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Let’s dig into Q1 and, as always, be sure to read the official 2026 Massachusetts Voter Guide. Let’s start with the basics: The background on this issue does all the talking: States across the U.S. subject their elected officials to public records...

This edition of The House Call explores new data showing that, in the Boston area, it takes an average of 16 months to authorize a new housing development after an application is filed. The House Call also covers the latest court ruling involving the MBTA Communities Act.

Florida has been one of the fastest-growing states in the country since the beginning of the pandemic. Between April 2020 and July 2025, its population grew by 8.9 percent (1.92 million people), the second-highest rate among states. At its peak, Florida added 577,291 net residents in 2022 alone. Three years later, the picture looks very different.

Massachusetts currently holds “closed” primaries so Democrats and Republicans can choose their own nominees. Unenrolled voters must choose which party primary to participate in. The winner of each party primary advances to the general election. Q3 would replace that system with a single, "open" primary in which every voter chooses among all candidates; the top two advance to November, even if they belong to the same party. If approved, the change would take effect in 2028.

Beginning in 2027, the new federal Education Freedom Tax Credit will allow taxpayers to receive a federal income-tax credit for contributions to Scholarship Granting Organizations, or SGOs. Those organizations will use the contributions to provide scholarships for eligible K–12 students. The program...

We compiled the latest Zillow data to understand which parts of the state have the least expensive “starter homes,” and which areas are most expensive.

To understand the housing concerns facing Floridians, Pioneer Institute polled Florida residents on housing issues and challenges facing homeowners and prospective homebuyers across the state.

The federal 340B program gives some hospitals discounts on medicines so they can do more for patients who can't afford care. A new study from Pioneer Institute and CancerCare finds that hospitals in the program spend a smaller share of their budgets on charity care than hospitals that do not participate.

When Boston commercial property owners exercised their right to appeal their assessments, many saw those assessments increase. Pioneer Institute is asking the Legislature and the Healey administration to find out why the state's tax authority won't investigate.

This edition of The House Call compares Massachusetts home construction data to the state's 10-year housing production goal and the construction pace in other states. It also tracks the accelerating pace of accessory dwelling unit permitting in Massachusetts since the beginning of 2025.