Our Community

Peter & Jill Olive

We’d like to see a more diverse, equitable, and open Needham. Needham and New England have a history of racially segregated housing caused by government rules, redlining, zoning, and racially restrictive covenants. (Many of these segregation practices are described in Richard Rothstein’s book The Color of Law.)  Now, sadly, a lot of people cannot afford to live in suburban Boston. One solution would be to implement a transfer fee on real estate sales above $1M, to better fund affordable housing trusts. Families barred by past segregation practices should get priority for the funds. We are seeing housing committees/coalitions in Needham working on equitable housing and we hope this will make a difference in integrating our community.

Doug Fox

Housing equity is about economic competitiveness. We are losing our younger and older residents because of a lack of options in the housing middle. This impacts our local businesses both in hiring and in fewer customers. Proud to be raising the 2nd generation of my family in Needham and would love for options that would allow this to continue.

Joanna Herrera

I feel fortunate to have been able to live in Needham these past 15 years with my family. Needham is a very special place. I feel strongly that our town should have housing available for people at all income levels in order to create an inclusive, diverse, and vibrant community for everyone.

Keith LaFace

I support increasing housing choices for Needham. In the last few years, as I’ve learned more about the national housing crisis, I have seen and heard stories from many people negatively affected by the lack of housing stock. I have been able to connect with wonderfully dedicated community members who are working diligently and deliberately to tackle this problem in Needham. I fully support the efforts of organizations like the Needham Housing Coalition. I understand the desire to encourage development in a cautious and calculated way so as not to lose some of the characteristics we love so much about our town, but the time for action is now. Waiting any longer could have catastrophic effects on the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion work that Needham has done and continues to do. We must choose what we want the Needham of our and our children’s future to look like. Please join us in learning how you can make a difference in this effort.

Jim Flanagan*

Massachusetts has a severe shortage of housing. The increasing gap between supply and demand hurts most current residents, undercuts the economy, reinforces barriers based on race and income, and robs future generations of housing stability. Those who think they benefit from increased home values are missing the big picture and “bubble” threat. We can fix this if each community in Massachusetts does its fair share to address needs at multiple levels of affordability, with thoughtful and creative design. As a Needham Housing Authority Commissioner, I am focusing on deeply affordable housing.

David Robinson

I was lucky enough to spend the first 18 years of my life in Needham. Having a safe place to grow up—with green space and public schools I could walk to and get a fantastic education that helped me launch into my adult life—was something I took for granted. I now live in Boston and work with many people who are unhoused or facing eviction who can’t take for granted what I had. Opening our doors by building more multifamily housing close to transit is so important so more people of all shapes and sizes can access everything that Needham has to offer.

Smriti Rao

As a long-time resident of Needham and a feminist economist, I am a strong supporter of expanding housing supply in Needham. My husband and I rented for four years in Needham until we were able to buy a home for about $500,000. It is heart-breaking that Needham is no longer affordable for young couples the way it was for us—housing costs in Needham are 200% higher than the Massachusetts average! It is a loss for our town—for young families to now be shut out of our community, and because our character as a community will surely change if we become inaccessible to all but those who are at the very top of the US income distribution. It worries me that my children will grow up in an increasingly less economically diverse community and they won’t understand what it means to be middle class in America! A core value for me is to be building towns for the 99%, and not just the 1%. Our essential workers cannot afford to live in Needham, or indeed anywhere close to Needham. For both the housing market and the labor market, we know that increasing supply can help to lower prices. With the median age in Massachusetts rising, the future for maintaining our vibrant towns and schools depends upon our ability to attract young people and young families to live here. I would love to make sure more families can enjoy and contribute to Needham!

Rob Fernandez

My family and I have lived in Needham for over seventeen years. It’s a great town with wonderful schools and many fun programs and sports for kids. Its vibrant downtown features several restaurants and businesses that draw customers from the surrounding area. Needham’s many benefits have made it a popular place to live; however its popularity coupled with new construction has also dramatically driven up the cost of homes. To continue to thrive in the coming years, Needham needs new housing options for young families, individuals, as well as retirees looking to downsize. As a result, I support the Needham Housing Coalition’s mission to bring more attainable housing choices to our town. 

Rebecca Waber

Among other things, increased housing options in Needham are a key component to a vibrant and flourishing business community right here in our backyard that doesn’t require driving out of town for shopping or services.

Jan Soma* & Bruce Eisenhut

We believe in housing choice and want to keep the Needham we love accessible for all. Jan learned how critical housing security is for mental health when she began studying psychology many years ago. Bruce has supported fair housing since his early days as a young lawyer. We support Needham’s efforts to be part of a regional housing shortage solution.

Ken Ruetenik

In order to support the diversity of our town, it’s imperative that we are able to provide housing for anyone who would like to have a future in Needham. Nourishing diversity and creating a welcoming community starts with housing affordability.

Wendy Blom

For 100 years, Needham has used restrictive zoning to substantially deny housing to people without family wealth. We have been hoarding our valuable assets that include close proximity to Boston, easy access to major highways, and commuter rail stations. It is time to welcome people of all income levels, ages, and races to live in our beautiful town by providing a wide variety of housing options. Zoning changes are desperately needed to increase multifamily development in Needham.

David Hruska*

After decades of artificially limiting housing production through restrictive zoning and other policies, we find ourselves at a turning point. The vibrancy and vitality of our communities is at risk because housing has simply become unaffordable. Too many young people – our future – are planning to move out of the state. While there is a long way to go, I am encouraged by signs that the tide is finally starting to turn. From the state legislature to local grassroots organizations, more residents have embraced the realization that we must act by saying “yes” to increased housing production.

Rinaz Mala Mohamed

To realize the vision of Needham as an equitable, diverse, and socially responsible town, it’s imperative for each of us to play a role in broadening housing opportunities. As someone who relocated from Syria to Needham, I personally understand the importance of affordable housing in enabling individuals and families to settle and thrive in our community. I would love to have the opportunity to continue living here for a longer period, as I’ve come to appreciate the many positive aspects of this town. Expanding housing options would not only benefit newcomers like myself but also contribute to the overall vibrancy and inclusivity of Needham.

Magda Schmalz*

I believe that housing is a basic human right. Having a safe, livable place to call home is the base for living a productive life. Right now, in Needham and throughout Massachusetts, there are far too many people who can not afford to live here. They are having to move out of state in order to have a balanced life where they can live, work, and perhaps raise a family, in a reasonable way. I am so fortunate that homes in Needham were still affordable when my family and I first moved to Needham. We need more affordable and different types of housing in Needham so that others can live and work in this great community.

Michael Fisch

With increasing frequency, small homes in Needham like mine (a small 3-bedder from 1935) are torn down and replaced with large single-family luxury homes. In part due to the lack of modest multifamily units and the teardown of small starter homes, the median home value in Needham sits at $2 million (Redfin, August 2024). Most middle-class people working in our town can’t afford to live here. Some will argue that people should work harder, work on weekends, or simply move to towns that they can afford. “Be responsible and live within your means.” Unfortunately, those towns don’t exist in most of Greater Boston these days, with towns like Dedham, Norwood, Waltham, and Walpole all facing soaring housing costs. Walpole, for example, which used to be a middle-class town, has a median home price of $740,000 (Zillow, Aug 2024); a 30-yr fixed mortgage, taxes, and insurance would run $4,400 a month, with a more than $148,000 down payment. Needham is part of a larger community of towns that needs to take steps, together, to increase affordable housing supply. Otherwise, Greater Boston will see the continuation of a trend in which young working people leave for other states. They’re the ones who keep the economy and social security system afloat.

Marcus Hughes

I moved to Needham in 2017 and one of the many reasons my spouse and I chose Needham is because we wanted to live in a community that valued great public education for its children, invested in its parks, downtown and commercial centers for all to enjoy and was a genuinely welcoming place to new people. In many ways, Needham checks all the boxes, which is why so many people continue to want to buy a home here. But what is also true about Needham is that it does not have enough housing options for the growing number of individuals and families that want to come here to live or remain here. We can make a difference.

Moe Handel

Housing is one of the most difficult issues we face in building and maintaining a diverse community. One of the most pressing issues is the lack of starter houses that can be purchased by folks who would live in them. That means that our town continues to gentrify at the opportunity cost to those who might otherwise be able to build a life here. We are not alone in this; it is a pressing regional issue. The MBTA Communities Act is a good start because it will help to increase the regional supply, which might help to address the current shortage of starter (and more market affordable) opportunities, both in our region and here in Needham.

Cathy* and Oscar Mertz*

As a welcoming community, Needham needs housing choices for people of all ethnic, economic, and racial backgrounds — housing that meets the needs at all ages and stages of life. Very high home prices and a lack of smaller housing choices is making Needham unattainable for an expanding portion of our population. It’s alarming that 25% of 20-30 year-olds intend to leave Massachusetts over the next five years because they can’t find affordable housing. We would like to work toward a Needham with more diverse housing options forged from equitable zoning that can foster a sustainable and inclusive community full of future neighbors and friends.

Paula Dickerman*

We need to offer more kinds of housing—more types and at more price points—so that people with a variety of experiences and backgrounds can live here and contribute to the community—seniors, teachers, young families, artists, trade workers, academics, adults who grew up here, local employees, and others who want to enjoy the amenities we take for granted. We all suffer when there is a lack of diversity in our communities. As we see home prices and rents that are available only to those with significant financial means, our community will slowly lose the diversity that has made it the inclusive place it is. For Needham to be a truly welcoming community, we need more housing choice.

Rob Vecchio & Andy Wizer

What drew us to Needham over 30 years ago was the affordability of housing with excellent services and accessibility to public transportation. While there are still transportation and services that are still excellent, affordability has declined significantly. As teachers, we could never afford to move in today. While many fear a decrease in home values by increasing affordability, there isn’t data to support that supposition. In addition, we would happily sacrifice some of the unexpected increases in home value to have a more affordable and, therefore, diverse community.

Jeanne McKnight

I remember where I came from. Having grown up in the D Street housing project in South Boston, I’ve always advocated for diverse and affordable housing. I now serve on the Housing Needham Advisory Group, focused on our strategies to comply with the MBTA Communities Law. I advocate for more multifamily rental and condominium housing in our town, especially in walk-to-center and walk-to-train locations, both to address the regional need for such housing and to support the vitality of our local business centers—I wish I could walk around and do all my shopping in Needham. For our single-family zoned areas, I support regulatory changes at the state and local level to encourage accessory dwelling units and to discourage small-house teardowns.

Needham High School 
Social and Political Activist Club (SPAC)

For us, as Needham High School students and young activists, advocating for affordable housing means securing our future here. We aspire to return to Needham after college, build careers, and raise families, confident that we can afford to stay. Just as importantly, we want to ensure that our teachers, healthcare workers, and small-business owners have the same opportunity. We believe every child, regardless of their background, deserves to live in a community as safe and supportive as ours. By working with the NHC, we aim to create a more inclusive community—one where diversity flourishes and everyone, regardless of race, class, or culture, feels welcomed. Thank you for helping us build a better Needham! —In this photo: Aesha, Marisa, Sarah, Rina, Matt, Jack E., Jack A., Willa. Other club members: Linnea, Liza, Selene, Meena, Clayton, Jiyu, Nico, Polina