Way back in November of 2016, Somerville adopted the Winter Hill Neighborhood Plan. What was obvious then remains obvious now: Somerville is a desirable place to live, and more and more people want to move here. They even put a number on it: based on trends at the time, they predicted that Somerville would see demand for as many as 14,625 new homes by 2030. The plan was clear-eyed about what would happen next: “Some of this demand will be met through the construction of new housing, but the remainder will compete for existing housing that comes onto the market, driving up prices.”
Unfortunately, “some” turned out to be “not much at all.” Between 2016 and 2025, only 3,506 new homes arrived in Somerville. The result was exactly as predicted: the rest of that rising demand met a static number of existing homes, and drove prices skyward.
That pattern has repeated itself in the entire region, making the Boston area an expensive outlier, even as rents soften in more construction-friendly cities like Denver, Los Angeles, San Diego, and Washington, DC.
Somerville is highly unlikely to see another 10,000 homes built in the next four years, but we have made significant progress in updating our laws to set the stage for future growth.
Events
Wednesday, September 9: One Union Square Community Meeting — A developer is bringing forward a new proposal to redevelop several one-story buildings along the south side of Union Square. The site is currently zoned for commercial uses only, and they plan to request a zoning map change to allow apartments. In person at Urban Axes.
Thursday September 10: Davis Square Walk & Talk — The Somerville Planning Department will hold three different walks through the neighborhood to discuss the neighborhood plan. Even if you’re tired of providing feedback on this topic, please attend and tell the planning department they have all the information they actually need to start making decisions. In person, in Davis Square.
Tuesday, September 15: Housing, Land Use, and Building Reform — Join Boston Indicators for a morning forum on how today’s regulatory problems evolved over time, and what to do about it. In person at the Boston Foundation, 75 Arlington Street, Boston.
Thursday, September 24: How Housing Scarcity is Costing Massachusetts Political Power — BU Professor Maxwell Palmer will connect the dots between local housing policy, demographic shifts, and national politics. If you’re unhappy with the current direction of national politics, this is a way to take concrete, meaningful action locally. Online and in person in Newton.
CAAS Affordable Housing Fundraiser
The Community Action Agency of Somerville is raising money to buy market-rate properties and convert them to permanently affordable housing. “Naturally occurring” affordable housing — market-rate housing at modest prices — is rare and getting rarer in Somerville, and your donation can help set some aside for families in need.
Recommended
20 Percent of Zero is Zero: Some progressive cities are slashing their affordable housing mandates. Should Boston?
The Housing Crisis is Also a Retirement Crisis: Our warped housing market is also harming people who hope to retire on the equity in their homes.
MoCo Multifamily Permits Drop 96 Percent with Rent Control: Following the arrival of rent control in Montgomery County, MD, new housing construction has cratered.
Portland Study Reinforces What We Already Know: Coverage of the latest results of enhanced inclusionary zoning requirements in Portland, ME.
Beauty In My Backyard: Would it help if new buildings looked better?
Inequality and Housing Shortages: Inequality is both cause and effect of the housing shortage — and the YIMBY movement does not ignore the problems of inequality, as detractors allege.