Municipalities Will Not Lead on Housing
As passions around the MBTA Communities law rise, it’s time to take a fact-based look at the law, put it in context with what other states are doing and plan accordingly.
Housing Tax Credit Bill Should Be on U.S. Senate’s To-Do List
A bill making its way through Congress could spark the largest increase in resources for affordable rental housing in nearly a quarter of a century and reduce project costs.
Rampant Insurance Increases Are Stifling Housing Production
There’s a new threat to affordability that is jolting the rental apartment real estate industry, especially those in market-rate and affordable multifamily housing: insurance premiums.
A Workhorse Affordable Housing Program Is Expanding Significantly
The need for more affordable housing in the Greater Boston area is at an all-time high, but construction is headed for a record low. Fortunately, Gov. Maura Healey has proposed tools that can help fix this.
Redouble the Effort to Support the Community Preservation Act
A few key reforms can help overcome the real obstacle to growing the number of housing units the CPA creates: the lack of local political will to seed new housing that CPA funds can be spent on.
Expanding HDIP Funding Offers Many Worthwhile Benefits
It’s a policy that can help downtowns be busier and healthier, assist cities with revenue and reduce the concentration of poverty by increasing their overall supply of housing.
ADUs Are No Longer a Fringe Housing Solution
There’s rarely a silver bullet solution to such a crisis, but state action to allow accessory dwelling units by right would clearly narrow the gap between supply and demand, and reduce housing costs.
‘Buy American’ Would Have Exacerbated Housing Shortage
The $1.2 trillion federal infrastructure law had an unintended consequence: Forcing affordable housing developments to abide by expensive and potentially unavailable U.S.-produced materials. Now there’s relief.
A Change in HUD Voucher Rules Improves Families’ Lives
A small shift in federal housing policy is yielding results that have the potential to better the lives of hundreds of thousands of low-income families.
Multifamily Housing Law Puts Responsibilities on MBTA Communities
Communities with concerns about Massachusetts’ new transit-oriented zoning reform were heard. We need to engage in our communities to ensure that this law achieves its promise.
Question 1 Is a Generational Opportunity for Mass.
For us in the real estate community, the Fair Share Amendment is a chance to support the housing needs of our workforce using the better transit infrastructure the tax will fund.
Accessory Dwelling Units Are One Obvious Way to Create Homes
One of the most unfortunate casualties of the end-of-session scramble on Beacon Hill was a failure to legalize the creation of accessory dwelling units on many single-family lots statewide.
It’s Time to Take Notice of Growing Single-Family Rental Sector
The need to expand Massachusetts’ stock of single-family homes is palpable. The shortage of homes has resulted in bidding wars for properties and a ratcheting up of prices. It is also the reason that young families are leaving our region to purchase a home somewhere...Congress Must Move to Unlock Pandemic Aid’s Housing Potential
A grant given to fund an affordable housing project reduces the cost basis for developers and thereby reduces the amount that can be raised in private funds through the LIHTC program.
The Time is Ripe for a Real Estate Transfer Tax
The solution is to create new housing supply, and the optimal time to raise necessary resources is when the market is strong and robust. And major employers are getting on board with the idea, too.
Family Self-Sufficiency Program Helps Families Build Wealth
Addressing the racial wealth gap will take a variety of approaches. And for many, the key to building assets is to have the opportunity to build equity in homes that they own.
Life Sciences Boom Creates Challenges, Opportunities for Housing Needs
Companies with lab needs can pay higher land costs than housing developers, and a combination of factors has intensified the competition for developable land in the Greater Boston area.
To Close the Racial Wealth Gap, Scale Up CommonWealth Builder
Massachusetts’ CommonWealth Builder program effectively reduces the price of new housing units by subsidizing developers up to $150,000 per home. And unlike traditional affordable housing, it allows homeowners to realize the full market appreciation of their unit if they live there for at least 15 years.
Lesson from the Pandemic: Broadband Is Infrastructure
The pandemic has laid bare the extent of the digital divide that exists – reliable broadband access is essential to modern work and life. And finally, legislation proposed by both parties recognizes it.
More Support for First-Generation Homebuyers Will Help Close Homeownership Gaps
Homeownership rates among nonwhite Massachusetts residents are much lower than those of white families. This creates dire implications for generating wealth in communities of color.
