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Written by a Sturbridge resident · Independent · Nonpartisan

🏠 Sturbridge Housing

Starter Homes Are Gone. Rentals Are Full. Here's Where Sturbridge Stands — and What Residents Said Should Happen Next.

The town held a housing forum last week. The numbers are striking: 0% rental vacancy rate, a $239,400 affordability gap, and only 5.47% of housing units qualifying as affordable under state rules. Here's the full breakdown of what was presented and what residents said the town should do about it.

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Latest Updates

Special Report

Sturbridge’s New Open Space Plan Calls for Water Protection, More Recreation, and Better Public Access

May 18, 2026

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5 min read

Sturbridge’s New Open Space Plan Calls for Water Protection, More Recreation, and Better Public Access

The 2025–2035 plan lays out a decade-long roadmap for preserving Sturbridge’s rural character while expanding access to recreation, trails, waterways, and gathering spaces.

Special Report

Starter Homes Are Gone. Rentals Are Full. Sturbridge Is at 5.47% Affordability — and Last Week, Residents Helped Shape What Comes Next.

May 11, 2026

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8 min read

Starter Homes Are Gone. Rentals Are Full. Sturbridge Is at 5.47% Affordability — and Last Week, Residents Helped Shape What Comes Next.

The Affordable Housing Trust held a community forum on May 6 to gather public input on Sturbridge's next Housing Production Plan. Residents heard a detailed snapshot of the town's housing crisis, then broke into small groups to weigh in on what the town should prioritize over the next five years. This post covers what was presented, what residents said, and what happens next.

Special Report

Sturbridge Town Meeting Results: Bridge Approved, Budget Passed, Sewer Projects Move Forward

May 4, 2026

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7 min read

Sturbridge Town Meeting Results: Bridge Approved, Budget Passed, Sewer Projects Move Forward

Last Monday night, Sturbridge voters gathered at Tantasqua Regional High School for Annual Town Meeting and by the end of the night, every Annual Town Meeting article passed.

Select Board

Town Meeting Tonight: Final Article Updates, Pump Station Study, and Liberty Elm Plan

Apr 27, 2026

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6 min read

Town Meeting Tonight: Final Article Updates, Pump Station Study, and Liberty Elm Plan

The Select Board approved a $150,000 Route 20 pump station design study, approved the location of a new Liberty Elm on the Town Common, supported several final Special Town Meeting article amounts, and raised follow-up questions about ARPA-funded town plantings.

Finance Committee

What Happened While Sturbridge Was Focused on the Election

Apr 20, 2026

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7 min read

What Happened While Sturbridge Was Focused on the Election

New Route 20 safety data, a brutal winter for DPW, the Finance Committee’s sidewalk plow vote, and other key decisions before Town Meeting.

Special Report

Sturbridge Town Meeting Warrant, Made Simple: 32 Articles, Big Votes, What to Watch

Apr 13, 2026

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18 min read

Sturbridge Town Meeting Warrant, Made Simple: 32 Articles, Big Votes, What to Watch

Sturbridge Annual Town Meeting is two weeks away. Here’s what’s on the warrant, what it costs, who voted how, and which articles are actually worth watching.

About The Town Minute

I’m Connor, a Sturbridge resident. I watch Select Board meetings for fun and the YouTube stream usually has a couple dozen views. For a town of 9,500 people, that always struck me as crazy low. These meetings decide our taxes, our roads, our water. And almost nobody’s watching. So I started summarizing the meetings myself in plain English, once a week, straight to your inbox. No jargon, no two-hour videos, no digging through PDFs. Just what happened and why it matters.

Nonpartisan

Always free

Independent

Using Official sources only

5 Minutes. Not 5 Hours.

Starter Homes Are Gone. Rentals Are Full. Here's Where Sturbridge Stands — and What Residents Said Should Happen Next.

Here’s what you get every week

You skip the two-hour meeting

Monday morning, it’s in your inbox

Got a question? Just ask

Latest Updates

Sturbridge’s New Open Space Plan Calls for Water Protection, More Recreation, and Better Public Access

Starter Homes Are Gone. Rentals Are Full. Sturbridge Is at 5.47% Affordability — and Last Week, Residents Helped Shape What Comes Next.

Sturbridge Town Meeting Results: Bridge Approved, Budget Passed, Sewer Projects Move Forward

Town Meeting Tonight: Final Article Updates, Pump Station Study, and Liberty Elm Plan

What Happened While Sturbridge Was Focused on the Election

Sturbridge Town Meeting Warrant, Made Simple: 32 Articles, Big Votes, What to Watch

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