Somerville is starting to see a revival of three-unit residential buildings, some eight months after removing roadblocks to their permitting.
The city, like many parts of greater Boston, is known for its large amount of iconic triple-deckers. But until zoning changes were enacted in November 2023, no triple-unit residences were allowed to be developed in most parts of the city. Now, no special variances or permissions are required.
“I love the idea of building more triple-deckers,” said Cassidy Norton, associate publisher of Banker and Tradesman. “The history of why they were banned is a little fraught … they stopped building them because immigrants lived in them. So it’s nice to see that type of housing stock come back without those racist overtones.”
Tom Galligani, executive director of the Somerville Mayor’s Office of Strategic Planning and Community Development, said the new rules have already had an effect on plans in the city.
“Developers who are looking at projects in the city of Somerville and had contemplated building a two-family, now are … realizing that this is a great opportunity for them to add a third unit,” he added. “And this is exactly what we were hoping to see: incremental addition of housing units in our traditional neighborhoods.”
Galligani added that the new rules also allow modifications to existing structures, such as someone converting their garage or attic into a third unit. He said that is helping the city comply with the MBTA Communities Act, which requires 177 municipalities allow for dense housing, largely near transit stations.
In nearby Cambridge, and even bolder proposal is making its way through the City Council. The proposal, backed by the advocacy group A Better Cambridge, would allow up to six-story apartments in all residential zones of the city, with as many as 50-60 units — including areas that are currently zoned as single-family only.
“The reason we want to be able to build multiple stories throughout the city is because we live in a really well-resourced, transit-oriented place,” said Becca Schofield, an affordable housing developer and co-chair of A Better Cambridge. “And to build larger-scale rental housing just will serve more people and provide the city and its residents, and its future residents, with an opportunity to make a life in Cambridge more sustainable for them.”
In Somerville, Galligani said, it’s a tough sell in many neighborhoods to allow building up above three stories.
“You know, big changes become polarizing,” he said. “It doesn’t mean that we stop planning and stop thinking about how to make our community better, and how to address the affordable housing crisis and the housing crisis in our region … but this provided, you know, a really efficient way for us to make some change that would be meaningful while we continue to plan, really think about, how we can continue to grow in the future.”
