The housing costs in Massachusetts are putting extensive pressure on families that fall under the extremely low income category. However, the housing crisis in the state has been brewing for a number of years. In 2016, 79% of Massachusetts residents were rent burdened. This percentage has more or less remained the same over the years which has escalated the problems for locals who are under extreme pressure with respect to their accommodation needs.
The existing affordable housing situation in Massachusetts remains tense with the amount of budget-friendly and available housing units being short in supply. On top of that, the COVID-19 pandemic and its effects in terms of disrupted supply chains and rising labor costs are making it even more difficult to manage a variety of other daily expenses. Maxwell Drever notes that the rising costs of housing are also impacting the competitiveness of Massachusetts against other states.
Let’s take a closer look at the problem that is plaguing Massachusetts residents, especially extremely low income individuals.
The Housing Crisis Is Not New
The affordable housing crisis in Massachusetts has been several years in the making. For many places around the world, the COVID-19 pandemic brought about a number of challenging circumstances that impacted many other industries. The construction sector faced similar issues but in the case of Massachusetts the problems had started emerging several years before the pandemic hit. According to Maxwell Drever, demand for affordable housing has been exceeding supply for a long time.
In accordance to Maxwell drever The prices for rentals and homeowners in Massachusetts has been amongst the highest anywhere in the country . Individuals who are working two jobs are still finding it hard to get accommodation within their budgets. During the 1960s through to the 1980s politicians put a hold to new developments in light of surging growth for the state. Lot sizes were increased which meant fewer housing units could be built in one area. Maxwell Drever notes that this has trickled down today and with the state still expanding, there is less land left for future construction.
Current Plans to Build Highly Efficient Affordable Housing Projects
One way in which the affordable housing crisis is being tackled in Massachusetts is through approval for high performance multifamily buildings. The state’s Clean Energy Center and Mass Save have launched passive house incentive programs with many units built and thousands more in the pipeline for future progress. 257 units have been built so far and 6,000 more are being constructed. The building process is in various stages for these projects.
Conclusion
Maxwell Drever has kept a close eye on America’s affordable housing market especially with respect to the recent pandemic. The highly efficient new housing projects are designed to cost 3% less than conventional housing and will slash energy use in half through their effective construction. Residents are equally eager to occupy these projects which is enabling the crisis to ease considerably. However, with the demand and supply gap, there is still a lot of work required.