A Complex Recipe for Housing Financing

Brockton Offers Formula for Gateway Cities

Policy Center
Apr 1, 2019 Policy Center

Rob May, Brock- ton’s director of economic devel- opment and planning, famously offers up his seven-layer dip to any- one with a taste for the city’s downtown. A 121B Urban Re- newal plan forms the base. Then, he mixes in 40Q District Improvement Financing, a 40R Smart Growth Overlay District, a 40V Hous-ing Development Zone and a Transformative Development District.

Ending the Cycle of Segregation

The Gateways City Journal

Policy Center
Mar 28, 2019 Policy Center

Gateway City leaders converged on Beacon Hill last week to plead for more education funding. The facts are undisputed: In recent years, state aid has not kept pace with rising healthcare and special education costs. Changes to the way the state counts low-income students penalized Gateway City schools that serve large numbers of immigrants. And

Ben Forman’s testimony on Gateway Cities and the Promise Act

Policy Center
Mar 22, 2019 Policy Center

Ben Forman submitted written testimony on the Promise Act. His remarks focus on how MassINC’s recent research on local accountability can inform the debate over whether additional funding should also come with provisions requiring additional accountability for increasing student achievement. Click here to read his written testimony.

Local education accountability with Tracy Novick

Gateways Episode 9

Policy Center
Mar 19, 2019 Policy Center

In this new episode of Gateways, Ben Forman visits Worcester to speak with Tracy Novick, Field Director for the Massachusetts Association of School Committees. With experience serving on both school committees and school councils in Worcester, Tracy is highly regarded as an outspoken thought leader on education policy. Ben chats with Tracy about MassINC's recent research on the importance of local accountability.

A third way on the school funding/accountability debate

The answer isn’t more state rules but greater local oversight

Civic Journal
Mar 17, 2019 Civic Journal

BEACON HILL LEADERS are searching for ways to provide public schools with a significant infusion of new dollars. Taking a page from Massachusetts’s landmark 1993 Education Reform Act, some have proposed attaching higher levels of accountability to any new funding. Others are not so hot on this idea. After all, they reason, the state skirted

A New Vision for Commuter Rail

The Gateway Cities Journal

Policy Center
Mar 16, 2019 Policy Center

The past two weeks have been exciting ones for transportation in the Commonwealth. Our legislative leadership has primed the policy pump for the Commonwealth to make bold changes to our commuter rail system. House Speaker DeLeo and Senate President Spilka stated Tuesday that “all ideas are on the table” for how to fund necessary transportation

Walking Through Worcester

Gateways Episode 8.5

Policy Center
Mar 15, 2019 Policy Center

Dr. Tracy Corley takes a walk through Worcester along MassINC's research director Ben Forman and Tim McGourthy, the former Executive Director of the Worcester Regional Research Bureau. The group walks us through the commuter rail stations, theater district, the Common, and the DCU Center, highlighting the

State House Forum on Stimulating Transformative Investment in Gateway Cities

Event Recap

Policy Center
Mar 11, 2019 Policy Center

On February 27, MassINC hosted “Stimulating Transformative Development in Gateway Cities,” a State House forum co-sponsored by LOCUS of Massachusetts and the Massachusetts Smart Growth Alliance (MSGA). The event examined state and federal tools that can work in combination to foster transit-oriented development (TOD) in our Gateway Cities, particularly highlighting the importance of HDIP, Opportunity

Juana Matias named next COO of MassINC

Policy Center
Mar 6, 2019 Policy Center

We have exciting news. Former State Representative Juana Matias will be our next Chief Operating Officer! Previously a member of the MassINC Board of Directors, Juana Matias has been a leader in the State Legislature representing the 16th Essex district. In her new role as MassINC’s COO Juana will play a leadership role in strategy

Hooray for Housing Choice and HDIP

Gateways Episode 8

Policy Center
Mar 5, 2019 Policy Center

In this episode of Gateways, co-hosts Ben Forman and Dr. Tracy Corley dive deep into state and federal housing policies that stimulate housing development in Gateway Cities. In response to Gov. Baker's Housing Choice legislation announcement, they analyze its potential impacts on the quantity and quality of housing across the state.