Mass. Can Overcome Local Control Arguments with Permitting Reforms
Permitting reforms can still accelerate housing production in Massachusetts this year, while avoiding much of the controversy surrounding state-driven zoning reforms.
State Dollars Prime the Pump for Housing
HDIP tax credits have financed over 2,700 new homes since 2023, alone. So why do some progressives and free-market conservatives alike have a beef with them?
Massachusetts’ ADU Revolution Won’t Be Complete Without More Reforms
Nine months into the statewide legalization of...
ADU Construction Still Struggling in Massachusetts
ADUs may be legal to build statewide in Massachusetts, but a new study from the Pioneer Institute shows we’re building them at a fraction of the pace of cities in California and Washington.
It’s Time to Rethink Bans on Residential in Industrial Districts
Zoning is fundamentally an attempt to separate out incompatible uses. But as industries change, we need to update our understanding of what needs to be kept separate.
Mass. Lags in Housing Production Despite Units Touted by Healey
New data shows just how few new homes the state is permitting, despite Gov. Maura Healey’s boasts of 90,000 units completed in her tenure.
Maine Leads the Way on Housing Reform in New England
Massachusetts could learn some lessons from Maine’s housing reform approach, particularly from a new law that removes barriers to housing while preserving some local control.
Cities Who Fight the Housing Market Lose Talented Workers
There’s at least one way that policy gooses local housing demand with no economic benefit: requiring city staff to live in the city they work for.
Landlords and Development Caught in Section 8 Crossfire
Potential cuts to federal Section 8 vouchers could put landlords in an uncomfortable position and hurt housing production.
Crash Risks Are Not Necessarily Worsened by Development
Certainly, any safety concern should be taken seriously and addressed promptly, but it’s also easy for the public to overestimate the negative effects (and underestimate the potential positive effects) of new development on road safety.
Pioneer Institute Says Massachusetts’ Economy is Declining
It’s a wake-up call for elected leaders to move beyond incremental steps and pursue a bold, unified strategy – one that taps our world-class universities, research centers and talent to restore Massachusetts’ edge in innovation and opportunity.
Local Zoning Is a Confusing Mess. Beacon Hill Can Help with Definitions
Should multifamily housing mean the same thing in Weston as it does in Concord? It doesn’t, and that’s one of many areas where a little clarification by state legislators could go a long way to aiding housing production.
Two Big Ideas Could Make Chapter 40B Even Better
A Healey administration commission has floated two ways to the state’s most successful housing production law to date even more successful and extend its lifespan.
Report Calls for Faster Housing Permitting in Mass.
A new analysis by Boston think-tank The Pioneer Institute is urging Massachusetts legislators to tackle the often-slow – and therefore expensive – process of permitting new housing alongside other tools for boosting home construction.
Serious Flaws Mean Healey’s Housing Plan Vastly Underestimates Our Needs
Gov. Maura Healey’s new housing plan sets a 222,000-home goal. But what sounds ambitious is really an implicit endorsement of the status quo.
Don’t Build ‘Freedom Cities’ in the Desert. Build on Post Offices
President-elect Donald Trump wants to open up federal land, possibly in the West, to housing construction. But there’s lots of underutilized land right here in Massachusetts.
Sluggish Permitting Blamed for Worsening Housing Crisis
Greater Boston communities’ drawn-out land-use permitting inhibits development and further drives up some of the nation’s highest apartment rents and home prices, according to an analysis by The Pioneer Institute.
Mass. Is Losing Our Youngest. Blame Taxes and the Cost of Living
A pair of studies suggest the accelerating departures mean a state revenue bump from the Millionaires Tax will be relatively fleeting.
Study: Towns’ MBTA Zoning Districts Discourage Development
A new analysis by the Pioneer Institute says that many Massachusetts towns are blunting the effect of a state law aimed at producing more housing near transit.
SJC’s Milton Ruling Won’t Change Need to Comply with MBTA Communities
Whether we’re talking about Milton or its hangers-on, as long as the Legislature and the Healey administration remain in agreement, towns will eventually need to comply with the MBTA Communities law.
