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Housing

Educational Forum on ARPA: View the Recording

On Thursday, December 9, LWVN co-sponsored an educational forum, together with U-CHAN, regarding the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA). Lizzi Weyant, Director of Government Affairs at the Metropolitan Area Council, gave an overview of ARPA and discussed the eligible uses of ARPA funding in support of an actionable plan to lay the groundwork of a strong and equitable recovery to the COVID-19 pandemic and its economic impacts in Newton.

Read more below to watch the video or see the presentation; or, for further information on ARPA, read the ARPA Fact Sheet issued by the U.S Treasury.

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LWVN Provides its Recommendations Regarding West Armory Proposals

On December 1, 2021, President Marcia Johnson sent a letter to Mr. Eamon Bencivengo, Housing Development Planner and the City’s Department of Planning & Development, on behalf of LWVN, expressing its preference for the Caritas Communities proposal for the redevelopment of the West Newton Armory.  T he Caritas proposal provides the most units at the lowest Area Median Income and will serve the chronically homeless, a population that is currently underserved by Newton’s housing stock.

Read the entirety of the letter, and other recommendations made by LWVN below.

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Recording of Zoning Reform in Newton, with Jay Walter

On November 19th, Jay Walter, a Newton resident and experienced local architect, helped us to learn about the the changes the City Council is proposing to Newton’s current Zoning Ordinance, how those changes differ from current zoning, and what effect those changes will have on our community.  View the presentation and audience Q&A.

With almost 90 participants, we had more questions than time to answer them.   See answers to questions not addressed at the presentation.

 

Recording of Richard Rothstein: The Color of Law

Richard Rothstein, The Color of Law
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On November 17  LWVN joined together with the Newton Free Library and Families Organizing for Racial Justice to present a virtual session with Richard Rothstein, author of The Color of Law, A Forgotten History of How Our Government Segregated America.  Mr. Rothstein argued with exacting precision and fascinating insight how segregation in America is the byproduct of explicit government policies at the local, state and federal levels, and offered several concrete suggestions for how to address the housing and economic inequities caused by these policies.

During this virtual session, attendees also heard a conversation between library director, Ellen Meyers, and community activist, Richard Evans, who told his family’s story of encountering discrimination in the 1960’s during the state’s eminent domain taking of land for the construction of the Mass Pike bypass through Newton.

To wrap up the session, Newton City Councilor Deb Crossley introduced attendees to the efforts being made by the City Council to address housing inequities in Newton by engaging in a comprehensive review of Newton’s zoning codes.

If you were unable to listen in to this informative and engaging session, you can view the recording.