Tonight I spoke on the need for affordable housing, and how the policy we make can better support it. #mapoli #AffordableHousing
Video and Thread:

The Senate passed an important bill today with many progressive parts, including $25m for transit-oriented housing and $10 m for climate-resilient housing with 25% of the occupants making less than 60% of the area median income.

However it also includes a version of the governor’s Housing Choices bill with far lower requirements for affordability: 10% of the units for people at 80% of the area median income. Housing Choices is based on the idea that increasing the supply of housing will hold down rents.

There is plenty of research to disprove that, but my city of Somerville is a good counter-example to that idea. We have long been known as the most densely populated city on the east coast. We've added 2200 units in past 10 years, one of the fastest increases in housing units.

Our rents are increasing the fastest in the metro area. I wanted to amend the Housing Choices provision to have higher affordability standards, but was unsuccessful.

We need truly affordable housing in Massachusetts that creates solutions for low-income people, elders, underpaid essential workers who wait decades for vouchers or are forced into inadequate housing. We are leaving hundreds of thousands of families behind and need to do more.