Colleges Blamed For Housing Shortage

Affordable housing advocates in Boston are calling on the city's colleges to build more on campus housing, freeing up housing for low-income residents.

1 minute read

April 23, 2001, 9:00 AM PDT

By Christian Madera @http://www.twitter.com/cpmadera


"Concerned about gentrification and housing shortages, students, community activists, and city councilors staged a 4-mile walk across Boston yesterday to call attention to the city's lack of affordable housing. A group of Boston University students sponsored the walk, calling on local colleges to help solve the city's crunch by building more on-campus housing. In recent years, neighborhoods like Mission Hill have seen an influx of students from schools like Northeastern, Wentworth Institute, and Simmons College who say they've been priced out by rising rents. The arrival of students has forced some residents to retreat to other neighborhoods after landlords raised their rents." Of the 135,000 thousand students in Boston, only 30,000 are housed in university housing.

Thanks to Christian Peralta

Sunday, April 22, 2001 in The Boston Globe

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Cover CM Credits, Earn Certificates, Push Your Career Forward

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

July 16, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Green vintage Chicago streetcar from the 1940s parked at the Illinois Railroad Museum in 1988.

Chicago’s Ghost Rails

Just beneath the surface of the modern city lie the remnants of its expansive early 20th-century streetcar system.

July 13, 2025 - WTTV

Blue and silver Amtrak train with vibrant green and yellow foliage in background.

Amtrak Cutting Jobs, Funding to High-Speed Rail

The agency plans to cut 10 percent of its workforce and has confirmed it will not fund new high-speed rail projects.

July 14, 2025 - Smart Cities Dive

Worker in yellow safety vest and hard hat looks up at servers in data center.

Ohio Forces Data Centers to Prepay for Power

Utilities are calling on states to hold data center operators responsible for new energy demands to prevent leaving consumers on the hook for their bills.

July 18 - Inside Climate News

Former MARTA CEO Collie Greenwood standing in front of MARTA HQ with blurred MARTA sign visible in background.

MARTA CEO Steps Down Amid Citizenship Concerns

MARTA’s board announced Thursday that its chief, who is from Canada, is resigning due to questions about his immigration status.

July 18 - WABE

Rendering of proposed protected bikeway in Santa Clara, California.

Silicon Valley ‘Bike Superhighway’ Awarded $14M State Grant

A Caltrans grant brings the 10-mile Central Bikeway project connecting Santa Clara and East San Jose closer to fruition.

July 17 - San José Spotlight