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A battle for affordable housing in Massachusetts
The Globe editorial board's 2020 series on the need for inclusive housing reform in Newton and across the Commonwealth.
EDITORIAL

Part 1: Letting towns solve the Mass. housing shortage

Legislature should resist the temptation to turn a simple zoning reform bill into a Christmas tree loaded with good intentions.
EDITORIAL

Part 2: Newton wakes up to the dark side of America’s housing laws

The reigning rules of suburbia have led to a country segregated by income, with the best zip codes and schools closed off to poor families. What happens when a rich city tries to reverse course?
EDITORIAL

Part 3: With a ‘yes’ vote on March 3, Newton can pave the way to fairer future

The proposed 800-unit housing development in Newton Upper Falls would include the largest single infusion of subsidized affordable housing in the city's history. With the Northland project, Newton can build momentum for a transformative housing movement.
EDITORIAL

Part 4: As Trump stokes suburban fears, Mass. lawmakers chart a better path

Beacon Hill is poised to strike against the racist legacy of zoning laws that have long segregated communities in the Commonwealth.
EDITORIAL

Part 5: Tear down this paper wall, Newton

Rules that prohibit multifamily housing have divided America, keeping poor people out of prosperous suburbs and fueling racial segregation in public schools. Cities like Newton chose to erect those barriers generations ago — and now they should choose to take them down.
Finalist for the 2021 Pulitzer Prize in Editorial Writing
Click here to learn more about this series and its authors, who were named 2021 Pulitzer Prize finalists.