Where teachers can live too

From left to right: Westwood First Parish Church, inscription on town clock, Fisher School House, Hale Reservation, Town Hall, and the Old Burial Ground.

— Wikipedia montage

From Robert Whitcomb’s “Digital Diary,” in GoLocal24.com

Affluent towns often battle proposals to change zoning rules to encourage building more housing for low-and-middle-income people. The battle has been quite intense in some Boston suburbs, with Milton perhaps the leader in fighting state mandates aimed at curbing dwelling costs by allowing construction of more multi-family housing, especially near public transportation.  The more the supply, the more the rise in costs of owning or renting a place can be slowed.

Some affluent Bay State towns, such as Westwood and Lexington, have supported housing expansion. Their residents realize the benefits of being communities where such essential workers as teachers, police, firefighters, nurses, child-care workers and assorted skilled trades people can afford to live rather than having to face the hassle and expense of  commuting in from other towns. Even  rich folks need nearby poorer people to serve them.

Healthy communities need an economically mixed population for the long term. For such a mix, we must increase the housing stock. Obviously. And that means accepting more density in some places.