SPH studies link infertility to living in redlined neighborhood, decades after redlining outlawed

Two studies led by researchers at Boston University’s School of Public Health are the first to identify a connection between redlining, a historically racist housing policy, and a lower likelihood of pregnancy. “Our hypothesis here was that we know that Black populations have higher rates of infertility. We know they’re also more likely to be exposed to historical neighborhood redlining,” said Mary Willis, an assistant professor of epidemiology at SPH who co-authored the first paper and was first author on the second.

Mayors Back Market-Rate Housing

A growing majority of U.S. mayors believe increasing market-rate housing supply is key to addressing affordability challenges, according to a new national survey.

The 2025 Menino Survey of Mayors, conducted by Boston University Initiative on Cities, found that 75% of respondents agree or strongly agree that expanding market-rate housing can help reduce costs. That marks a notable increase from 60% in 2021, reflecting shifting attitudes among local leaders as housing shortages persist.

At the same time, 80% of mayors reported that their cities lack sufficient multifamily housing, and 82% strongly support building apartments near transit hubs and business centers.

Burke housing market shifts as prices fall, inventory rises, rents climb

Burke County’s housing market slowed in March, with fewer new listings, fewer closings, and lower sale prices than a year earlier, and buyers gaining more choice and a little more negotiating room.

Sellers are still operating in a functioning market, but one that is less urgent than it was a year ago. Renters, meanwhile, continue to face upward cost pressure.

Another homeless encampment strategy

The Homeless Strategy Office announced a new “homeless encampment management plan” yesterday (emphasis mine): The City currently receives an average of 775 Austin 3-1-1 service requests each month related to encampments and hundreds more follow-up inquiries to these reports. While current operations allow for periodic encampment response, existing staffing levels do not support consistent follow-up or maintenance of previously cleared locations. As a result, many sites experience recurring activity, limiting the City’s ability to maintain progress and public confidence. The updated model is intended to address this structural limitation by increasing operational capacity and establishing a system that balances initial response with ongoing site management.

Most big-city mayors back more housing but question loosening local rules

While three-quarters of mayors say that building more homes would reduce prices, only about a third see their cities’ zoning and permitting rules as a major contributor to the housing shortfall, Boston University’s Initiative on Cities said in a report published this month. Elected leaders are even less convinced they need to reform local building codes or environmental standards to help ramp up construction.

Should you have to pay for your resident parking permit?

The politics and policies of public street parking vary wildly in Greater Boston. Some communities, including the state’s largest city, allow residential parking for free. Others charge fees, but the amounts are all over the map. Some charge $10 for 10 months of parking and offer free residential parking for the other two months, while in one affluent suburb, renting a municipal overnight spot could cost you $1,200 a year.

Trump’s Fed chair nominee is pushing a myth

Fed chair nominee Kevin Warsh has turned to the myth of “the Maestro” to provide an intellectually coherent reason for acceding to President Donald Trump’s demand for lower interest rates. But in arguing that he can cut rates based on anecdotal evidence, Warsh is taking the wrong lessons from Alan Greenspan’s tenure.

Most mayors say market-rate housing development can boost housing affordability

A majority of U.S. mayors in a 2025 survey believe increasing market-rate housing development can reduce housing costs in their cities. The 75% of respondents agreeing or strongly agreeing with that assertion last year is an increase from 60% in 2021, according to the Menino Survey of Mayors initiated by Boston University’s Initiative on Cities.