A Home For Everyone: EOHLC Launches Comprehensive Housing Plan
Preface to A Home For Everyone: A Comprehensive Housing Plan For Massachusetts 2025–2029
Governor Maura Healey directed the Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities (EOHLC) to develop this five-year Statewide Housing Plan, the first comprehensive look at the state’s housing needs in at least a generation. The Administration’s overarching objective is to ensure that safe, affordable, stable, appropriate, well-maintained, and sustainable housing is available to all residents of the Commonwealth. EOHLC organized thirty-four listening sessions, engaged more than three thousand stakeholders, and worked extensively with a Housing Advisory Committee that included representatives from many different sectors. An external research team conducted detailed analysis into critical topics and prepared forecasts of Massachusetts population and housing demand under various possible growth scenarios.
The plan outlines the housing challenges facing Massachusetts; identifies currently unmet and projected housing needs; sets goals for housing production and preservation; and presents new, renewed, and ongoing strategies to reach our goals at the state, regional, and local levels. This document published in February 2025 provides a high-level overview of the findings, forecasts, and strategies developed by EOHLC and its partners. At the same time, EOHLC is publishing the Statewide Housing Needs Assessment as a companion document for those interested in the detailed analysis.
Later in 2025, EOHLC will publish an online plan with expanded versions of the Needs Assessment and Strategies, along with supplementary research papers, data visualizations, and advocacy tools. In a new interactive section of mass.gov, users from all backgrounds can search for different topics, dive deep into issues of concern, and get data about their own regions and communities. EOHLC will also treat the plan as a living document, adding research and recommendations emerging from legislative Commissions and other efforts as they emerge.
The Statewide Housing Needs Assessment identifies several key challenges impacting the state’s housing landscape:
1. Demographic Shifts and Household Composition:
Aging Population: An increasing number of households are headed by individuals aged 65 and older, necessitating housing that accommodates accessibility and supportive services.
Diverse Household Needs: There’s a growing demand for housing solutions tailored to various household types, including multigenerational families, immigrant households, and individuals requiring supportive housing.
2. Housing Supply Constraints:
Limited Affordable Housing: The state faces a shortage of affordable rental units, particularly for extremely low-income households.
Aging Public Housing Stock: Many public housing units require significant rehabilitation and modernization to remain viable.
Low Vacancy Rates: Historically low vacancy rates contribute to increased competition and rising housing costs.
3. Barriers to Housing Production:
Restrictive Zoning Practices: Complex zoning regulations hinder the development of multi-family housing and accessory dwelling units.
High Construction Costs: Elevated costs for materials and labor make new housing developments financially challenging.
Infrastructure Limitations: Inadequate water and wastewater systems in certain areas impede new housing projects.
4. Economic Disparities:
Income Inequality: A widening gap between high- and low-income households exacerbates housing affordability issues.
Racial Disparities: Homeownership rates among Black and Latino residents are significantly lower than those of White residents, contributing to persistent wealth gaps.
5. Geographic Diversity:
Regional Variations: Housing challenges differ across the state, with some regions experiencing acute shortages due to factors like seasonal tourism and varying job markets.
The plan recommends that in order to meet the goal of 222,000 new housing units across the Commonwealth, Berkshire County would need to increase its housing stock by around 2.5%. This figure may be misleading, however, as Berkshire County’s housing crisis is driven not by a scarcity of housing units but by loss of existing housing stock to disrepair and seasonal use.
