Politics & Government
Salem Tries To Address Rising Housing Costs
Speakers at a forum worried that many residents will be priced out of the city if Salem doesn't find a way to increase affordable housing.
SALEM, MA -- The city would need to add 2,725 affordable housing units by 2030 to prevent Salem residents from being priced out of the community, according to Alexa Smith, a senior regional housing and land use planner with the Metropolitan Area Planning Council. Smith was one of the speakers at a housing forum sponsored by the city Tuesday night. The forum drew residents who were concerned about the skyrocketing price of housing.
According to the Salem News, which first reported this story, median income in Salem is 13 percent below the state average, but media home prices are only three percent lower than state averages. The end result is that only one in four housing units in Salem meet the definition of "affordable."
Previously on Patch: One-In-Two Salem Renters Is "Rent Burdened": CensusOne-In-Two Salem Renters Is "Rent Burdened": Census
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