Action on Housing is Key to Economic Prosperity in Massachusetts

Action on Housing is Key to Economic Prosperity in Massachusetts
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Massachusetts’ workforce is among the most educated and talented in the country. The region is also home to some of the most innovative companies, most prestigious universities, and hospitals. Being an economic powerhouse, it is expected of Massachusetts to be a source of economic prosperity in the country. However, with few exceptions, job creation in Massachusetts has consistently lagged behind the rest of the country. Lack of good housing options at reasonable prices for people who would fill new jobs in the state has been a major cause of weak job growth in Massachusetts. Governor, Patrick, addressed the problem in November 2012 by announcing a goal strategy of building 10,000 multifamily housing units each year to effectively ensure long term prosperity, and economic growth.
The problem of housing supply faced in Massachusetts has been undermined because of a number of reasons. These reasons include fragmented local government structure that dates back to colony where zoning, and land use decisions are done locally regardless of whether the decisions are based on...