The Commonwealth Housing Task Force, a group of distinguished business and civic  leaders and housing experts and advocates convened by the Boston Foundation, released its analysis and recommendations at a forum and press conference at the foundation on November 11th.
The report shows that the shortage of housing continues to put upward pressure on housing costs, creating increasing challenges for business in workforce recruitment and retention and for individuals and families at all income levels. Towns’ reluctance to build new units that would increase the number of children in their school systems, combined with large-lot zoning, has produced a crisis that could, if unaddressed, stall future economic recovery by impeding the growth of the workforce. The report proposes new zoning overlay districts near transit nodes based on traditional New England patterns of development and supported by state contributions to offset school costs, to increase the supply of housing in Massachusetts and support the principles of smart growth. Its goal is the zoning for 50,000 and production of 35,000 new units of housing over the next 10 years.
The report was prepared for the Commonwealth Housing Task Force by the Center for Urban and Regional Policy at Northeastern University and funded by the Boston Foundation. The report’s policy recommendations were heard at a special briefing of the Legislature's Housing and Urban Development Committee on November 13th.

Click to view Building on our Heritage: a Housing Strategy for Smart Growth and Economic Development. 

For more Housing data and information, please visit the Boston Indicators 2002 Housing home page.