Only 1 in 7 renter households in Boston-area can afford ‘starter home,’ report finds
Only one in seven renter households in the Greater Boston area can afford an “entry level” home, as affordability issues continue even while construction increases, according to the 2025 Greater Boston Housing Report Card released Wednesday. “This year’s report data highlights some significant differences among housing construction, permits, and prices,” said Luc Schuster, executive director of the research arm of the Boston Foundation.
Report finds loopholes, permitting slowdown are worsening Greater Boston housing crisis
Greater Boston may be building more homes, but that hasn’t made it any easier to find an affordable place to live. A new Boston Foundation report released Wednesday finds that while housing construction is up, new building permits are slowing — and affordability continues to slip further out of reach.
Soaring costs, a tightening rental market, and a construction cliff: Greater Boston’s housing market is tougher than ever
Greater Boston has long been one of the most expensive places in the country to live. Rents are among the highest in the United States, keeping pace with other ultra-expensive regions like New York and Los Angeles. And home prices in many places regularly eclipse $1 million, pricing most middle-class residents out of homeownership.
Civic parley examines mounting mental health challenges
Members in a day-long summit at Northeastern University (NU) last week took a deep dive into the challenges facing Bostonians confronting mental health issues while also juggling the many stressors of city life. The event, convened by the Boston Public Health Commission and NU’s Institute for Health Equity and Social Justice Research, included candid discussions about the connections between “social determinants” like poverty, housing stress, and systemic racism.
At Health Commission summit, housing, economic stability are key to addressing mental health
When the Boston Public Health Commission hosted its mental health summit at Northeastern University on Oct. 21, the event drew mental health researchers and clinicians. It also brought together housing officials, economic development advocates and community members focused on decreasing inequity across the board.
Santa Fe aims to bring building into digital age with land use office modernization
Thick rolls of paper development plans still circulate in the Santa Fe Planning and Land Use Department, even after many other cities have shifted to the convenience and speed of digital software.
Santa Fe, home to Southwest mountain charm but also stringent aesthetic standards in some corridors and neighbors averse to change, isn’t always an easy place to build housing.
Critics say Boston’s inclusionary zoning hurts construction — does it?
One important piece of addressing the former is inclusionary zoning, which requires new, multifamily housing projects to set aside some of their new homes as affordable housing restricted to residents with low incomes.
But this year, inclusionary zoning has drawn unusual attention, even becoming a hot topic during the Boston mayoral campaign. That’s because one year ago, in October 2024, Boston increased the required percentage of units, decreased the maximum income level, and reduced the minimum number of units in a project that would trigger the rules.
Boston Housing Crisis: New law prioritizes converting city property into affordable homes
It’s been more than a year since The Pryde opened its doors in Boston’s Hyde Park neighborhood. And in that time, the former school building has become more than just an affordable housing option for older LGBTQ+ adults.
A new report has good news and bad news for Massachusetts’ housing goals
Earlier this year, Gov. Maura Healey’s administration set a goal for Massachusetts: 222,000 new homes by 2035. That’s what Healey’s office estimates it will take to get out of the current housing shortage that is making it so expensive to live here. In a preview released yesterday of its annual Greater Boston Housing Report Card, think tank Boston Indicators dug into recent home address and permitting data and found a mix of good news and bad news when it comes to our chances of hitting that goal.
District 7 needs a new city councilor. Who can take on its challenges?
With just days to go until the 2025 General Municipal Election, Boston’s District 7 is once again ready to pick a new City Councilor. Eleven candidates competed in September’s preliminary election to replace former Councilor Tania Fernandes Anderson. Now, finalists Said Ahmed and Rev. Miniard Culpepper are looking to represent the historically Black and politically active district.