Melrose Ranks High In Housing Affordability, Low In Production

MELROSE, MA — Melrose ranks above the Eastern Massachusetts average in housing affordability, and below the standard in production and diverse racial composition, according to The Boston Foundation’s Greater Boston Housing Report Card released on Wednesday. The report graded 147 cities and towns based on production of housing, racial composition, diversity of housing based on single-family homes, multifamily homes and rental properties as well as affordability.

The report concluded that most cities and towns in Greater Boston are not building enough new housing to keep up with population growth and that many are not doing enough to eliminate racial segregation in the region.

The report determined that cities and towns in the five counties of Eastern Massachusetts will need to produce an additional 21,333 housing units per year to keep up with demand in the region through 2025. Permitting levels showed that only 19 of 147 communities were keeping up with their "fair share" of housing production with Melrose producing 12 percent of the necessary permits to meet the standards.

Melrose scored a strong mark in Greater Boston in housing diversity index at 44 based on multifamily housing and rental housing. It was also above the average in affordability at 62 percent based on a weighted composite of home prices, rents, and the state’s Department of Housing and Community Development subsidized housing inventory.

The report determined that 30.4 percent of the region is considered non-white. Melrose ranked below the average at 16 percent. Melrose also ranked below the average at 50 percent in adopting six "best practices" of promoting multifamily housing, accessory dwelling units, mixed-use developments, inclusionary zoning, affordable housing trusts and adopting the Community Preservation Act – a state guideline which encourages communities to preserve open space and historic sites, create affordable housing and develop outdoor recreational facilities.