Atop our holiday wish list? Housing people—safely, stably, affordably. And revitalizing communities—equitably, collaboratively. Merry Christmas and warm season’s greetings to our friends, neighbors, and partners—near and far!

All for one, and none for all: Is banning single-family zoning easing the housing crisis? bostonglobe.com/2021/12/26/rea… via The Boston Globe

How can planners address the racist legacy of zoning? In this issue of Zoning Practice, Jennifer Raitt says planners must act on the local level to fight for equity, question the zoning status quo & more meaningfully connect with marginalized communities. planning.org/blog/9228712/g…

Congrats! And thanks for making transformative #housing priority for the Town of Amherst, MA.

📣#Amherst Folks - Take a survey if you are over 55 or act as a caregiver for someone else who is to assess what is needed to create a safe, healthy, and inclusive environment for older adults, people living with dementia and the people who care for them in the Town of Amherst, MA.

Our Springfield region housing report for Way Finders is just out!

The #AmherstMA CDBG Advisory Committee is asking the community to answer a brief survey to help them determine the most important service priorities for 2022. Learn more & submit your reply by clicking below engageamherst.org/2022cdbg

Our new study with Way Finders covered in the Daily Hampshire Gazette: "Report: Much of (Greater Springfield) area’s rental housing out of reach for residents". gazettenet.com/UMass-housing-…

Are affordable housing projects bad for local home values? Not so! Our new paper shows that their concentration generates positive spillover effects on local property values across all types of neighborhoods and benefits sustain over long time. OpenAccess: doi.org/10.1016/j.jhe.…

Phase II - Springfield & Pioneer Valley Housing Report is the focus of a virtual discussion: Tues. April 12, 10:30-noon. We will present our findings with; panel discussion facilitated by Way Finders President/CEO Keith Fairey. Q&A to follow. us02web.zoom.us/meeting/regist…

Join us for a virtual presentation and discussion! Tuesday, April 12, from 10:30 am to noon. We'll dive into the details of the latest Springfield & Pioneer Valley Housing Report. Free and open to the public. Register today: zcu.io/Z2lp zcu.io/6XUm

This Monday, May 23, 2:30pm-4pm: a virtual listening session on HOUSING! Brought to you by: Town of Amherst, MA Senior Center, Town of Amherst, MA, PVPC and the Amherst Affordable Housing Trust. Please share with those who may be interested.

Piece I co-authored with Kevin G. Honan & Rachel Heller on our new zoning law is up on WBUR. Check it out. “Zoning serves as the primary, persistent barrier…the new legislation will help us turn the tide.” CHAPA Abundant Housing Massachusetts Housing Forward-MA wbur.org/cognoscenti/20…

📣 Renter voices needed! engageamherst.org/rentals

A few (1 of 2) food-for-thought articles shared by our Municipal Engagement collaborators at CHAPA: "In a market badly out of kilter, many older residents are stuck in their homes" bostonglobe.com/2022/07/29/met…

(2/2) Food-for-thought articles on the state of housing in MA: "Public school enrollment falls in Mass. amid pandemic, high housing costs, and aging suburbs" bostonglobe.com/2022/07/28/met…

Concise update on budget and end-of-session accomplishments from Western Massachusetts Network to End Homelessness: westernmasshousingfirst.org/advocacy/2022/… Thanks to our leaders on Beacon Hill, Jo Comerford & Mindy Domb for their support of housing initiatives!

One opportunity to connect with elected officials and talk housing policy priorities with candidates. Tackling the Commonwealth's housing crisis will require collaboration across offices and agencies - let's center housing,affordability, and homelessness prevention in all races.