Newton needs to be a warm and welcoming community and we should have housing options so that our teachers and city workers can afford to live in Newton. In order to provide varied housing we must plan thoughtfully for the infrastructure needs and especially for our schools and any associated population growth. We must also preserve housing that is currently more affordable. Having different forms of housing such as above commercial buildings in village centers and townhouses and multi-families will help with this. However, only partnering with developers for our affordable needs will only increase the cost of living in Newton with rents in excess of $5,000/month for a two bedroom. Since 2020 Newton has approved, but not necessarily built, 3700 units or an 11% increase in our housing. Around 50 of those units are part of the recently passed, by-right, MBTA communities act, but we can expect more in the future. The work to plan for a welcoming and diverse Newton needs to be done now and not only after we see a considerable amount of new development with no thoughtful planning done.