Housing
‘We’re Just Asking For Some Compassion’: Tenants Urge State Intervention As Evictions Ban Expires
When the pandemic first hit, Dezyre Lewis found herself unemployed and unable to pay the rent for her Dorchester apartment. “It’s just been a really uncomfortable situation,” Lewis said. “If I’m not making any money to pay my landlord, my landlord isn’t making any money to pay her mortgage.” Lewis applied for rental assistance through…
Read More‘No Place To Go’: As State Of Emergency Ends, So Does Stable Housing For Some Vermonters
Gov. Phil Scott says an executive order he signed Tuesday will allow Vermont to continue drawing down federal aid even after the state of emergency lifts, but advocates for low-income Vermonters say they remain concerned about the loss of housing and food aid for vulnerable residents. On Monday the governor lifted all remaining COVID-related public…
Read MoreHousing Options For Middle-Income Vermonters Worsen During Pandemic
Vermont’s housing market, which was tight before the pandemic, has gotten even worse. The number of homes available in Vermont dropped by almost 70% over the past year, according to the Vermont Association of Realtors. The trend has jump-started conversations about supporting more middle-income housing across Vermont. State officials have spent a lot of time…
Read MoreDomestic Violence Advocates Describe Increased Demand For Support Services During Pandemic
Rhode Island saw a surge in calls to domestic violence helplines in 2020, as people were directed to stay home to prevent the spread of COVID-19. As much of the state reopens, domestic violence prevention advocates say the need for support services remains high. Every day, Neyda DeJesus answers calls from domestic violence survivors seeking…
Read MoreOn Revere’s Pearl Avenue, Residents Grapple With The Rising Tide Of Climate Change
In the Beachmont neighborhood of Revere, there’s a street called Pearl Avenue. It’s a wide quiet street with views of the Atlantic Ocean, Belle Isle Marsh and the Boston skyline — the sort of place that’s great to raise a family, residents say. And in fact, many of its residents are part of one big,…
Read MoreCoastal Seniors and Climate Change: Retirement Dreams Threatened As Coastal Living Increasingly Risky
When Nelson Orr, 70, retired from his job as an X-ray tech at a Boston hospital, he knew what would come next. He and wife moved full-time into their gray-shingled beachfront home in the town of Barnstable, embracing its original exposed beams and decorating with an old wooden carousel horse in the entranceway. “This is…
Read MoreHow Risk From Climate Change Will Reshape Flood Insurance In N.H. and New England
People living on and off the coast of New England will soon be at a greater risk from flooding due to heavier rain and rising seas caused by climate change. Global warming will put more pressure on the federal flood insurance program, which is already overstretched, prompting an overhaul to be completed later this year.…
Read MoreIn N.H., Questions About Whether Out-Of-State Pandemic Migrants Are Here To Stay
A year ago, people flocked to vacation towns in states like New Hampshire to flee COVID-19. For some, it was just a brief escape. But others settled into a rural lifestyle. The question now is how long these newcomers are going to stay. For five-year-old Joanna Shelov, coming to New Hampshire has meant a year…
Read MoreWhat We Talk About When We Talk About Affordable Housing
Affordable housing is the subject of a number of bills before Connecticut lawmakers. But what do we really mean when we talk about “affordable housing”? That conversation could start with a question much like the one from state Sen. Dan Champagne at a virtual Planning and Development public hearing last week. “Do you know how…
Read MoreA Triple-Decker For The 21st Century: Airtight And Solar-Powered
Standing in front of her three-level house in Somerville, Lena Sheehan looks down at the construction of a new high school and transportation hub just a block away. “I can’t get over it, I haven’t been here in so long,” she says. “This is the new T — isn’t that brilliant, right beside the house.”…
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