Housing Initiative |

Our Housing Initiative calls for 44,000 new homes by the 2030 to make the South Shore more competitive for future employers and for many more generations.

Our South Shore 2030 vision is to create an environment for current and future businesses and our resident workforce to thrive. Housing is a major component in creating this environment. Our Housing Initiative focuses on encouraging more housing options that attract the next generation of workers and keep our population of retirees here in our region. By collaborating, advocating, and supporting housing initiatives on state and municipal levels, we are see housing production as an economic development strategy that increases our region’s housing choices and improves our region's economic competitiveness. We need to start building housing products that help shift our demographic trends and introduce home products that meet the needs of young people (and families) and downsizing baby boomers who want to stay on the South Shore. Our approach is to build more of what the market wants rather than what past anti-growth zoning has produced.

Our Work

Housing Committee made up of regional business leaders and experts in housing (policy & practice) help to set our implementation agenda each year. Some of our continuing work includes:

Serving as a connection between the development community and local planning staff, local officials and boards

Keeping a pulse on various residential development projects around the region
Collaborating with local officials on zoning changes that emphasize smart growth planning and include a mix of commercial, residential and retail to create interesting centers of activity for people to live, work and connect with their community.
Highlighting & endorsing specific developments on our 2030 Housing page to encourage the right types of projects for our region to be economically competitive and community focused - Check them out here!
Addressing common misconceptions about housing development impacts on our municipalities through educational forums, focus group conversations and involvement in community meetings.

HOUSING CHOICE LEGISLATION
The Housing Choice legislation passed in the legislature as part of the Economic Development Bill (H. 5250) on January 6th!
The legislation encourages cities & towns to adopt zoning best practices related to housing development by a changing the threshold from a super-majority (66%) to a simple majority vote (51%) on 9 types of zoning reform. It does not mandate towns to make zoning changes, but gives them the tools to introduce new housing types and support local economic activity and growth.

“The state’s housing crunch is not just a Boston problem, but also a suburban problem. The legislation will help communities allow the type of housing in the right area that helps promote community stability and economic growth. It is as much an economic development bill as it is a housing bill,” said Peter Forman, President & CEO of the South Shore Chamber of Commerce.
Read our blog for more info.