Housing Choices

MetroFuture housing patterns support regional equity, quality of life, and economic competitiveness. The region will have an adequate housing supply, and housing-friendly zoning policies (targeted to appropriate locations) will allow the housing market to quickly respond to increased demand by increasing supply. Workers at all skill levels will be able to find housing they can afford, in convenient locations. There will be less market demand for single family homes (especially those on large lots, which will largely remain very expensive) as more people will find compact housing types to be affordable and convenient. The region will have an abundant supply of apartments, condominium, townhouses, and 2-family homes—housing types that require less land, less energy for heating and cooling, and shorter trips to access shops and services. New housing would be only one component of the housing supply, however. As the growing senior population moves or downsizes to smaller, more convenient housing types, they will free up a significant supply of existing single-family homes for younger families. While single family homes on large lots will be less abundant than today, families looking for suburban single family homes will have a greater choice of smaller homes in more traditional neighborhood settings. Families will find more new small homes among existing neighborhoods or clustered together near open space.

With a general broadening of housing types and costs, the region will focus on efforts to increase equitable access to housing, and decrease regional segregation. All municipalities will recognize their obligation to provide lower cost housing; and will work toward providing their fair share of the region’s diverse housing needs. An increasing share of the housing in each municipality will be affordable to working class families and fixed income seniors. Municipalities will be evaluated not solely by the total percentage of affordable housing, but also by progress toward meeting agreed upon housing targets that take into account both local conditions and regional needs.

Alongside local initiatives to provide more diverse housing choices, all communities will actively celebrate and reflect the region’s growing diversity. There will be less regional segregation as all municipalities increasingly reflect Metro Boston’s growing diversity. Cities and towns will remain demographically different from one another, but those differences will become much less extreme. Communities that have been falling behind the region’s diversity will instead be catching up. As urban neighborhoods become more attractive to middle class families, cities will also become more balanced in their ethnicity. All residents will have the opportunity to live near people of other races and origins.

The region will address economic inequity as well, by ensuring that low-income households will be able to find affordable, adequate, conveniently located housing, in suburbs as well as cities, and they will be able to avoid displacement. Low-income residents will find a distributed system of subsidized housing, creating opportunities to live near a greater number of jobs throughout the region. As the affordability restrictions on existing units expire, tenants would be able to remain in their home; all expiring units will be preserved or replaced elsewhere. Residents of urban areas will have access to housing programs alongside education and jobs, so they can remain in their community and benefit as growth brings prosperity. Housing programs coordinated with services so that homelessness will be effectively eliminated from the region.

There will be increased social and intergenerational interaction as new housing, especially larger developments, includes a greater mix of housing types near each other, including different types of buildings and unit arrangements, meeting the needs of people with disabilities, families, singles, and, most notably, seniors. Much of the region’s growing senior population will be looking for different types of housing: smaller units that have lower costs for heating, taxes, or rent; and are located near shops, services, and transit. The region’s seniors will have more housing choices and opportunities to downsize while staying in their own community. Accessory apartments will be a rapidly growing segment of housing production, creating more options for seniors who wish to stay in their own home and those who wish to downsize. There will be more multifamily buildings close to town centers near shops, services, and parks—the type of housing many seniors will find more convenient than large single family homes, and more attractive than over-55 developments in isolated locations. Aging residents will find more housing options that provide independent living opportunities thanks to design that accommodates a wider variety of physical abilities. Persons with physical or mental disabilities will be able to find housing that meets their needs in terms of design, services, and affordability. A basic level of accessibility (“visitability”) will be provided in all housing, creating opportunities for greater autonomy and empowerment of people with disabilities or limited mobility.

MetroFuture’s regional growth patterns are predicated on making cities more attractive places to live. Urban neighborhoods will boast more appealing housing options for young professionals and their families. Young professionals and their families will find many attractive choices—townhouses, two- and three-families, lofts, among others—in safe neighborhoods near jobs and cultural attractions. Recent college graduates will find affordable options in interesting urban neighborhoods, put their roots down in cities, and raise their families there. Fewer families, new or old, will feel the need to move out of the city for lower crime rates or higher MCAS scores. Instead, they’ll find urban neighborhoods that are safe, healthy, convenient places to raise kids.