What Happened To Massachusetts' Affordable Neighborhoods?

Finding a decent place to live near Boston without breaking the bank has long been a challenge, but renters - and even home buyers - often found success by expanding their search.
Strike out in Medford? Consider moving next door to Malden. Or head south to Quincy. Or maybe west, to Framingham or Natick.
But increasingly, experts say, even communities that used to be considered affordable are no longer viable options for those on the lower rungs of the income ladder. Around the state, there’s a large swath of people struggling to keep a roof over their heads.
“If you are a lower or a lower middle-income family, it’s well-nigh impossible for you to find a home you can afford in Greater Boston,” said Marc Draisen, executive director of the Metropolitan Area Planning Council (MAPC).
The numbers bear out this trend - the median home price in Massachusettss has climbed from $285,000 in 2011 to $510,000 in 2021, according to the Warren Group.
Throughout the region, it’s not tony suburbs, but communities once considered affordable that have seen some of the most dramatic gains in home values.
East Boston, long a first stop for new immigrants, has become ground zero in the city’s red-hot real estate market. Between 2011 and 2021 the value of a single-family home in the neighborhood shot up 226% - the sharpest hike of any Boston neighborhood, according to U.S. Census data.
Census data indicate home values are up more than 200% in the Boston neighborhood of Roxbury. Outside the city - in Everett, Revere, Brockton, Lynn and Lawrence - single-family home values have increased 147% or more in that same time period. In Worcester, over the last decade, the value of a single-family home rose 117%.
“Communities that have been traditionally and historically more affordable and are largely communities of color, these are the communities where the pressures are even more significant right now,” said Rachel Heller, CEO of Citizens’ Housing and Planning Association (CHAPA).
Competition for housing has drive up home prices to record levels across Massachusetts. Some of the biggest gains have happened in communities where residents can least afford to pay more. GBH News is exploring the impact in the series Priced Out: The fight for housing in Massachusetts. www.wgbh.org/n...
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[@TheSnoody]

A really huge part of the problem is companies buying up property for airbnb's or building luxury suites for the super rich that they never even live in, they're just for tax evasion.

[@yankee5886]

Tax evasion? Dis you eat lead paint chips as a child?

[@felixthecat2786]

Corporations are buying all of the real estate in MA, especially in the Boston area. THAT is the problem....it's not about the "lack of housing." There is an abundance of housing, many luxury apartments are always vacant.

[@shirley444]

This is what I tell people. It’s more than just ‘rent is going up’ a lot of small time landlords with few properties are selling them because they can’t afford the upkeep anymore. Big corporations can easily afford the upkeep and work of it. There’s no more affordable housing because everything is going up except wages. And it’s affecting everyone especially those with school aged children. And there isn’t enough assistance for everyone who needs it. And jobs aren’t paying well or even giving good hours or benefits

[@Clarence_13x]

I’ve longed to buy and build on a vacant lot in Dorchester, since I was old enough for a loan c.2006. Mayor Wu signed a deal to give those vacant lots to developers who aren’t interested in the future of those communities. They’re only interested in getting residents out with liens and dropped insurance policies from their predatory filing of reports for poor residents. Violations that these residents can’t afford can stem from just having a car you’re working on in your driveway.

[@StayWoke95]

Also it’s not just about the housing the city is a wealthy city what gets me is yeah the rents are sky high all over metro Boston even In some suburbs but the jobs don’t even pay you enough to afford the rent it’s only getting worse .

[@HandS-Studios]

I left my realtor’s office today so disappointed. I have given up on being a home owner. 😢

[@claudiadavies6326]

Instead of helping us lowering rent, they busy looking for ways to help illegals who came through the border without any visa or documents. Is this what we voted them for?

[@AboveDaInfluece]

This is going to backfire in a very bad way.

[@luke125]

“In the future you will own nothing and you’ll be happy.” - Klaus Schaub. We’re all doomed.

[@anydayanytimegarretts4400]

Notice how this lady of color is the only one out of all these stories that decided to not just complain but fight back as well. BRAVO 👏👏👏👏👏 to her. If you just sit around complaining nothing will ever change You need to organize and fight. I have to admit $1,000 a month for a three bedroom probably a multi-bath home in Massachusetts is a gold mine if you can find it. I can understand the landlord raising the rent for sure maybe $500 a month but two totally try to price them out and have an apartment in the same building for $3000 plus dollars a month that is absolutely robbery in not worth it. Thank you for the state for stepping in and stopping the landlord from trying to develop to simply raise the rents to an unaffordable amount.

[@cheebaman4728]

Just the fact "of color" needs to be said speaks volumes.

[@ripekashepherd5453]

Greedy money hungry politicians! They don’t care about the low socioeconomic group. The poor get poorer, the rich get mega richer. Totally disgusting

[@jmclean01]

So sad I wanted to buy 1 took the first time home buyers class and then the houses are so high I didn't want to get depressed so I was like ill wait

[@SharonCreamer671956]

What we need is not affordable housing, but housing for the poor. With housing for the poor, you pay 30% of your income for rent. With affordable housing, you can pay anywhere from 30% to 70% of your income for rent. it might not be for everyone and it might not be affordable!

[@Isaactorres60]

Greedy single family home owners blocking housing construction, not corporations are the problem

[@Clarence_13x]

The land is all going to the profiteers. Thank Wu for dat one.

[@marybowers6090]

Air bnb is creating a shortage on long term rentals. Institutional investors trying to get a high rate of return by jacking up rents is the second issue because they are creating a lack of affordable long term rentals. The state then uses the smoke screen of opening the flood gate to massive development while claiming to acquire 3-4 units as affordable ( claiming this will help satisfy affordable housing initiatives) meanwhile there are 300 other units that are luxury prices that go into the market, driving up median price. All of the development then causes strain on the infrastructure, water, sewer, and taxes go up because builders driving up values along with air bnb creating shortage of long term housing so taxes go up. This cost is then passed on by mom and pop landlords who cannot break even on low rents with these added increases. We’ve been to town meetings begging politicians to stop the development and restrict air bnb but they refuse because of the tax revenue and also because the building initiate on the MBTA is tied into agenda 21/30 WEF global governance, which by the way is treason against the sovereignty of the US. The US doesn’t take orders from the 1% they want people living in dense smart cities where they can have 24 hour surveillance, the goal is abolishment of private property, religion, no personal autos, everyone has to use public transportation so movement can be tracked. This is all illegal and a violation of constitutional law which is the supreme law of the land and the foundation for all laws. Any bill act or law in opposition to the constitution is illegal, it is deemed as warring against the constitution and as such is warring against the people and is an act of treason. Go look it up. If I had to bet on it I’d say a lot of this is by design because people are going to lose their homes. I saw this coming two years ago and friends thought I was crazy. See developers are still building in this state and the crash is already happening,birth rate is tanking globally, we’re are all the people who are going to live in these massive complexes.

[@nancymcgrath6283]

This is so sad.😢

[@larryc5361]

Government money, minority influx, business departure, corporate purchasing and greed by landlords and investors, these have tanked the Massachusetts housing market.

[@marisolvalez4719]

This is going on all over the state NY

[@maryl234]

(cough cough): Hamilton and Ipswich. They don't want "those people" who rent in apartments in "their" community and would rather see people struggle or be on the street. Their idea still of renters is outdated and ignorant.

[@user-nm4bs6rp9q]

It’s not just “those people”. Many educated, white females have been targeted - victims of this “national land grab”. It’s NOT a lack of housing! It’s a lack of holding certain people accountable for their crimes - such as “deed theft”.

[@jmclean01]

IT DISAPPEARED

[@mjryan3588]

You know honestly I hate to be this type of person with my following statement however You know how many people that are homeless but not hopeless are how many people got full-time jobs but still can't even get their leg in the door or find a place to rent??? Simply because a lot of these major and little real estate companies rather rent it out to these immigrants that have six seven eight nine or ten people in one home and then charge it so that way they can make more money off that one apartment! I'm not going to name the real estate agencies but everybody knows the main ones on Cape cod In the people that work here year-round full-time jobs working next you're 10 to 20 hours overtime still can't afford to have a one-bed one-bath cuz everybody's looking close to almost two grand for one f****** bed 1 bath apartment or you guys shittin me right now?! We need to worry about the residents that were living here years before and after before we think about all these immigrants sorry guys as far as immigrants go but first-come-first-serve motherfukers

[@mjryan3588]

Q and we the people of Cape cod that been living here for many years keep getting shitted on because he's real estate companies rather collect more money off these immigrant people that want to spend 400 a piece but ten people to a f****** home it's $4,000 for that real estate agent so which one you think is going to pick the one night willing to pay $4,000 month or the one that's trying to just qualify for the $2,000 a

[@JuanMartinez-xf3uz]

Corporate landlords, AirBNB, outdated zoning laws, and Nimby's in neighborhoods where people bought their homes for 100k in the 80s.

[@arthenarubin3196]

They kicked out all the family's and made condos

[@cataldoschiavuzzo282]

Property taxes to high High taxes high rents common sense

[@kittygoddess4477]

Stop making ""luxury"" apartments! Sure, make nice, modern ones......but make them for the disabled/low income people! We don't need ""luxury apartments""! We need affordable, livable ones!

[@JuanMartinez-xf3uz]

I used to work for one (Greystar). Even during covid people were willing to pay $3k for a tiny walk-in closet because it appealed to their sense of vanity. As long as the demand is high, they're going to continue building them.

[@jimburley5871]

Move away and when you get where you want to live scrimp, work 2 jobs but BUY A HOME.

[@MargDBX]

Most people don't want to move.

[@bamboopanda1626]

Family life is gone, no love life no drive. Dead. It has officially been ruined. Oh, but rent though. This place is unreasonable. Keep feeding the rich, we're like their cattle. Ready to die after leaving Serenbe. Everyday I dress like a slob. Everyday I am a slob.

[@maryellis7622]

Why do you think the elitist want the democrats? Their making a killing on the housing market,and elsewhere.

[@scratch5191]

Because of the costs associated with existence, which is unaffordable, the end result of an increase in costs of living an exotic lifestyle. Ask Karen.

[@richardcloer3510]

This is not complicated. Move to Mexico! I know several people renting a 3 bedroom apartment for $300 a month in Mexico City. Another thing these people can stop doing is voting against their own interests. I offer no pity for these people since there are a plethora of option available to them.

[@freedomworks3976]

Yep people keep voting Democrat and can't figure out why things keep getting worse

[@czogg99]

Yeah , Republicans are champions of affordable housing , 😂😂😂😂😂😂

[@MrCoco24681]

Bros only solution is move to another country 💀 not everyone can (or can afford) just uproot their lives and just immediately head to another country, plus Americans moving to Mexico has driven up prices for the locals which has left them without affordable housing either

[@richardcloer3510]

@@MrCoco24681 The cost of living in the United States is only going to go up, thanks to the Democrats and their National Socialist German Workers' Party agenda. And besides Mexico isn't the only option people who've made poor life decisions can go to. They can move to Iran, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, China, Sudan, Zimbabwe, South Africa, and Brazil, to name a few other countries. Again, the solutions are out there in terms of where to go for affordable housing. People need to stop being short sighted. Thank you

[@johnnyb7628]

@@czogg99 And what have the democrats done ? They have a super majority. They can do whatever they want yet the problem is still there.