Greater Boston urgently needs to better align its transit and housing priorities in order to boost affordable housing and keep up with the state’s climate goals. That’s according to a new report from Transit Matters and Boston Indicators that calls for more housing near existing transit stops and a greater investment in transportation in high-density neighborhoods.

The report analyzed transit options available around the region — including buses, trains and trolleys — alongside housing density. It found that several communities with high-frequency transit, including Belmont, Braintree and Wellesley, do not have the housing density to justify their service. On the flip side, the report identified areas with high housing density, such as Brockton, that need better service to support sustainable growth.

“This report brings into sharp detail the power of aligning housing and transit policies to stabilize housing costs, improve transit reliability, reduce car dependency, and make progress toward our climate goals,” said Luc Schuster, executive director of Boston Indicators.

The analysis notes that the MBTA Communities Act — a controversial 2021 law aimed at increasing the number of housing units near T service — only solves half of the issue. In order for the region to thrive, the report argues, the state also needs to increase transit options and frequency in communities that already have a large number of homes.

“While our investments in transit improvements, especially on the MBTA subway lines, has resulted in some significant service improvements, we still have a great deal of opportunity if we want to create service that can truly be a first-option service, especially outside of rush hours,” said Transit Matters Executive Director Jarred Johnson. “More reliable and frequent service will increase ridership, even as we create the housing we need to strengthen our communities further.”

The report identifies several other municipalities that have enacted a two-pronged approach to transit-oriented housing, with goals of building more homes near transit while also investing in transit infrastructure, including Washington, Toronto and Vancouver. In order for Boston to enact similar measures, the authors say, leaders need to do away with exclusionary zoning rules and secure more funding for the MBTA.

That’s a tall order for a state that has already seen several communities reject plans for new zoning surrounding T stations, as required by the MBTA Communities Act, and is facing major transportation funding problems.

The T is currently staring down a budget deficit of nearly $800 million for the next fiscal year, with advocates raising concerns about potential service cuts, even as experts call for service expansions. Gov. Maura Healey recently released her proposed budget that would tap just over a billion dollars collected from the Fair Share Amendment, commonly referred to as the millionaire’s tax, to help solve the agency’s financial woes.