Boston is expecting significant population growth over the next decade, requiring thousands of new housing units per year. While progress has been made in developing housing, challenges remain around affordability, speed of development, and ensuring a diversity of housing types. Regional collaboration will also be needed to address the shortage, as Boston already has the highest percentage of deed-restricted affordable housing in the nation. Moving forward, the city aims to thoughtfully accommodate growth while preserving neighborhood character, creating mixed-income communities, and maintaining access to open space and transportation options.

1. HOUSING A CHANGING CITY:
BOSTON 2030
Center for New Urbanism: March 31, 2017

2. 2
A Growing City
Population will be more than
700,000 for the 1st time since
1950’s
– Household sizes were much larger
We expect 48,000+ new households
– Requires 4,000 – 6,000 new units
of housing per year
Challenge for a city that has been
densely developed for more than
100 years

3. 3
While we grow,
demographics are changing
Growing number of seniors
– 53 percent increase in senior population
between 2010 – 2030
Students, millennials, + individuals living in
traditional workforce housing
– 101,013 individuals sharing housing, driving
up rents and sale prices
Boston has 28,400 low income households who
are rent burdened.
We expect 9,750 new low-income households
by 2030
38,200 households will need affordable
housing
3

4. 4
How we’re responding
October 2014:
Housing a Changing City: Boston 2030
53,000 new units by 2030
– 20,000 middle income
– 6,500 affordable
– 5,000 seniors
– 18,500 dorm beds (5,000 middle income)

5. 5
Results to date
More than 40,000 units in
development process:
• 19,238 units permitted or
completed
• 21,865 units in development
review + permitting process.
To date, we have started or
completed:
• Low income: 1,515 units
• Middle income: 5,574
• Senior: 264 units
• Dorm beds: 3,548

6. 6
Early successes
• As 12,000 new units came on line, rents
for existing stock decreased 4 percent
citywide 2015-2106.
• Demand for new housing units remains
strong: average rents rose 18 percent
between 2015 - 2016
6

7. 7
Early successes
Market responding at all levels
• Increased interest in middle-income markets as developers
move out of the downtown core:
– More than 1/3 of production in more moderately priced
neighborhoods
– This has allowed us to reach 83 percent of our target rate of
production for middle income
City and developers all collaborating to
increase production
• Extra ZBA hearings for small projects
• Technical upgrades at ISD have shortened timelines and
streamlined process
• BRA has embarked on planning exercises for strategic growth
areas

8. 8
Early successes
Quickly moving resources for affordable
housing
• Since Mayor Walsh took office, the City has committed more than
$100m to affordable housing
• More than 1.4m sf of City-owned land either currently on the market
or under agreement with developers
• Allowing us to meet our affordable housing goals – we are at 93
percent of target for this point in the plan
Transit oriented development
• 74 percent of housing starts from 2014 to date within 5 minute walk
to transit
Healthy dorm pipeline
• Nearly 3,600 beds permitted; pipeline of private development taking
shape

9. Through New Urbanism’s mirror:
What’s working?
9

10. 10
Honoring + preserving
neighborhoods
Strategic Planning areas
– Use underutilized land along
transit corridors to accommodate
growth
– Create new, dense neighborhoods,
planned with appropriate open
space and access to transit
Restrictive zoning
– While increasing density + height
along transit, rezone adjacent
neighborhoods for lower height
• Reduce neighborhood impact
• Preserves buildings and character

11. 11
Creating mixed income neighborhoods
Support mix of housing types +
income levels
– Inclusionary Development creates
affordable housing in expensive
neighborhoods
– Investing affordable housing
dollars in all neighborhoods
SPA’s such as JP/Rox support a
variety of affordability types
– 40 percent affordability
– Combines w density + market rate
housing
11

12. 12
Considering transportation
Creating housing near transit
– 74 percent of new units within
5 minute walk to transit
GoBoston2030 sets aggressive
mobility goals to connect
neighborhoods
– Every Boston neighborhood to
be interconnected using all
modes of travel
– All homes within 10-minute
walk of rail station, bus,
Hubway + car share
12

13. 13
Adaptive Reuse
• Reuse historic buildings for
housing wherever possible.
• Zoning allows higher density
than new construction
• Surplus schools created
thousands of affordable
elderly apartments.
• Boston institutions have taken
part
– Churches
– Schools
– Municipal buildings
13

14. 14
City resources to preserve
neighborhoods
Neighborhood Homes Initiative
– Use City owned land to create
moderately-priced 2-3 family homes
– Pre=approved designs compatible with
neighborhood character
Designate City-owned buildings for
housing + other amenities
– Limit or forbid demolition
• Fowler Clark Farm
• Charlestown Armory
• Upham’s Corner Comfort Station
• Meridian Street Library
14

15. 15
Commitment to open space
• Since 2014, nearly 300,000 sf City
property used for urban ag, urban
wilds, community gardens, and open
space
– Additional 150,000 sf in process
• Administration goal: every resident in
Boston living within ten minute walk to
a park
• Parks budget increased every year
since Mayor Walsh took office
• $60m from the sale of Winthrop
Square will renovate Boston Common
+ Franklin Park.
15
Garrison Trotter Urban Farm

16. 16
Boston’s Main Streets
16
• Supporting Main Streets key to
Boston’s growth: vital districts become
attractive destinations for buyers +
renters
• 20 districts critical to maintaining
Boston’s neighborhoods’ unique sense
of place.
• Independent 501c(3)s, flexibly funded
allow neighborhoods to make their own
choices
• Walkability of districts keeps dollars in
the community + offers amenities to
residents.

17. Through New Urbanism’s mirror:
What’s NOT working? 17

18. 18
Regional challenges
Nearly 20 percent of Boston’s housing
stock is deed-restricted affordable
– Highest in the nation
Of 31 municipalities in Greater Boston,
only 8 meet or exceed the State’s 10
percent 40b threshold
– If every community met 40b, would
create 11,500 affordable units
– If every community matched Boston,
would create 56,700
Doing well regionally with economic
development; housing has not
followed suit
It is time for a regional housing plan

19. 19
The need for speed
Growth requires 6,000 new units annually
– Land acquisition, labor, materials
expensive
– Developers build at lowest cost
– Generic architecture replaces good
design; City has not been demanding
enough
– Challenging to create a sense of place at
speed
But if we sacrifice speed, risk displacement
– Supply + demand means the market will
continue to escalate
– Affordability diminishes
19

20. 20
Sprawl
Even in a dense, old, built
city, we have sprawl
– South Bay
– American Legion Highway
Can diminish economic
life of Main Streets
districts
Need to be mindful of
permitting + impact on
existing neighborhoods
20

21. 21
Challenge of building for diversity
High costs + demand make it
challenging to build for a mix of
income levels
– Major downtown development
skewing high-end.
– Mid-market areas of the city:
production costs $416,000/unit
– Rent + sales prices in outer
neighborhoods often need
subsidy to be feasible.
– Some neighborhoods are still too
segregated
21
$1,800
$2,600
$3,400
$4,200
$1,725
$1,848
$2,094
$2,340
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
$3,000
$3,500
$4,000
$4,500
$5,000
0BR
450 nsf
1BR 650
nsf
2BR 850
nsf
3BR
1,050 nsf
Rent Required For Financial Viability
100% AMI Affordable Rent
COSTS OF PRODUCTION IN MIDDLE-CLASS AFFORDABLE
MARKET AREAS

22. 22
Takeaways
• Continue the practice of identifying areas of growth
and preservation
• In areas of growth, insist on public amenities and
infrastructure
• Be intentional about small commercial growth and
walkability
• Create regional connectivity
• Don’t lose Boston
– Resist big box growth
– Limit demolition
22

23. Thank you so much!
@BostonNeighbor bit.ly/HousingBoston203023