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Local Action Log

LWVN Supports Act to Modernize Participation in Public Meetings

On March 8, 2023, LWVN sent a letter to the state delegation requesting that they advocate for passage of the Act to Modernize Participation in Public Meetings.

The bill, as summarized by the League of Women Voters of Massachusetts, supports these goals:

This bill Amends MGL 30A (Open Meeting Law) to require public bodies to provide an adequate, alternative means of public access to their deliberations, such as telephone or video conferencing and that access information be provided in the minutes of all meetings. It provides municipal public bodies experiencing financial hardship the ability to request a waiver of the provision.

You can read the entirety of LWVN’s letter below.

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LWVN Supports West Newton Armory Project

On January 9, 2023, LWVN sent a letter to the Zoning Board expressing its support for Metro West Collaborative Development Inc.’s request for a Comprehensive Permit, pursuant to M.G.L. Chapter 40B, to redevelop the West Newton Armory into a 100% affordable development with 43 affordable residential rental units, community space, office space, and 33 parking stalls.

Support of this request is in alignment with Newton’s Comprehensive Plan and LWV values and positions.  Given the City’s need for these units, we think that approval of this project should not be delayed and we urge timely approval of this Comprehensive Permit.

You can read the entirety of LWVN’s letter below.

LWVN Supports Updates to Accessory Apartment Ordinance

On October 13, 2022, LWVN sent a letter to the City Council expressing its support for proposed updates to the Accessory Apartment Ordinance.  These changes will amend the Accessory Apartment Ordinance originally adopted in December 2017, which allows homeowners to create an accessory apartment, as of right, within the main residence.

The proposed updates are primarily intended to address the two things that were not adopted five years ago by allowing:
1. The building of detached accessory apartments, by-right, up to 900 sf in size (these will continue to conform with other rules for accessory buildings).
2. The creation of an accessory apartment in a newly built home, thus eliminating the requirement that the main residence be at least four years old before an accessory apartment can be built.

You can read the entirety of LWVN’s letter below.

LWVN Joins U-CHAN on Follow-Up Petition to the Mayor Regarding the Use of ARPA Funds for Housing Needs

On April 22, 2022, LWVN wrote to the Mayor to join U-CHAN (Uniting Citizens for Housing Affordability in Newton) in recommending that the Mayor (i) set aside of $10 million in ARPA funds as a grant to non-profit developers to purchase site(s) and/or buildings that have the potential to provide no less than 12 units of housing, most of which should be for families with annual incomes below 30% of AMI, and (ii) allocate a multi-year grant of $1 million to a Newton community-based organization with a goal to create a program to deliver comprehensive services to individual households facing instability.

In September, as a follow-up to LWVN’s April letter, LWVN joined a number of non-profits, including a number of Newton non-profits and over 50 individuals who signed U-CHAN’s follow-up petition to the Mayor.

These recommendations are aligned with LWV national, state and local positions supporting programs and policies that meet basic human needs and address affordable housing needs.

Read the entirety of the letter below:

LWVN Affiliates with Our Homes, Our Votes

The Board of the LWVN voted to join as an affiliate with Our Homes, Our Votes, a campaign under the umbrella of the National Low Income Housing Coalition.  The Our Homes, Our Votes campaign provides various tools to assist organizations working to engage low-income renters in the upcoming elections.

Joining the coalition of organizations affiliated with Our Homes, Our Votes helps promote the goals of the LWV and is in accordance with the LWVN’s Coalition Policy.

Read the letter dated August 3, 2022, from President Marcia Johnson, informing the Board of the action taken to formally affiliate with Our Homes, Our Votes and why that action aligns with the positions of the LWVN on housing and voting rights.