What do former grisly mob haunts say about modern day Greater Boston?
Where there was once bloody violence and criminal plotting, there is now preaching of salvation and grace. The auto garage that once acted as the de facto headquarters for one of Greater Boston’s most notorious organized crime outfits of the past century is now the Greater Works Church of God Somerville.
Former Brookline firefighter whose legal battle put a spotlight on racial discrimination has died
Gerald Alston, a onetime Brookline firefighter whose yearslong legal battle against the town pulled back the curtain on racial discrimination, has died at age 57. Four years ago, Brookline reached a landmark $11 million settlement with Alston, who was fired after he complained of racial bias in the workplace and reported a supervisor who left a racial slur on his voicemail.
Report finds loopholes, permitting slowdown are worsening Greater Boston housing crisis
Greater Boston may be building more homes, but that hasn’t made it any easier to find an affordable place to live. A new Boston Foundation report released Wednesday finds that while housing construction is up, new building permits are slowing — and affordability continues to slip further out of reach.
Healey wants to speed up state review to encourage housing. Will it work?
Gov. Maura Healey unveiled plans last week to slash environmental review requirements for certain developments, a move aimed at accelerating housing construction across Massachusetts. Experts say the proposal is unlikely to immediately ease the state’s deepening housing crisis. But it’s a step in the right direction.
What do local housing advocates and experts think of Josh Kraft’s housing plan?
About a week after announcing his run for Boston mayor, Josh Kraft gave details on Feb. 12 about his vision for housing development in the city. The average price for rental units in Boston has increased exponentially since 2021, with the price of a one-bedroom apartment costing $2,667 per month in June 2024, according to data from Boston Pads. Additionally, rental inventory and vacancy rates have been very low in 2024 compared to figures in 2020 and 2021.
Mayor Thomas M. Menino headed to Boston University to help run new Initiative on Cities
Mayor Thomas M. Menino will trade City Hall for the halls of academia at Boston University, where administrators hope to meld the mayor’s pragmatism as an “urban mechanic’’ with the scholarly muscle of a major university.