Mr. Mark Melnick of The Donahue Institute spoke at the South Shore Chamber's Economic Outlook breakfast co-sponsored with Envision Bank.  We are pleased to share his presentation which included some nice comparisons on how the South Shore stacks up with the rest of the state on key economic factors.   It validated some of our work on South Shore 2030 to make the region economically stronger.  We were particularly impressed with three slides:

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1. Slide 9  shows we are 1/3  below (less competitive) the state’s concentrations of jobs in the high talent/high salaried Professional and Technical service industry mix but more concentrated than the state’s overall share in the financial services (by almost 70%) and retail  (by 30%) sectors. That illustrates one of the underlying challenge facing the South Shore.  Some of our largest job sectors are in contracting industries that are shedding jobs while at the same time we have a smaller share of some key sectors that are growing and have higher paying jobs. Our challenge becomes how do we expand and attract the growth sectors.  We believe we do it by growing the talent and workforce available on the South Shore.
2. Slide 22 compares the percentage of family income going to housing. That has declined for homeowners since the recession but has stayed high for apartment owners.  The percentage of course depends on two factors:  household incomes and the cost of the housing. Overall we believe this supports our housing agenda. It suggests we are not building enough of the housing product (multi-family such as apartments) that young professionals are looking for.  That keeps apartment rents too high for many younger people. That in turn limits our ability to grow the workforce.   
3. Finally, slide  27 nicely captures our transportation and economic challenge.  (This compares the middle section of the South Shore). We have 1/3 more residents commuting out of the area for jobs than workers coming in from other regions.  This reinforces information from our Original 2030 study that the entire South Shore has more people leaving the area for jobs than coming in for jobs.   And most of our traffic heads North to or through Boston.  While we continue to work on the Boston commute for our residents the better solution to the transportation problem is creating more jobs in the region so residents have better employment choices than driving to Boston.  

​BRAINTREE, MA — Major train and bus stations in greater Boston could handle up to 253,000 new units of housing, and many stations — especially among transit stops on the South Shore — are woefully under-developed, according to a new study from the Massachusetts Housing Partnership.

The average housing density across all transit stations in the area — a group that includes all subway stops and all MBTA stations — is about 6.5 units per-acre, according to the study. The MBTA stations in Braintree, Weymouth, Quincy, Holbrook and Hingham all fall below that mark. An ideal housing density could be as high as 12 to 26 units per acre — a number only seen in dense areas like Roxbury and the South End, the study said.

The only station in those communities close to the MBTA station average is Wollaston Station in Quincy which averages 6.4 units per-acre. The average housing densities for other area stations are:

• North Quincy - 5.5 units per-acre
• Quincy Center - 4.6 units per-acre
• Weymouth Landing/East Braintree - 4.3 units per-acre
• Quincy Adams - 3.3 units per-acre
• South Weymouth - 2.9 units per-acre
• Braintree - 2.6 units per-acre
• East Weymouth - 2.6 units per-acre
• Holbrook/Randolph - 1.5 units per-acre
• West Hingham - 1.2 units per-acre

The study highlights that low-density areas are "squandered opportunities" to build housing, which is in short supply in the Boston area. The numbers are just estimates, and the authors acknowledge barriers to housing in some neighborhoods, like commercial zoning.

There's also questions at the local level about where residents want this housing, how large should these housing units be and if they match the community's existing neighborhood.

In Braintree, a re-zoning ordinance was withdrawn by Mayor Josesph Sullivan following months of controversy from residents, local officials and candidates for town office.

Opponents of the re-zoning ordinance, including hundreds of protesters, argued it would have allowed for too much overcrowded housing, would exacerbate traffic problems and could have fundamentally changed Braintree's "small town character."

This doesn't mean residents are necessarily opposed to new development and re-zoning. Housing near the train station has been suggested during public hearings throughout the year. But many of the residents, town officials and former candidates for public office, including Mayor-elect Charles Kokoros, said the town's master plan needs to be updated before any type of zoning changes get approved.

The study acknowledged this isn't a simple call to action for communities with less housing to build more because increasing housing density doesn't make sense for every community.

"While this math is incredibly simple and ignores some important neighborhood factors, it does show the potential that re-imagining these high-access neighborhoods could have in terms of better supporting transit while simultaneously making a huge dent in our chronic housing supply problem," the study says. "Of course, every station area is different, and there are places where even greater levels of density make sense, and surely some places where market demand may not support large numbers of additional new units."

See a map of stations and read about the methodology on the Massachusetts Housing Partnership website.

​More photos can be found in our gallery.

Key stakeholders gathered at the beginning of the month to recognize some critical leadership in the next phase of South Shore 2030’s Housing Initiative. The business voice is a critical component to moving the number on our housing goal of 44,000 new units by 2030. It isn’t only about increased housing production, but the right kind of housing in the right locations – some key housing developments and town initiatives were highlighted during the event and can be found on South Shore 2030’s housing page.  
 
Getting to that 44,000 number will take a lot of effort and leadership from community members, local officials from all 25 communities, small business, big business, all industry representatives. This is bigger than just increasing the number of homes on the South Shore – it is about building our communities and supporting the economic vitality of the region.  We have some great leadership here on the South Shore and Rockland Trust’s, Christopher Oddleifson, is leading the charge with a $35,000 contribution to support the project work.
 
Check out some of the media coverage of this announcement from the sources below.

​For more information about the Housing Initiative and/or to get involved in the conversation, contact Courtney Bjorgaard at cbjorgaard@southshorechamber.org or 781.421.3915.

Norwell selectmen are looking to have the Economic Development Committee look into a Chapter 43D designation for 98 Accord Park Drive based on the recommendations given by the Metropolitan Area Planning Council and have it voted on at the annual May Town Meeting.

​Representatives from MAPC are working with town officials to better utilize Norwell’s commercial properties and to help reduce the tax burden for homeowners.

MAPC’s recommendations are to have the Accord Park Drive properties listed in Norwell’s Economic Growth Plan as strictly commercial properties and to have Queen Anne’s Plaza grow into a mix of residential and commercial properties.
Selectmen are looking to have possible Chapter 43D zoning changes for Accord Park on the annual Town Meeting Warrant in May.

After driving through a secluded and sylvan Plymouth landscape to arrive at A.D. Makepeace Company’s Redbrook Village, one arrives at what’s described as a “New England village, re-imagined.”

The focus is on the village green and surrounding nature. Homes and parking lots are tucked discretely behind trees and shrubbery. There’s a farmers market, café, fire pit surrounded by Adirondack chairs, boat launch, YMCA, playing field and basketball court.
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A band plays on the green where residents have gathered for a “JamBEERee” to enjoy hotdogs, craft beer and a sense of community. Later in the afternoon, some will make their way to the Meeting House to watch the Patriots.

In the Boston area housing market, there’s no longer an upside to downsizing for many empty nesters.

​LET ME FIRST APOLOGIZE for any part my wife and I may be playing in worsening the Massachusetts housing shortage. Our youngest child has a freshly minted college diploma and a job. That officially makes us empty nesters, although our golden doodle might object to the description. After more than 20 years at the same address in Plymouth, we’re theoretically in a position to downsize, to ditch the drudgery of yardwork and upkeep for a simpler life governed by condo association rules. We’ve built up a pile of equity. Our 120-year-old house sits on a corner lot in a “desirable” part of Plymouth, about two blocks off the ocean. It’s updated and spacious, ideal for a growing family stretching at the seams.

HANOVER – Representatives from the South Shore Chamber of Commerce brought their vision of the region’s economic future to Hanover Wednesday night.
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Town officials and the Massachusetts Housing Partnership arranged the presentation so the chamber’s efforts to spur economic development could be discussed. The event was held at the John Curtis Free Library