Housing

This edition of The House Call explores new American Community Survey data comparing home values and rents to household incomes in Massachusetts cities. It also discusses a proposed rezoning in Boston that would allow for taller buildings downtown.

Pioneer Institute is pleased to join a statement of shared principles organized by the Pew Charitable Trusts in Washington, D.C., aimed at enhancing housing availability and affordability nationwide. 

This edition of The House Call breaks down the housing items in Massachusetts' FY2026-FY2030 Capital Investment Plan. It also explains a new policy ordered by the Department of Public Utilities that would require natural gas customers to pay more for new hookups.

This edition of The House Call explains why the City of Boston is behind the curve on broadly allowing accessory dwelling units by right, and what it's doing to catch up. The newsletter also explores the (limited) housing options for seasonal workers on Cape Cod and how some employers are housing workers in company-owned buildings.

This edition of The House Call explores a federal proposal to cut Housing and Urban Development funding by 44 percent, and how it contrasts with a more recent congressional appropriations bill. The newsletter also provides an update on compliance with Massachusetts' multifamily zoning mandate around MBTA stations after the latest deadline.

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.

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.

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

Highlights Bureaucratic licensing process and appeals as areas to fix

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.