An affordable housing "game changer"

Also: Teachers' strike cancels school in Woburn; MassGOP at a crossroads [Donate ❤️]( [View in Browser](  January 30, 2023 🌤️ Partly sunny, with a high near 47. Good Morning Boston, The [matchup for this year's Super Bowl]( is officially set — just in time for Massachusetts' launch of in-person sports betting tomorrow. And while I'm [not sure Patriots fans will find much joy]( in rooting for either of this year's NFL finalists, we'll have much more information on the new era of gambling in the state tomorrow morning. Before we get ahead of ourselves, let's get to today's news: - Somerville officials know that finding an affordable apartment in the booming city can be a daunting task. Not only are fair market rents on the rise, but renters hoping to luck out and snag one of the apartments in the city's [Inclusionary Housing Program]( face a painstaking process. WBUR's Amy Sokolow reports there's a new initiative in the works that officials call a "game changer." - The current process: Right now, renters have to closely [monitor new apartment openings](. And if they find one they like, they have to fill out and submit an application to enter that particular building's lottery. If they don't get it, it's the same thing over and over again for each new opening. Alanna Gaffny, the manager of Somerville's inclusionary housing program, told Sokolow that the frustrating process adds up and fatigues many applicants. - The solution: Make it simple. This month, Somerville announced it will launch a “[Consolidated Waitlist]( later this year for future affordable rental openings. In other words, it's just one short application for all new openings in the city's inclusionary housing program. That includes over 400 units coming down the pipeline, as well as vacancies in the program's 350 existing units. - How it works: A lottery will determine the initial, fixed order of the waitlist. That means people will only "be moving up" the list, noted Ben Wyner, a housing specialist for the city. (To keep the application form short, income eligibility and tenant suitability won't be checked until applicants are at the top of the list.) - What's next: The waitlist doesn't have an official launch date yet, partly because officials are trying to get the word out first. But if you're interested — or know someone who might be — you can [sign up for alerts here](. Somerville is also [holding two more information sessions this week]( including tonight. - Meanwhile, school is canceled today in Woburn due to a teacher's strike. Last night, the [Woburn Teachers Association announced the strike]( after failing to reach an agreement on a new contract with the city's school committee. The two sides had been in talks for over a year — but the deadlock now means the union's 550 teachers will head to the picket line this morning, rather than their classrooms. - The strike is part of a recent trend in Massachusetts, which saw brief teacher strikes in [Brookline]( [Malden]( and [Haverhill]( last year. (Previously, the state hadn't had one since 2019.) - Zoom out: Teacher strikes are technically illegal in Massachusetts, which means unions can face steep court-imposed fines. However, the state's largest teachers union is [trying to change that](. - Heads up: Attorney General Andrea Campbell is joining abortion rights advocates [at 9:30 a.m this morning]( to announce a new "Abortion Legal Hotline" for patients and providers. Campbell's office says the free and confidential hotline will help those seeking abortion care in the state get free legal advice and other resources. - ICYMI: WBUR's Priyanka Dayal McCluskey [reported last week]( that providers in Massachusetts are seeing "a steady stream" of patients traveling from states with more restrictive abortion laws. - [Trump]( [DeSantis](... Sununu? New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu [told CNN yesterday]( that he's considering a run for president in 2024. While the Republican governor said he doesn't have a timeline for the decision, he joins a growing field of potential challengers to former president Donald Trump for a third straight GOP nomination — though [no one else has announced plans yet](. - Sununu's comments came a day after Trump made a visit to New Hampshire. But Sununu told CNN that he doesn't think Trump is "bringing that fire, that energy" that he did in 2016. P.S.— Hungry for conversation (and actual food)? Come down to WBUR CitySpace tonight for [Radio Boston host Tiziana Dearing's chat with Tiffani Faison]( the celebrity chef behind local restaurants like Sweet Cheeks barbecue and Tenderoni’s Pizza. Not only will guests get to hear Faison's story, they'll also get to enjoy her "Nacho Tiramisu." So, yeah, you'll want to [be there in person](. Nik DeCosta-Klipa Editor, Newsletters [Follow](  Support the news  The Rundown [After a drubbing last election, Mass. GOP finds itself at a crossroads]( Massachusetts Republicans failed to field a single successful candidate for statewide office last November, and now the party finds itself at a crossroads. GOP Chairman Jim Lyons wants a third term as party leader. But there is discontent among some Republicans, who reject his strategy. [Read more.]( [After a drubbing last election, Mass. GOP finds itself at a crossroads]( Massachusetts Republicans failed to field a single successful candidate for statewide office last November, and now the party finds itself at a crossroads. GOP Chairman Jim Lyons wants a third term as party leader. But there is discontent among some Republicans, who reject his strategy. [Read more.]( [Advocates call for re-commitment to Boston police reform after death of Tyre Nichols]( Boston officials say the killing of 29-year-old Tyre Nichols in Memphis underscores the importance of moving forward with police reforms here. Community advocates say there’s much more work to do. [Read more.]( [Advocates call for re-commitment to Boston police reform after death of Tyre Nichols]( Boston officials say the killing of 29-year-old Tyre Nichols in Memphis underscores the importance of moving forward with police reforms here. Community advocates say there’s much more work to do. [Read more.]( [Trump speaks at state GOP convention in first visit to NH since launching 2024 campaign]( New Hampshire Republicans gathered in Salem this weekend to elect new leaders, and to hear from an old one: former President Donald Trump. In an hour long speech, Trump said voters should expect him to take a hard-edged approach in his campaign to reclaim the Oval Office in 2024. [Read more.]( [Trump speaks at state GOP convention in first visit to NH since launching 2024 campaign]( New Hampshire Republicans gathered in Salem this weekend to elect new leaders, and to hear from an old one: former President Donald Trump. In an hour long speech, Trump said voters should expect him to take a hard-edged approach in his campaign to reclaim the Oval Office in 2024. [Read more.]( [9 diseases that keep epidemiologists up at night]( Thinking about the next pandemic is job number one for many researchers around the world. Here's a look at the World Health Organization's current list of pathogens with pandemic potential. [Read more.]( [9 diseases that keep epidemiologists up at night]( Thinking about the next pandemic is job number one for many researchers around the world. Here's a look at the World Health Organization's current list of pathogens with pandemic potential. [Read more.]( [As LEGO looks to Boston, Connecticut leaders concerned about fate of 700 employees]( The mayor of Enfield, Connecticut, says LEGO has provided the building blocks of the community for 50 years, and he is saddened at the company’s plans to depart. He hopes there will be relocation and job placement support for its more than than 700 employees. [Read more.]( [As LEGO looks to Boston, Connecticut leaders concerned about fate of 700 employees]( The mayor of Enfield, Connecticut, says LEGO has provided the building blocks of the community for 50 years, and he is saddened at the company’s plans to depart. He hopes there will be relocation and job placement support for its more than than 700 employees. [Read more.]( Anything Else? - Sports betting is ushering in a new era of gaming in Massachusetts this week, along with some social risks. UMass professor and researcher Rachel Volberg sat down to discuss these risks with Weekend Edition's Sharon Brody. [Listen in](. - The Sundance Film Festival finished up Sunday and, as always, there are films from the showings that should be on movie buffs' radar. NPR's Aisha Harris [breaks down the festival's offerings]( and which films you should be on the look out for. - ICYMI: After learning that a "toxic, self-cloning worm" is invading Maine, Endless Thread co-hosts Ben Johnson and Nora Saks [tunnel down a wormhole of their own into the complicated world of invasive species — and the stories we tell about them.]( - Erica Youngren says she has gained a lot since she stopped drinking: more patience, enhanced focus, increased energy. [But in this commentary]( she shares there is something big that's missing.  What We're Reading 📚 - Woman, 29, Enrolled in High School and Pretended to Be a Teenager ([The New York Times]( - Trump’s Killing Spree: The Inside Story of His Race to Execute Every Prisoner He Could ([Rolling Stone]( - After Duxbury, conversations we need to have ([The Boston Globe](  Tell Me Something Good [A curious Colorado bear strikes a pose for 400 selfies on a wildlife camera]( Photoshoots are an unintended — but amusing — use of the cameras. The Open Space and Mountain Parks department in Boulder, Colo., set up nine of them to learn about and protect local wildlife. [Read more.]( [A curious Colorado bear strikes a pose for 400 selfies on a wildlife camera]( Photoshoots are an unintended — but amusing — use of the cameras. The Open Space and Mountain Parks department in Boulder, Colo., set up nine of them to learn about and protect local wildlife. [Read more.]( Listen: The Common [looks at Latino representation (or lack thereof) in Gov. Maura Healey's cabinet]( plus a new era for "El Planeta." Play: [WBUR's daily mini crossword.]( Can you keep your streak going? Before you go: How about [Cape Cod in the winter?]( 😎 Forward to a friend. They can sign up [here](. 📣 Give us your feedback: newsletters@wbur.org 📧 Get more WBUR stories sent to your inbox. [Check out all of our newsletter offerings.]( Support the news   Want to change how you receive these emails? Stop getting this newsletter by [updating your preferences.](  I don't want to hear from WBUR anymore. Unsubscribe from all WBUR editorial newsletters [here](.  Interested in learning more about corporate sponsorship? [Click here.]( Copyright © 2022 WBUR-FM, All rights reserved.