Scott Van Voorhis
Banker & Tradesman ColumnistScott Van Voorhis is a freelance journalist and columnist with a focus on residential and commercial real estate.
by Scott Van Voorhis | Nov 5, 2023
Million-dollar home sales just aren’t what they used to be in Greater Boston. And that’s a major problem for Gov. Maura Healey as she forges ahead with her proposal for a local-option tax on expensive home sales.
by Scott Van Voorhis | Oct 29, 2023
Tom O’Brien is not shy about taking on challenging projects. Now he faces another potentially daunting endeavor, as he pushes ahead with plans for a large lab and housing complex in Roxbury’s Nubian Square.
by Scott Van Voorhis | Oct 22, 2023
Healey’s plan takes an important step towards zoning reform and plows $4.1 billion into new housing. But she needs to be willing to call out NIMBY selfishness as it happens and make the case for a healthier society.
by Scott Van Voorhis | Oct 15, 2023
Yes, unbuilt suburban lab projects are unraveling and rents are sinking, but the life science industry is built on real demand and requires in-person work. Life science real estate isn’t going anywhere in Boston.
by Scott Van Voorhis | Oct 8, 2023
The run-up in commercial real estate in the 1980s helped fill local tax coffers. When that source of funding dried up seemingly overnight, there was hell to pay as local and city officials were forced to boost taxes on homeowners and slash municipal and school budgets – a situation the city may soon be facing again.
by Scott Van Voorhis | Oct 1, 2023
There is arguably an even bigger problem when it comes to public housing in Massachusetts, one that has drawn little media attention: the huge number of public housing units on the cusp of being uninhabitable.
by Scott Van Voorhis | Sep 24, 2023
To save us from Beacon Hill’s vortex of petty feuds and back-room deal-making, the state auditor needs hundreds of thousands of dollars in donations to fuel a crusading ballot campaign that will force better government.
by Scott Van Voorhis | Sep 17, 2023
Boston’s mayor is finally keeping her pledge to rezone the city for more growth. But she’s up against forces her three predecessors couldn’t tame and some of her helpers may lack local knowledge.
by Scott Van Voorhis | Sep 10, 2023
Housing advocates know a supply shortage is behind our runaway rents. But their two closest groups of allies sit on either side of the issue, and each see the debate in existential terms.
by Scott Van Voorhis | Sep 3, 2023
To see a current example of local bureaucracy run amok, one need look no further than Somerville, where city officials are giving the run-around to a promising proposal, and giving up their power to a big, corporate developer.
by Scott Van Voorhis | Aug 27, 2023
One is better than none, but when only one out of 34 people running for seats on the Boston City Council appears to truly get what needs to be done to fix the housing crisis, we’ve got a problem.
by Scott Van Voorhis | Aug 20, 2023
Some of the last remaining escape hatches from Greater Boston’s grossly overpriced housing market – Worcester and Providence – are starting to close. And unfortunately, local NIMBYs seem determined to make the problem worse.
by Scott Van Voorhis | Aug 13, 2023
The end may finally be near for WeWork. To that, I say: Good riddance, and maybe we can look forward to a little less bunkum in a business world that’s been full of it.
by Scott Van Voorhis | Aug 5, 2023
Leave it to the local press to miss the significance of the first big management move by new T chief Phillip Eng. His new hires aren’t cronies, and they’re not “reinforcements,” either.
by Scott Van Voorhis | Jul 30, 2023
“From dire to downright catastrophic” just about sums up the steady progression of the housing crisis in Massachusetts over the past year, with new construction falling off a cliff as rents and home prices keep setting records.
by Scott Van Voorhis | Jul 23, 2023
Sadly, taking advantage of other people’s misery and mistakes can be a highly profitable business. But it comes with big reputational risks – something that David Hicks found out the hard way.
by Scott Van Voorhis | Jul 16, 2023
The solution to our housing woes? Elect more local officials who truly get that a shortage is what’s driving up those crazy prices and rents. Enter Abundant Housing Massachusetts.
by Scott Van Voorhis | Jul 9, 2023
When it comes to real estate projects, no news is not good news. Rather, it’s an almost universal sign of bad news.
by Scott Van Voorhis | Jul 2, 2023
Why not let posh suburbs like Wellesley and Lincoln pass all the green mandates and regulations they can dream up? But there’d be a catch: Get serious about helping Greater Boston fix its housing affordability crisis.
by Scott Van Voorhis | Jun 25, 2023
MGM’s casino is employing only half the workers it promised, and concerns about crime and complaints about amenities that have stayed shuttered post-pandemic raise questions about its future.