetts @abundanthousingma.org · 7mo agoStarter homes are disappearing in MA. This ballot question could help bring them back by legalizing smaller lot sizes statewide. www.bostonglobe.com/2026/01/10/o...
Affordable housing only works if the policy works. WIN’s recommendations focus on what actually gets homes built: deeper affordability for those who need it most 💵, fewer roadblocks like excessive parking ⚠️, and rules that make on-site affordable units the norm, not an exception 🏡.
6 years, 0 locally permitted affordable homes. Waltham’s policy has good intentions, but housing isn’t getting built. It’s time to fix the rules so affordable housing can actually happen.
This Sunday’s meeting will be online only due to winter storm. Stay warm out there and hope to see you via zoom! Link available through WIN website.
Waltham Inclusive Neighborhoods@wneighborhoods.bsky.social · 7mo agoWIN’s next organizing meeting is Sunday January 25th at the Library. Come discuss housing priorities for 2026.
