Five Moves to Fix Boston's Housing Problem

In this post, John Keith suggests five methods to help Boston be more affordable to live in, including striking out the city's affordable housing program altogether.

1 minute read

November 10, 2011, 5:00 AM PST

By Judy Chang


"...the policy does little to benefit the people it purports to help. In some ways, it actually exacerbates the problem - It reduces the (already limited) supply of new housing and ends up putting heavier demand on the market, causing prices overall to be higher than they otherwise would be.

The policy hurts the city in another way - it lowers property tax revenue. A building with 100 market-rate units might bring in 10-15% more income on an annual basis than one with 15 affordable units, based on my analysis."

Wednesday, November 9, 2011 in CharlestownPatch

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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

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