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Housing

Promoting abundant housing of all types to stem the affordability crisis.

About Housing

Housing affordability and availability are defining issues across the United States, shaping who can live where and who has access to opportunity and upward mobility. In high-cost states like Massachusetts, rising prices and limited supply have pushed many young families and skilled workers to leave, threatening long-term economic vitality. 

Pioneer’s housing work responds to these challenges in restrictive states like Massachusetts as well as in high-growth states like Florida. We are building an AI-enabled national database of local zoning and environmental regulations—starting here and expanding nationwide by 2027—to identify and remove barriers to new housing. Our research and policy work advance reforms that expand low-cost options such as accessory dwelling units and encourage transit-oriented, mixed-use development. The goal: to retain and attract talent, lower costs, and strengthen opportunity in every community.

April 15, 2026

New Study Calls for Reducing or Eliminating Parking Requirements for New Housing

Data show the requirements increase rents, reduce housing development 
April 13, 2026

Federal ROAD to Housing Act Passes Senate, Generates Controversy Over Investor Limitations

This April edition of The House Call discusses a federal bill that, if passed, would be the most comprehensive supply-focused federal housing legislation enacted in decades. It also explains Massachusetts’ starter home zoning district program and its potential implementation challenges.
April 8, 2026

New BLS Employment Data Revisions Reveal Massachusetts’ Anemic Private Sector Employment Growth Since 2020 

Massachusetts lost 35,000 private-sector jobs and is one of just six states yet to regain pre-pandemic employment levels  Boston – Data released today from the Bureau of Labor Statistics confirm that the Commonwealth has lost even more private sector jobs in the years following the COVID-19 pandemic than previously understood.  Pioneer Institute’s March 2025 report Massachusetts at Risk: The Alarming…
April 7, 2026

Massachusetts Has Taken an Important Step on Government AI—But the Commonwealth Must Do More to Improve Services, Transparency, and Save Taxpayer Dollars

New Pioneer brief finds Massachusetts has reported just 20 AI use cases, only three of them directly serving constituents. 

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Full-Time State Employees: 2024

How big is your state government? Florida ranks last in the U.S. for full-time state government employees per 100K population — just 706 in 2024. Massachusetts had nearly double that with 1,401 per 100K. Explore the numbers: https://loom.ly/TDrajc0 #facts #stategovernmentemployees