It's getting harder and harder to afford a place to live in Massachusetts. If you're looking to buy, real estate company Point2 says more than half of all listings in Boston proper are over one million dollars. Only four other cities also pass that mark, and they're all in California. For renters, the picture isn't much better: According to data from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Massachusetts has some of the most expensive rental prices in the country, and the most expensive Fair Market Rate for a one-bedroom, of any state.
State lawmakers have filed dozens of bills aimed at bringing prices down, and recently, the Legislature's Joint Committee on Housing held a hearing on nearly twenty of them. Adam Reilly is joined by Senator Lydia Edwards, co-chair of that committee, and Caitlin Golden, director of public policy for the Massachusetts Housing and Shelter Alliance, to discuss solutions that are currently being weighed.
What should state policymakers do to address the affordability crisis? Email us your thoughts at TalkingPolitics@wgbh.org, or share them via the Talking Politics page.
You can watch this discussion right now or catch the full show at 7 p.m. on GBH 2. Subscribe to the GBH News’ YouTube channel to get updates on future segments and episodes.
