Economic Opportunity

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.

The next major event on the legislative calendar is the FY2026 Consensus Revenue Hearing on December 2.  At this forum, several experts make projections about how much money will be available for the fiscal year that begins on July 1, 2025.  Making...

Net loss accelerated in recent years; main reasons include high taxes, housing and healthcare 

The Bureau of Labor Statistics’ most recent national jobs report made headlines because it indicated the US economy added just 12,000 jobs in October, falling far short of the expected 112,500-job gain. While the number is preliminary and could be revised, it...

Election season is upon us.  In a few short weeks, voters will go to the polls and vote for our next president and a slate of local officials.  They will also decide on five ballot initiatives.  It got me thinking about the...

Lexington’s approach seen as a model BOSTON – As Massachusetts’ Supreme Judicial Court prepares to hear a challenge by the Town of Milton to the enforceability of the MBTA Communities Act, a new Pioneer Institute study finds that the 177 municipalities covered...

The Massachusetts Legislature meets for two years beginning in January after an election year and continuing until the last day of July of the following year. The 193rd session of the General Court of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as this legislative session...

On August 1, 2024, the Massachusetts state legislature finalized and passed a $5.2 billion housing bond bill meant to address a dire shortage of affordable homes. Governor Maura Healey has until August 11 to sign the bill into law, and she will...

Governor Healey should veto a provision in the recently passed economic development bill that would ease restrictions on public entities seeking to use project labor agreements on public works or building projects.  PLAs require that all trade labor on a project come...

Each year, CNBC ranks the 50 states on 10 broad categories of competitiveness using 128 metrics.  The categories are weighted based on how frequently states use them as a selling point in economic development and marketing materials.  In other words, states are...