Elizabeth Warren Shouts Out Mayor Spicer On Twitter

FRAMINGHAM, MA — Mayor Yvonne Spicer got a shoutout from Senator Elizabeth Warren on Twitter on Wednesday. The senator tweeted at Mayor Spicer and Boston Mayor Marty Walsh, thanking them for their support of her housing bill. Warren attached an article both mayors collaborated on about the housing bill.

Warren's bill, the American Housing and Economic Mobility Act, targets redlining, segregation, restrictive zoning, and the loss of equity by low income home owners. The act would be funded by raising the estate tax up to Bush-era levels — over ten years the act would pour over $10 million into affordable housing programs. An independent study by Mark Zandi at Moody’s Analytics found that raising the estate tax not only wouldn't create a deficit but would build or rehabilitate more than 3 million units over the next decade and fully close the current gap between housing demand and supply.

Spicer and Walsh published their support in an article in CommonWealth magazine, calling affordable housing the "cornerstones of a strong middle class." Both mayors wrote about the housing struggles in their respective cities. Spicer wrote that Framingham is at a crossroads in terms of its housing situation. "We are encouraging homeowners to stay in our community while launching a robust campaign to attract young professionals for our workforce," the article reads, "We’re aiming for the right balance of new investment in the community without displacing existing residents."

Framingham is in the process of revamping the downtown with several new housing developments including luxury, transit-oriented apartments. Other area in the city like Nobscot have become focal points for development or apartments and the idea of a "walkable village center."

The mayors closed the article with unwavering support of the act. "The American Housing and Economic Mobility Act strikes at the heart of what is required all across Greater Boston and Massachusetts," the article reads, "We can’t let an overheated housing market squeeze hard-working families and shut them out of the American dream."

RELATED:

• Framingham Honored For Downtown Development Strategy
• Nobscot Could Be Rezoned To Create Walkable Village Center
• One-On-One With Framingham Mayor Yvonne Spicer