"We
are committed to creating a Boston that anyone, at any income level, can
afford to live in," said Mayor Walsh. "As a result of our
administration's commitment to the safety and security of Boston residents,
especially during these trying times, we are continuing to create more
affordable housing in our neighborhoods, which will allow more people and
families to find homes in the neighborhoods they love."
A
record 30 percent of all housing units permitted in 2020 were
income-restricted. Out of all the housing units in Boston, nearly 20 percent
are reserved for low- and moderate-income residents; and more than 25 percent
of its rental housing stock is reserved for low- and moderate-income
residents. Boston's share of affordable housing is higher than any other
major city in the country.
"Despite
the challenges created by the pandemic this past year, the City of Boston's
steadfast commitment to increasing affordable housing allowed us to continue
our partnership to open Phase One of a new development in Roxbury that will
create a total of 475 apartments, to break ground on another in Mattapan that
will build 135 apartments and to look forward to a third in Nubian Square
that will start this year," said Aaron Gornstein, President and CEO of
Preservation of Affordable Housing, a nonprofit developer based in Boston.
2020's
permit totals for income-restricted housing include 911 units that are within
one-half miles of public transportation, such as the new 135 units that will
be built at The Loop at Mattapan Station, and the 44 units at 25 Amory Street
in Jackson Square in Jamaica Plain, which is part of the Jamaica Plain and
Roxbury planning effort. Of the 1,023 total, fifty units were set aside for
individuals experiencing homelessness. Eighty units are reserved for
households earning at or below 30 percent of Area Median Income (AMI) or
$38,350 per year, including some of the 23 units reserved for senior
Bostonians at 41 North Margin Street in Boston's North End, or some of the 42
units that will be built for seniors in East Boston's Maverick Square.
Another 523 units are reserved for households earning at or below 60 percent
of AMI or $65,000 per year for a family of three. The remaining 477 of those
units will be deed-restricted units for households with a combined income of
up to 80 percent of AMI or about $85,000 for a family of the same size.
Maintaining
Boston's historically high level of income-restricted housing has always been
a goal of Mayor Walsh's comprehensive housing policy, Housing
a Changing City: Boston 2030. Currently, the City of Boston has permitted
7,325 and is on track to create the 15,820 new affordable units called for in
the housing plan, despite the construction shutdown that occurred in 2020 due
to the pandemic.
"The
past year was unprecedented in our efforts to meet the housing challenges
faced by residents across the Commonwealth, yet the collaborative resolve by
the housing community - both public and private - resulted in highly
successful outcomes like the production of more than 1,000 new affordable
rental homes for households in Boston," said MassHousing Executive
Director Chrystal Kornegay. "Despite this trying time, we continue to
stand steadfast with our partners to create housing and economic
opportunities throughout the state and commend the City of Boston for its
leadership and results in this critical effort."
The
onset of the coronavirus and subsequent quarantine infused the work to create
new income-restricted housing with even deeper urgency. The need to shelter
in place throughout this crisis has underlined the need for safe, stable,
affordable housing for all Bostonians, particularly its most vulnerable
residents, and those suffering economically due to job or income loss.
"While it was a very difficult year, with
many challenges, Boston was able to permit, fund, and begin construction on
over 1,000 new affordable, income-restricted housing units," said Sheila
A. Dillon, Chief of Housing. "These new units will provide safe and
secure homes for seniors, families, and our homeless. The pandemic has
reinforced that safe and affordable housing is a critical public health
response."
Since
2014, funding from the city's operating and capital funding for housing
programs has increased by more than 300%, while adjustments to the Inclusionary
Development and Linkage Policies, and the adoption of the Community
Preservation Act have resulted in tens of millions of dollars of additional
revenue for housing. This funding has supported the creation of affordable
rental and homeownership opportunities, the development of permanent
supportive housing for homeless households, and assistance for renters facing
eviction. It has also supported the conversion of hundreds of market-rate
units into income-restricted affordable housing and the creation of the first
City-funded rental voucher program for low-income Bostonians. In 2020, the
Walsh administration invested $40 million in public resources into
income-restricted, affordable housing which leveraged another $270 million in
other public and private investment sources for a total $310 million
investment.
In
2020, the Boston Planning & Development Agency approved 10,123 new residential units, of which 2,826
were income-restricted, representing over 27 percent of total units.
Since
the release of the original Housing a Changing City: Boston 2030 plan in
2014, 26,623 new units of housing have been completed, making significant
progress in meeting Boston's housing needs. An additional 9,354 units are
currently under construction. Income-restricted housing stock has grown
along with overall new production, with nearly 5,600 income-restricted units
completed and over 1,700 units under construction. As a result of the new
supply, advertised rents had been stabilizing in Boston, even before the COVID-19
Pandemic. For more information on the City of Boston's work to create more
housing, please visit Housing
A Changing City: Boston 2030.
About
the Department of Neighborhood Development (DND
The
Department of Neighborhood Development is responsible for housing the
homeless, developing affordable housing, and ensuring that renters and
homeowners can find, maintain, and stay in their homes. As part of the
ongoing coronavirus response, the Office of Housing Stability is also
conducting tenant's rights workshops to educate residents about the eviction
moratorium and their rights. The Boston Home Center continues to provide down
payment assistance to first-time home buyers and home repairs for seniors and
low-income residents. The Supportive Housing Division is working with various
partners around the city to rapidly house individuals who are experiencing
homelessness. For more information, please visit the DND website.