MBTAAnalysis: A look inside the MBTA

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The MBTA shuttles over a million passengers a day around Greater…

The Clock is Ticking…….

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The clock is ticking towards December 30, 2017.  As part of…

In 2024, Massachusetts Had One of the Nation’s Lowest Per Capita Rates of Permitting for New Homes

This edition of The House Call dives into the 2024 results from the U.S. Census Bureau's Building Permit Survey, including that Massachusetts permitted fewer new homes than it did in each year from 2013-2022. The newsletter also explains why the state's efforts to increase production of small, owner-occupied "starter homes" have thus far resulted in no new starter homes under official programs.

Massachusetts Releases New Permanent Regulations for MBTA Communities Act

The April edition of The House Call provides an update regarding the MBTA Communities Act's implementation, with some communities amending their zoning via either referendum votes or Town Meeting this spring. The newsletter also includes a discussion of communities that have eliminated minimum parking requirements in recent years.

Study: Inclusionary Zoning Helps Some, but Can Jeopardize Broad-Based Affordability

Policies often force developers to raise market-rate prices to compensate for losses on affordable units

Pioneer Institute Study Says MA Housing Permitting Process Needs Systemic Reform

Highlights Bureaucratic licensing process and appeals as areas to fix

The House Call – Accessory Dwelling Units are Officially Legal Statewide in Massachusetts

This issue of The House Call covers Massachusetts' recent legalization of accessory dwelling units, as well as a bill filed in the state legislature last month that would broadly prevent localities from enforcing certain housing-related regulations. 

The House Call – January

This issue of The House Call covers the implementation of Boston's energy efficiency standards for large buildings. It also provides an update on the MBTA Communities Act after a busy fall Town Meeting season featuring rezoning votes, forced referenda, and - more recently - the SJC's Milton case decision.

Statement on MBTA Communities Law Milton Ruling

Today, the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court ruled that the…

The House Call – Mayor Wu Wants to Overhaul Boston’s Arcane Development Approvals Process? Here Are Three Reform Options

Pioneer Institute is debuting The House Call, a monthly newsletter covering housing-related news and market trends in Massachusetts. The first issue explores reform options for Boston's arcane development approvals process and major reform items from the state's November 2024 economic development bill. Read our December issue today!

Pioneer Institute Releases Examination of  Metropolitan Housing Markets; Obtains Insights Into Improving Affordability 

Boston, Mass. – A Pioneer Institute review of reforms enacted in metropolitan areas across the country finds that to achieve more affordable housing in the coming decades, Greater Boston should focus on policies such as making it easier to build small multi-family projects, retrofit commercial areas with new housing, and loosen parking and minimum lot size requirements.

Pioneer Institute Study Finds Wide Range of Approaches to Compliance with MBTA Communities Law

Lexington’s approach seen as a model BOSTON – As Massachusetts’…

Housing Bond Bill: Could Billions Better Bay State Cost of Living

Joe Selvaggi talks with Pioneer's Senior Housing Fellow, Andrew Mikula, about the recently passed $5.2 billion bond bill, discussing its key features and how it might impact the supply and cost of homes in Massachusetts.

What’s Included in Massachusetts’ $5.2 Billion Housing Bond Bill?

On August 1, 2024, the Massachusetts state legislature finalized…

Suffolk County Residential and Commercial Taxation Changes Since 2018

Massachusetts is a relatively rich state, with an average assessed…

Disparities in LIHTC Data Illuminate Difficulties in Housing Production

While disparities in LIHTC awards and issuances are to be expected, the mismatch points to inhibitors of housing production that are outside the scope of the program's impact.

The Housing Crisis has a Hand in Massachusetts Out-migration Trends

Recently published IRS data shows that net out-migration from…

Unlocking Affordable Housing: Sources and Solutions for Cost Crisis

Joe Selvaggi talks with Pioneer Institute Housing Fellow Andrew Mikula about his research on the causes and cures for our region's highest-in-the-nation housing costs. 

Mayor Wu’s Office to Residential Conversion Pilot Program Prioritizes Downtown Revitalization over Housing Production, Fiscal Responsibility

In July 2023, in response to a soft post-COVID office market…

Study Finds Supply Shortage at the Heart of Greater Boston Housing Crisis

Construction costs, land use regulation and zoning among…

Statement: Pioneer Institute in Support of Accessory Dwelling Units

Pioneer Institute Statement in Support of Accessory Dwelling…

Poor Housing Incentives: Tax Credits Reward Politicians Not Neighbors in Need

Joe Selvaggi interviews Chris Edwards, Chair of Fiscal Studies at CATO Institute, about his research on the 40-year history of Low-Income Housing Tax Credits. They delve into its features, effects, and potential alternatives that could provide greater benefits at lower costs to taxpayers.

Milton Shuts the Door
on Multifamily Housing Plans

The MBTA Communities Act, passed in 2021, provides that the 177 communities serviced by the MBTA must create multifamily zones to spur housing development close to public transportation. But the issue is an emotionally charged one, with passions high on both sides. And Milton residents in February rejected a plan to create such housing ‚ choosing a loss of some state funding over an approximately 25 percent increase in their housing stock, along with the possibility of greater congestion.

HDIP: Unintended Consequences Adding to the Housing Crisis

See how the HDIP affected the state's housing crisis. Housing prices in Gateway Cities, such as Chelsea, Revere, Everett, and Lawrence, are skyrocketing.

Barnstable County: What Towns Tax the Most?

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The housing market has been the center of American economic growth…

Searching For Space: Massachusetts Real Estate in a Time of Covid

Hubwonk host Joe Selvaggi talks with real estate expert and broker/owner Pauline Donnelly about the disruption and trends created by the Covid-19 pandemic and steps buyers and renters can take to become more informed, prudent, and competitive in the frenzied market of Greater Boston and Martha’s Vineyard.

Zoning Reform Revisited: Local Control Determines How, Not If, Housing Gets Built

Hubwonk host Joe Selvaggi talks with Pioneer research associate Andrew Mikula about the need for affordable housing near the mass transit network and the requirements and local design opportunities of the 3A zoning reform law. Read Pioneer Institute's recent public comment on this topic.

Rent Control Redux: Mayor’s Committee Likely to Provide Astroturf Over Expertise

Hubwonk host Joe Selvaggi talks with Doug Quatrocchi, executive director of Masslandlords.net about the historical effects of rent control in Boston and Cambridge in the past and discuss the gap between the stated goals and the likely outcome of Boston Mayor Wu’s 25 member Rent Stabilization Advisory Committee.

Rent Control Re-Explored: What the Past Can Teach the Future

Hubwonk Host Joe Selvaggi talks with economist and MIT Professor Chris Palmer about his research and analysis of the effects of rent control in Cambridge during its 25-year implementation and in the aftermath of its repeal.

Examining Eviction Moratoriums: Testing Constitutional Limits of Executive Branch Power

Hubwonk host Joe Selvaggi talks with constitutional scholar and George Mason Law Professor Ilya Somin about the flaws and legal vulnerabilities of the first and second CDC eviction moratoriums and discuss what current and future court rulings will mean for the limits of executive agency powers.

Renters’ Unsung Heroes: Small Landlords Endure Without Income or Relief

Hubwonk host Joe Selvaggi talks with MassLandlords’ Doug Quattrochi about ways landlords faced the challenges of being caught between tenants unable to pay rent during COVID-19 shutdown and having little or no programmatic relief from state and federal agencies.

States across the country have enacted eviction moratoriums. What does this mean for the housing market in the long-term?

Last week, Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker signed a bill…