A ‘textbook’ housing solution: State housing chief lauds Northampton’s North Commons
By ALEXANDER MACDOUGALL
Staff Writer
Published: 03-25-2024 3:22 PM
NORTHAMPTON — Massachusetts Housing Secretary Ed Augustus toured the North Commons mixed-income development in Northampton’s Village Hill area on Monday, calling it a “textbook example” of how to build affordable housing units to tackle the state’s ongoing housing crisis.
Augustus, the former city manager of Worcester, visited the project alongside Northampton Mayor Gina-Louise Sciarra, city Planning & Sustainability Director Carolyn Misch and Valley CDC Executive Director Alexis Breiteneicher. Augustus later visited Amherst, where he spoke with housing authorities from across the state at UMass later in the day.
Although it’s widely acknowledged that the state has a major housing problem, several communities across the state have shown resistance to measures to increase housing, such as multifamily zoning changes required for Boston suburbs served by the MBTA services. Augustus said more education on housing issues is needed to overcome such apprehension.
