Across New England, developers are looking for new ways to increase affordable housing inventory, and some are trying to do so by using mass timber… in recent years there’s been an increase in mass timber construction in New England, though not to the degree proponents would like to see. Some say it could be key to creating sustainable new housing in the region. …It may be hard to replace carbon and steel in our tallest skyscrapers, but mass timber buildings are getting taller, said Ricky McLain, with the Wood Works Products Council. A 2021 building code change allowed mass timber buildings to go up to 18 stories, McLain said. …A mass timber industry in New England would create a new market for wood, leading to more forest maintenance as trees are harvested, according to Chad Oliver, a professor emeritus at the Yale School of Forestry. Oliver calls it a “triple win.”