Geoff Diehl

According to recent studies, Massachusetts is one of several states leading the nation in an inauspicious statistic – the number of people choosing to move out-of-state. We are losing population at staggering rates, while other states are adding residents fast. 

I believe there are many reasons driving these numbers. High taxes, overbearing mandates that fail to respect individual liberty and a lack of parental choice in education and health care decisions all lead the list. But for many, high cost of living is the critical deciding factor, including specifically a lack of affordable housing in Massachusetts. 

Our state needs a new approach that helps more people realize the American dream of homeownership while preserving the character of our communities. 

Unfortunately, state policy keeps leading us in the wrong direction by confusing housing affordability with housing density. 

Transit Zoning an Overreach 

Too often, our housing laws are aimed at squeezing more housing units into tighter spaces near cities and the transportation hubs that serve them. 

For example, a recent state law requires 175 eastern Massachusetts communities served by the MBTA to change their zoning to accommodate more housing density – much more.  

Communities will be required to have at least one zoning district where multifamily housing is allowed as-of-right, whether residents want it or not. Many communities in and around the Interstate 495 belt will be required to build hundreds of new multifamily housing units – against local preferences – just in order to meet arbitrary state rules. 

Meanwhile, at least one Boston-area city is actually considering going even further, with a proposal reportedly being studied to do away with single-family zoning in favor of high-density alternatives. 

This strategy serves developers, but not people in these communities. It takes a limited view of host communities as mere bedrooms for urban employment. Density puts a squeeze on schools and other local resources, and the regulations requiring this zoning are an unfunded mandate. What’s more, the strategy seems outdated in an era when more and more jobs are moving out of cities or, in some cases, transitioning to work-from-home roles. 

 Let Locals Dictate Development 

A better process starts with creating solid employment opportunities in our suburbs, creating less pressure to commute into town for work and more opportunity to move out of the city to live. Naturally, that process will lead to the creation of more housing stock in outer areas, and under a more manageable plan that respects local resources. 

We also need to build up infrastructure in areas of our state that have traditionally been left out of the process, and which desperately need investment to fund upgrades to their basic systems. That includes improving roads and bridges, making sure utilities are sufficient and improving municipal buildings so they can adequately serve local needs. 

Streamlined permitting is often cited as a major need in order to jump-start the creation of more housing. I support efficiency and streamlined service for permitting and other government functions. But I also favor local control over the process. 

We also need to look at home financing carefully. As a state representative several years ago, I led our state to create a special commission to study problems with the lending industry and to identify ways to keep people out of foreclosure and in their homes. I also proposed expanded emergency assistance for certain people at-risk of foreclosure due to circumstances beyond their control. I think there is more work we can do in this area, including holding lenders who commit unfair or discriminatory practices in the housing market accountable. 

There is no question that we need more housing. And we need to make housing more affordable so it’s accessible for more people. But the way and manner in which we expand our housing stock makes a big difference to the future sustainability of our communities. Let’s make smart housing decisions now to ensure a better future for Massachusetts and a more affordable way of life for Bay Staters.

Geoff Diehl is a resident of Whitman and is the Republican Party’s officially endorsed candidate for governor of Massachusetts in the Sept. 6 gubernatorial primary.