On September 19, 2024, LWVN sent a letter to the Zoning Board of Appeals in support of the request of Boylston Properties for a Comprehensive Permit, pursuant to M.G.L. Chapter 40B, for a project to feature 295 residential units on a 4.76 square acre lot located on Crafts Street in the MultiResidence 1 and Manufacturing zoning districts. The all-residential project will feature four multifamily buildings as well as a separate two-story parking structure and will include 278 parking stalls. The proposal includes 59 affordable units (20 percent) at 50 percent of area median income (AMI), and affordability protections will be placed on these units in perpetuity.
The Crafts Street Project will help make Newton’s housing stock more diverse by providing an alternative to single-family homes, which many people – from young professionals, to seniors looking to downsize, to people who work in Newton – are looking for but cannot find. In addition, 59 of the units will be affordable at 50 percent of AMI, a much deeper level of affordability than the legally required 80 percent of AMI. We believe that the deeper affordability of these units is critical to help meet community needs for low-income families and individuals, particularly given the shortage of affordable housing in the City and surrounding cities and towns.
You can read the entirety of LWVN’s letter below: