Massachusetts "anti-snob" zoning law continues to foreground tension over the need for affordable housing and how many units communities are willing to accept.
"The resistance to new affordable housing in communities such as Salisbury -- so fierce that higher prices are an acceptable tradeoff for fewer homes -- has become a prominent theme as lawmakers on Beacon Hill consider changes to the state's affordable-housing law, known as Chapter 40B." However, despite their distaste for density, some residents in communities like Salisbury are, in fact, acknowledging the need for more affordable housing. Furthermore, many housing advocates and developers in Massachusetts contend that "without the law, which fast-tracks residential projects in communities where less than 10 percent of the housing stock is affordable by state guidelines, many towns would not build moderate- or low-income housing. Town leaders pay lip service to the need for affordable housing -- so local workers, police, and teachers can live where they work -- but don't actually want to see any built, these advocates say."
Thanks to Connie Chung
FULL STORY: Mixed signals on affordable housing

Alabama: Trump Terminates Settlements for Black Communities Harmed By Raw Sewage
Trump deemed the landmark civil rights agreement “illegal DEI and environmental justice policy.”

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

The 120 Year Old Tiny Home Villages That Sheltered San Francisco’s Earthquake Refugees
More than a century ago, San Francisco mobilized to house thousands of residents displaced by the 1906 earthquake. Could their strategy offer a model for the present?

LA’s Tree Emergency Goes Beyond Vandalism
After a vandal destroyed dozens of downtown LA trees, Mayor Karen Bass vowed to replace them. Days later, she slashed the city’s tree budget.

Sacramento Leads Nation With Bus-Mounted Bike Lane Enforcement Cameras
The city is the first to use its bus-mounted traffic enforcement system to cite drivers who park or drive in bike lanes.

Seattle Voters Approve Social Housing Referendum
Voters approved a corporate tax to fund the city’s housing authority despite an opposition campaign funded by Amazon and Microsoft.
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