New Harvard Report Delivers Insight on Key Housing Issues

Harvard released a national study about the rental housing market in January that sheds light on important issues that are not covered enough, including the way in which the rental housing stock is aging. It also covers what is happening with housing production and it profiles who specifically is renting. This comprehensive report is lengthy, but worth reading. You will find it embedded in the article linked below.

by Amir Shahsavari

2024 Fenway Apartment Rental Market Report

The start of 2024 has seen a new trend in the Fenway apartment rental market. Due to increased vacancies and availability, renters are likely to have more options in Fenway, while seeing fewer rent increases compared to the previous 2 years. You can read more about rental supply trends, real rent prices, and the forecast for 2024 by clicking on the link below.

by Demetrios Salpoglou

Housing Facts: Looking at the Numbers, Part 2

Since the first installment of this article in November 2023, the math remains that 200,000 housing units are needed statewide. Another way to see it is 200,000 units divided by 351 communities is 570 units per community. The big inner cities simply do not have the land.

The Small Property Owners Association (SPOA) has many small mom and pop owners. We are housing providers. We should not be vilified. Small owners collectively provide better than half of the affordable housing statewide – and nationally.

To produce more housing units, I would like to suggest:

• Facilitating Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs). This will allow bigger homes to be modified into smaller rental units; some of the codes should be modified (such as ceiling height being lowered a couple of inches, which would allow some attics and basements to become rentals)

• Working with the owners of illegal units to make them legal (many of which are rented well under market prices). For many of those residents, this is all they can afford

I would also like to see our leaders hold a housing creation summit with equal representation from all stakeholders and with the objective to create more housing for far lower prices. This meeting should include all sides in housing without any one group barely represented. The mission should be housing creation on a large scale. A lot of people have to pitch in, as the taking of private property is unconstitutional. We all need to contribute to solve the problem. The federal government is not going to send huge checks to solve this issue, given the rising national debt. Just look at the top line in this link: usdebtclock.org

by Allen Hebert