Boston-area mayors commit to building 185,000 new housing units by 2030

A coalition of 15 Boston-area mayors has committed to facilitating the construction of 185,000 new housing units by 2030. The Metro Mayors Coalition announced the goal on October 2.

The reason is a straightforward and unsurprising one: The Boston region is slapping on new residents, and needs more housing lest the current costs of renting and buying ascend that much further into the stratosphere. The region is already one of the most expensive in the nation for doing either; and the population growth only worsens conditions.

As the coalition noted in their October 2 announcement, their 15 cities and towns—which includes Boston, Cambridge, Newton, and Somerville—have added nearly 110,000 residents and 148,000 new jobs since 2010.

Yet, during the same time, the 15 together have permitted only 32,500 new housing units.

Meanwhile, the region is on track to add tens of thousands of more jobs by 2030. And, while some municipalities have barreled ahead with their own plans to build, build, build—Boston is probably the most notable—the mayors said they see a collective effort as necessary given the often blurred boundaries of the dense region.

The mayors are also aiming to develop a wide array of housing, from units designated as affordable to ones with services for people with special needs to housing for those with moderate incomes by Boston-area standards. What’d you think?

• Boston’s housing-construction effort: Is it already too late? [Curbed Boston]
• Boston vs. the Boston area vs. Somerville: Rules for describing where you’re from [Curbed Boston]