Boston Public Library Forum On Housing Affordability Grapples With Housing Crisis

The event, which featured speakers such as Boston's Chief of Housing, examined various solutions to the city's housing crisis.

The Boston Public Library hosted a webinar, “Increasing Housing Affordability in Boston: Why it Matters to Us All,” on November 30. The event, organized by the Neighborhood Association of the Back Bay (NAAB), aimed to address and provide solutions to Boston’s prohibitive housing costs. 

In late November, a Massachusetts judge overturned former Mayor Kim Janey’s eviction moratorium, enacted in response to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. According to the ruling, the city of Boston had overstepped by banning evictions — something overseen by state law, not local authority.

“This court perceives great mischief in allowing a municipality or one of its agencies to exceed its power, even for compelling reasons,” wrote Judge Irene Bagdoian.

As evictions resume across the city, attention has shifted towards addressing Boston’s extensive homelessness crisis. Boston is the home of Mass and Cass, also known as the Methadone Mile. Referring to an ever-growing tent city in the heart of Boston, Mass and Cass has often been described as a serious humanitarian crisis.

Boston’s issue with homelessness is perpetuated by the city’s poor housing affordability. According to Symone Crawford, Executive Director of the Massachusetts Affordable Housing Alliance (MAHA) and webinar speaker, Massachusetts ranks 45th in the nation when it comes to affordability of housing. In Boston, only 19% of housing is considered affordable.

Additionally, Massachusetts’ housing crisis uniquely affects Black and Latino families. The state is ranked 44th in the nation for racial disparities between rates of homeownership for white and Black households. In Boston, while 44% of white households are homeowners, only 30% of Black households are. Furthermore, only 6% of Latino households own a home.

“Increasing Housing Affordability in Boston: Why it Matters to Us All,” focused on two efforts to increase housing affordability in Boston. 

The first was the city’s Acquisition Opportunity Program (AOP), which converts existing, market-rate rental units into low income housing. The program provides a fast and easy way to increase the number of affordable units, according to Sheila Dillon, Boston’s Chief of Housing and webinar speaker. It also preserves current tenancies. 

Multiple speakers, including Dillon, also highlighted the Inclusionary Development Policy (IDP), a program which requires certain housing developments to contribute to the creation of low-income units. According to a 2019 report, a total of 2,599 income restricted units have been created as a direct result of the program, and another 1,414 units were created through the use of IDP funds.

In the meantime, Dillon said to expect to see the implementation of Mayor Michelle Wu’s housing plan over the next several months. Wu’s proposed policy would increase the amount of affordable housing in the city, and includes the expansion of the IDP program.

“Housing opportunities are for people,” said Councilor Kenzie Bok, during the webinar’s closing statements, “Every one you create is a family."