Josh Zakim Founds Housing Advocacy Group
10-15-2020
Former Boston City Councilor Josh Zakim, who left city government to challenge Secretary of State Bill Galvin, has revealed his next act: a nonprofit housing policy advocacy group.
Zakim will lead Housing Forward-MA as its executive director, but the group also counts retired Northeastern University professor Barry Bluestone, Housing Partners CEO Eleanor White and Chestnut Hill Realty CEO Edward Zuker as its board members.
The organization hopes to be a resource for training, education and “research-backed” state- and local-level model policy proposals for better zoning laws that will help encourage affordable, transit-oriented and workforce housing. Zakim chaired the Boston City Council’s Housing Committee.
“Increasing the supply of affordable and workforce housing is a critical ingredient of any thriving economy; not only for creating jobs and tax revenue for cities and towns, but for lowering the cost of living and helping local businesses grow organically by adding jobs here,” Zakim said in a statement. “It’s critical for us to be able to meet the current and future housing needs of the statewide economy. The shortage of affordable, workforce housing will only grow in importance as Massachusetts begins the long post-coronavirus rebuilding of our economy. We absolutely need state and local policies that encourage the construction of more affordable housing for our workforce.”
Zakim said he hopes the group will help further racial equality by encouraging more housing construction. In addition to Zakim, Housing Forward-MA staff includes a policy fellow and an outreach and policy coordinator.