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.
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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:
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.
- The South Shore Chamber & South Shore Economic Development Corporation continue to support Governor Baker’s Housing Choice Initiative & proposed housing legislation, An Act to Promote Housing Choices (H.3507).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. |
Housing on the South Shore, a 3-Part Series
This special opportunity offers you deeper look into the complexities around development with a goal of better informing our business community and regional leaders about opportunities and challenges around housing production. In addition, we hope this series inspires business leaders to get involved in our 2030 work to encourage more housing options that attract the next generation of workers.
Session One: Public Meetings9.29.2020 @ 2 pm
Hear from Boston University's Initiative on Cities about their Neighborhood Defenders Project which examines who attends public meetings and how that shapes development in our communities. |
Session Two: TODs
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Session Three: Water & Wastewater1.20.2021 @ 2pm
Our housing initiative calls for 44,000 new homes in order for our economy to grow 1%. Join us for a discussion on challenges in suburban build-out due to limits on water & wastewater infrastructure. |
This 3-Part Series is brought to you by the South Shore Chamber’s Housing Committee. Our Housing Initiative work is made possible through generous funding from Rockland Trust Bank, Massachusetts Housing Partnership, Cape Cod Lumber, Fireking Baking Company and Sullivan Tire.
DISCLAIMER: Photos were provided by the developers of the housing projects and could be subject to copyright.
Thank you to our HOUSING INITIATIVE Funders!
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The BUSINESS CASE for Housing
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"The success of every business depends on the ability to attract and retain qualified employees. The lack of adequate housing is a growing challenge to our economic well-being and we’re proud to support the Chamber’s efforts in bringing all the stakeholders together to resolve this issue.” |
"At Conway we know deep in our hearts that we don't assist people in buying or selling a house. It's much, much more than that. We assist people and families, when going through a transition in their lives, find their landing place, their happy place, their home and most of all their community. These communities on the South Shore are rich with roots and character and in order to protect this character and make sure future generations have can experience these communities, we need to address some of the key challenges in the region. The Chamber and the South Shore Economic Development Corp. are taking the lead to strike a balance between preserving the way of life and helping our businesses and communities to grow. At Conway, we believe in the South Shore because we live here and we want to help people build lives here." |
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"Our firm is in the business of helping individuals and companies plan for growth, risks, and remedies. The core of our work is planning to minimize problems or strategizing an exit after problems happen. The biggest risk, however, is lack of planning. Our economy depends on a wide range of income earners to operate cohesively. It is important that we create housing options suitable for everyone in that range. If people need to pay a burdensome amount to afford a livable home, they are less able to contribute to the economy and community. It is not a question of finding everyone their dream home. That’s not feasible. It’s a question of whether there are options available for people to downsize, upsize, or simply find a livable home within a reasonable distance of their career. If we can plan to develop housing in locations that make sense – near highways or transit for example – we can support growth and still maintain the charm of our fabulous South Shore communities. We cannot create new land, but we can plan for appropriate use of the land we have available." |
“I live and work in Braintree, so housing and business opportunities are always top of mind for me. A few years ago, I went to hear a report from Barry Bluestone, a Sociologist at Northeastern University. The report was about the demographics in Braintree, projections and contained specific recommendations. The zoning and housing initiatives coming out of Town Hall, recently, seem to be following the course of action in the report, similar to efforts of the South Shore Chambers' 2030 Committee, all good for Braintree and the South Shore. What I have heard from local business owners and companies, '... we cannot find individuals to work in our stores, our offices. We cannot fill entry level and trade positions.' |
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