Boston Mayor Martin J. Walsh and the 14 other members of the Metro Mayors Coalition have announced a new housing production goal to meet the demands of the Boston metro area’s robust regional economy and growing population.
“Our region is in the midst of housing emergency. It is a crisis of housing affordability and availability that has deep and disastrous impacts on individuals and families. And it is not contained by municipal boundaries — it is a problem of such scale and scope that it demands cities, towns, and the state come together to develop bold regional solutions,” said Somerville Mayor Joseph A. Curtatone. “That is our charge, and I’m encouraged to be announcing a regional goal as the result of our first phase of work. But this first phase is only a beginning. It is incumbent on us all to continue our work and implement actionable plans to achieve this goal.”
In a press conference, the coalition, which includes Revere Mayor Brian Arrigo, announced plans to create 185,000 new housing units in the region by 2030.
This landmark commitment includes a regional production goal, with 10 principles and best practices. The 10 guiding principles are stakeholder and municipal engagement; complex neighborhoods including a mix of land uses and access to open space; discrimination-free housing; preservation of existing affordable units; housing production, affordability, stability, diversity, design and location.
Work toward setting the goal began last year when the communities banded together to establish a task force to address the region’s housing crisis. The Metropolitan Area Planning Council (MAPC) in Boston, which staffs and facilitates the Metro Mayors Coalition, projects Eastern Massachusetts will need 435,000 units of housing by 2040 to meet demand; this recent announcement is a key step in that direction.
Since 2010, the 15 cities and towns of the coalition — Arlington, Boston, Braintree, Brookline, Cambridge, Chelsea, Everett, Malden, Medford, Melrose, Newton, Quincy, Revere, Somerville and Winthrop — have added nearly 110,000 residents and 148,000 new jobs, while permitting only 32,500 new housing units. Intense competition for the limited available housing drives up prices, makes it difficult for people to find homes they can afford, and increases the potential for displacement.
“Housing production isn’t just a Boston problem and no one community can solve our housing crisis alone. Home prices are rising throughout the region, and even as demand has grown, production has lagged. Today, these local and state leaders are stepping up to tackle the housing crisis head-on, because our residents can’t wait,” said Marc Draisen, executive director of MAPC.
Greater Boston sale prices and rents are among the highest of any large metropolitan area across the country, and two-fifths of households are paying a burdensome amount toward housing, creating financial pressures and risks of displacement.
These challenges are likely to intensify in the coming years. The coalition communities are on track to add 235,000 net new jobs from 2015 to 2030; combined with the imminent retirement of the region’s baby boomers, this robust economic growth will entail hundreds of thousands of new workers entering the labor force. If recent trends continue, a growing share of those new workers will want to live near the core of the region, close to jobs and amenities.
“The vision outlined by the 15 metro mayors will ensure that the Boston region continues to grow in an equitable and inclusive manner,” said MassHousing executive director Chrystal Kornegay. “MassHousing is proud to have supported the Metro Mayors Coalition in setting this historic housing production goal, and we look forward to continuing to partner with MAPC and the communities of the Metro Mayors Coalition, as they move to implement this bold vision locally.”