Canton One Of Few MA Communities Building Enough Housing

CANTON, MA — Canton is one of just 19 communities out of 147 in eastern Massachusetts that are building housing fast enough to address the region's needs, according to the Boston Foundation's report released Wednesday. According to the report, the Greater Boston region must produce an average of 21,333 housing units a year in order to keep up with population growth. Most cities and towns in the region are not keeping up, which drives up housing prices and forces people to move further away, creating longer commute times.

"By looking at housing affordability alongside an examination of segregation data and tracking how local governments are seeking to address the issues of production, affordability and equity, we can see a more nuanced picture," Alicia Sasser Modestino, Associate Director of the Dukakis Center for Urban and Regional Policy at Northeastern University and the lead author of the report, said in a statement. "It shows limited progress, but also a need for a redoubling of local and state efforts to make changes to zoning and development rules that slow progress and result in greater segregation, a lack of affordable housing and an increase in homelessness."

But the study found Canton and 18 other communities have done their part approving enough new construction to contribute to helping the state meet Gov. Charlie Baker's goal of 135,000 new housing units by 2025. Canton has done more than their part, permitting 117 percent of the construction the report said is needed. The other communities included nearby towns like Westwood, communities as small as Westwood, and cities as large as Boston.

Baker is backing a bill that would make it easier for cities and towns to change zoning rules, making, which would make building new housing easier. The study, however, says more programs are needed and recommends requiring more affordable housing units in new developments and more programs to help first-time home buyers.