From Other Sources:  News For And About Amherst.  This Week: Local News Roundup, PFAS, And Affordable Housing Commentary

This feature offers links to selected articles that might be of interest to Amherst readers. 

Here are some local stories from the last few weeks that we were unable to cover in the Indy as well as some interesting commentary and news on affordable housing. Have you read something that you think is worth sharing? Share the link in the comments section below and tell us why you are sharing it.

AMHERST

Amherst Resident Alleges Discrimination In Building Code Enforcement by Scott Merzbach (2/28/23). In a complaint filed with the town Human Rights Commission last week, an Amherst resident contends that municipal officials discriminated against a Black-owned business by requiring accessibility to its performance stage, even though there is no permanent ramp at another downtown venue. Vira Douangmany Cage of Longmeadow Drive submitted the complaint against both the town and The Drake, writing in the form that she was discriminated against by those entities.“The Drake was not required by the town to install a ramp to their stage, whereas a Black-owned business was required to per the building commissioner,” Cage wrote. The Black-owned business is identified as Hazel’s Blue Lagoon, a restaurant and nightclub that opened on Boltwood Walk in the fall of 2021.Cage said that she wants to get facts out about the building code and her concerns that inspectors are not enforcing it fairly. She is using the town’s human rights mechanism, as well as contacting the Massachusetts Office of Disability. (Daily Hampshire Gazette)

Guest Columnist Allison McDonald: Amherst School Spending Explained by Allison McDonald (2/27/23). We are deep in the budget planning process for next fiscal year and Amherst schools are facing significant and difficult budget cuts. The uncertainty around the multiple contracts that are not yet settled, including that with the Amherst Pelham Educators Association (APEA), adds to the challenges. Here are some common questions we hear and brief responses to them. (Daily Hampshire Gazette)

Olver Left Indelible Mark: Colleagues, Constituents, Friends Remember Longtime Politician, Who Died Thursday At 86 by Scott Merzbach (2/24/23). John Olver of Amherst, who served as a U.S. congressman for 22 years and was on the local and national political stage for more than 40 years, died Thursday, leaving a legacy of progressive advocacy and achievements that continues to benefit the region, those who knew him say.“His fingerprints are all over western Massachusetts,” former state Sen. Stanley Rosenberg said of his Democratic predecessor in the state Legislature. “He created so many major public policies and helped communities with economic development and municipal projects.” (Daily Hampshire Gazette)

Jones Library Tea Party A Civilized Affair Despite Protests Over Drag Queen by Scott Merzbach (2/23/23).  A children’s story hour presented by drag queen Giganta Smalls at the Jones Library Saturday morning went on as scheduled after publicity surrounding it drew a number of demonstrators, most in support of the event but also some opposed. Even though more than 50 people gathered outside the Amity Street building to make their voices heard, there were no disturbances as police officers and the town’s Community Responders for Equity, Safety and Service were on hand to ensure those attending the event made it safely inside. People there to support the reading held rainbow-colored umbrellas and flags, including those associated with the national Parasol Patrol, a nonprofit national organization that has been staging non-confrontational rallies at similar drag queen story hours, and other events that support the LGBTQ community, across the country. A smaller number of protesters carried signs and shouted criticisms. The tea party for children ages 4 to 9 and parents and guardians included a few books read by Smalls, such as “The Hips on the Drag Queen Go Swish Swish Swish,” “Just Add Glitter” and “Luli and the Language of Tea,” with children encouraged to dress up with glitter and crowns. (Amherst Bulletin)

The James Baldwin Lecture At UMass: Bill Fletcher Jr. On Black Anti-imperialism And Internationalism by  Mia Vittimberga (2/27/23). On Feb. 23, the University of Massachusetts hosted the lecture, “None of Us Is Free Unless All Are Free: Anti-Imperialism and the Black Radical Tradition” in honor of Black History Month. The guest lecturer, Bill Fletcher Jr., is a racial justice activist, scholar and author… Black internationalism, explained by Fletcher, is shaped around iconic figures, such as Malcom X and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. “King spent his final year attempting to operationalize his internationalism. As frequently happens with Black people, when we stray outside of acceptable racial parameters, we’re accused of being everything but a child of God,” Fletcher said. Fletcher concluded by emphasizing that Black internationalism is not a new phenomenon, but rather one that has been central to the Black American experience. “It’s a framework to understand white supremacist national oppression, as well as a lens through which to contemplate the necessary strategic and tactical alliances in order to gain freedom,” Fletcher said. (Massachusetts Daily Collegian)

NEARBY
Affordable Housing Plans For Hadley EconoLodge Divisive by Scott Merzbach (3/2/23). A proposal to turn a Route 9 hotel into housing for up to 63 low- and moderate-income individuals is receiving both support and skepticism from residents and municipal officials as Valley Community Development begins the permitting process for the project. The project, to rehabilitate the vacant EconoLodge at 329 Russell St. into 51 apartments, would use the state’s Chapter 40B law allowing a developer to be exempted from certain zoning restrictions. In this case, Valley CDC is asking for an exemption from the town’s general prohibition on more than one housing unit on a property.A majority of the Select Board views the project as a benefit to Hadley, especially should the town fall below the state’s mandated 10% threshold of subsidized housing stock.(Daily Hampshire Gazette)

Historic Moment: Northmapton Creates Climate Action Department by Alexander MacDougall (2/20/23). The city has taken a major step toward its ambitious goal of making city operations carbon neutral in seven years with the creation of a new climate action department that will include a soon-to-be hired climate chief to lead the effort. The new department, officially the Climate Action and Project Administration Department (CAPA), was unanimously approved by the City Council last week. The department will combine strategic planning for the city’s sustainability and climate change goals, oversee and manage projects and add a sustainability focus to resource procurement. In other words, it will help ensure those projects meet climate and sustainability goals put forth by the city. (Daily Hampshire Gazette)

South Hadley Looks To Extend Trash Contract, Retain Pay As You Throw System by Scott Merzbach (2/24/23).  An existing pay-as-you-throw system that includes curbside collection of trash and recyclables could remain in place for two more years, even as private vendors push for a transition to using toters, a more expensive but also more automated method, for solid waste management. While the Select Board is likely to make a decision in March on which approach to use, a public hearing on Tuesday revealed that sticking with the current system, in which Republic Services of Chicopee removes trash and recyclables, would cost the town about $1.125 million next year. That is based on using the first of two one-year extension options, which includes a 4% increase both years on the current $1.06 million contract. Town Administrator Lisa Wong said that full pay-as-you-throw is the cheapest option and also has proven effective at limiting what is thrown out. The state average for curbside programs shows 1,270 pounds per household disposed per year, but South Hadley residents are disposing, on average, just under 900 pounds per household with the current program. Select Board Chairman Jeff Cyr said officials will keep an eye on surrounding communities, adding that South Hadley is fortunate to have municipal curbside pickup, unlike Amherst.“Amherst doesn’t offer anything,” Cyr said. “You’re on your own to get to your own dumpster and get your own source of getting rid of waste.” (Daily Hampshire Gazette)

PFAS
Communities Await First EPA Limits On Forever Chemicals by Michael Phillis and Brittany Peterson (3/2/23). The Environmental Protection Agency is expected to propose restrictions on harmful “forever chemicals” in drinking water after finding they are dangerous in amounts so small as to be undetectable. But experts say removing them will cost billions, a burden that will fall hardest on small communities with few resources. Concerned about the chemicals’ ability to weaken children’s immune systems, the EPA said last year that PFAS could cause harm at levels “much lower than previously understood.” “We as a community of scientists and policymakers and regulators really missed the boat early on,” said Susan Pinney, director of the Center for Environmental Genetics at the University of Cincinnati. There is also evidence the compounds are linked to low birthweight, kidney cancer and a slew of other health issues. It’s unclear what the EPA will now propose and how well it will protect people from these recently-understood harms. (PBS)

AFFORDABLE HOUSING
Housing Affordability Hits Historic Low by Adam Barnes (3/3/23). Fewer than a quarter of homes listed for sale nationwide qualified as affordable for the typical U.S. household, according to a new report shared exclusively with The Hill. The report, released Friday by real estate brokerage Redfin, found that the number of affordable listings in 2022 fell by more than half from the previous year — the largest annual drop on the company’s record dating back to 2013. Redfin analyzed home listings in the nation’s 100 most populous metros, marking a listing as affordable if its estimated monthly mortgage payment did not exceed 30 percent of the local county’s median income. “Housing affordability is at the lowest level in history, which is widening the wealth gap—especially between generations,” said Redfin deputy chief economist Taylor Marr.  (The Hill)

Affordable Housing Plans For Hadley EconoLodge Divisive by Scott Merzbach (3/2/23). A proposal to turn a Route 9 hotel into housing for up to 63 low- and moderate-income individuals is receiving both support and skepticism from residents and municipal officials as Valley Community Development begins the permitting process for the project. The project, to rehabilitate the vacant EconoLodge at 329 Russell St. into 51 apartments, would use the state’s Chapter 40B law allowing a developer to be exempted from certain zoning restrictions. In this case, Valley CDC is asking for an exemption from the town’s general prohibition on more than one housing unit on a property.A majority of the Select Board views the project as a benefit to Hadley, especially should the town fall below the state’s mandated 10% threshold of subsidized housing stock.(Daily Hampshire Gazette)

How To Repair And Rebuild A Cracked Foundation For Housing Justice by Lydia Edwards (2/27/23). For decades, if not centuries, housing in Massachusetts communities has been defined by scarcity, exclusion, and an unwillingness to center policy in human needs. Redlining, racial covenants, underdevelopment of public transit, and prohibitions on common-sense protections for renters have compromised the foundation for a vibrant Commonwealth.As stakeholders correct for years of inadequate and inequitable housing, we must do more than simply construct new roofs and walls. We need to legislate, produce, and preserve housing that responds to the varied needs in our neighborhoods. If we fail to do so, we will exacerbate displacement and racial segregation and further commodify our housing stock. Today, Massachusetts’ average rents are about 50 percent higher than the national average and Boston is the second-most expensive US city to live in with average one-bedroom rents hovering around $3,000. Thousands of low-income renters who power our economy are pushed to the brink and home prices strain the limits of middle-class budgets. Even as racist and classist zoning laws have reduced opportunities for families to choose where they live, real estate speculation and price gouging have disrupted their lives. (Boston Globe)

Our Opinion: As Berkshire Housing Affordability Crisis Worsens, Focus On What Can Be Done Here And Now by the editors (2/25/23). In Lenox, a recently displaced local resident pleaded with town officials to enforce short-term rental rules and soothe the local housing squeeze. In Great Barrington, the Select Board and Planning Board are brainstorming outside-the-box proposals to shore up the town’s lagging Affordable Housing Trust and address their own housing squeeze. Meanwhile, affluent buyers are snatching up more and more Berkshire homes via cash purchases, which — you guessed it — puts an even greater squeeze on housing prospects for not just low- but moderate-income folks. “Only the wealthy are essentially buying homes,” according to Lawrence Yun, chief economist at National Association of Realtors. “If this trend was to continue, that means something fundamentally is wrong with society.” These three stories appeared in the Eagle within four days of each other. Within them are exasperated voices from all over the county reiterating a common theme: The Berkshire housing affordability crisis is quickly getting worse, and we need some mitigating action now. (Berkshire Eagle)

Affordable Housing Schemes Fail Because They Don’t Advocate For Public Housing  by Camille Gix, Tiffani McCoy and Grayson Lookner (1/27/23). Over the last half century, the federal government has gutted public housing in this country. Searching for alternative solutions, lawmakers have put most of their energy into programs such as the Low Income Housing Tax Credit program, Housing Choice Vouchers (formerly Section 8), the Housing Trust Fund, and dozens of local and statewide programs. All of these measures attempt to provide housing for people making incomes at 60 percent of the median or below. In spite of these efforts, homelessness rates are rising, waitlists are long, black and brown communities are being displaced, and not enough people are actually gaining access to the housing they need. Furthermore, focus on low-income demographics ignores an increasingly burdened portion of the workforce: those with middle incomes.Our nation spends more political capital and money each year, but it still falls short of the urgent demand for affordable housing that cities around the country face. We continue to make these investments while housing prices continue to rise. The problem with all of these efforts is that they fail to address the central issue of the housing crisis: commodification. (Jacobin)