The One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBB) cuts the estate tax; and this cut widens the racial wealth gap because most of the people who benefit are white, as we explain in our report, “Fading Beauty: How the One Big Beautiful Bill Could Widen Wealth Inequality.” buff.ly/OnugSIL

The One Big Beautiful Bill Act threatens to widen racial gaps by eroding Medicaid coverage, as we explain in our report, “Fading Beauty: How the One Big Beautiful Bill Could Widen Wealth Inequality.” buff.ly/OnugSIL

In the news: Our report, “Legalizing Mid-Rise Single Stair Housing in Massachusetts,” buff.ly/rfKjk04 was featured in an NBC 10Boston news story buff.ly/dXgrBcD about Governor Maura Healey creating an advisory group that will study the feasibility of allowing single-staircase home construction.

Check out Kelly Harrington's post on our recent happy hour—and on the importance of building community. buff.ly/8Cot2tS

In our report, “Global Greater Boston: Immigrants in a Changing Region,” buff.ly/G4oqmXa we note that immigrants have high rates of economic mobility.

For a deep dive into data-driven research and policy, sign up for the BARI Conference 2026: Greater Boston’s 10th Annual Insight-to-Impact Summit, buff.ly/iGu5SO3 which will be on Friday, May 8, 2026, at Northeastern University, from 8:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.

Where has the MBTA Communities Law sparked new housing production?

Immigrants in this region are more likely to start their own businesses, making a key contribution to the state economy, as we explain in our report, “Global Greater Boston: Immigrants in a Changing Region.” buff.ly/G4oqmXa

Luc Schuster, Executive Director of Boston Indicators, has a new opinion piece in Commonwealth Beacon magazine, “The MBTA Communities law was a good start. But it won’t deliver transit-oriented development – or solve our housing shortage.” buff.ly/RkSS2Pe

In our brief, “A Modest Zoning Reform That Works—and Should Be Scaled,” buff.ly/gbAVV7B we look at how one reform is increasing the number of housing units in areas with single-family housing.

Students who come from other countries are a vital part of this state’s higher education community, as we explain in our brief, “Brain Gain: International Students in Massachusetts.” buff.ly/VgffiZ0

Our new brief, “A Modest Zoning Reform That Works—and Should Be Scaled,” buff.ly/gbAVV7B looks at how Newton—in response to the MBTA Communities law—created Multi-Residence Transit (MRT) zoning districts that preserve existing housing and allow for new construction.

“For much of the past half-century, the permitting of multifamily housing in Massachusetts steadily became more discretionary, time-consuming, political, and unpredictable,” as we explain in our report, “An Early Look at the MBTA Communities Permitting Pipeline” buff.ly/hxiBlre.

Immigrants play an important role in Greater Boston’s economic prosperity, as we explain in our report, “Global Greater Boston: Immigrants in a Changing Region.” buff.ly/ds44N6W

The MBTA Communities Act has sparked more than 100 housing projects. How far are these projects from MBTA stations? According to our new report— “An Early Look at the MBTA Communities Permitting Pipeline” buff.ly/jXJVwEK — and a related interactive map, there has been success...

Most of the housing projects in the MBTA Communities pipeline are small- or medium-sized projects that will produce fewer housing units, as we explain in our report —“An Early Look at the MBTA Communities Permitting Pipeline” buff.ly/jXJVwEK.

Our new report — “An Early Look at the MBTA Communities Permitting Pipeline” buff.ly/Qvxi23l — points to the way that zoning creates the potential for housing production. As Boston Indicators' Amy Zain, the report's author says, "Zoning reform isn't destiny. Zoning reform gives housing a chance."

Our new report—"An Early Look at the MBTA Communities Permitting Pipeline” buff.ly/jXJVwEK —looks at the impact that the MBTA Communities law is having on housing production.

Our new report—“An Early Look at the MBTA Communities Permitting Pipeline” buff.ly/jXJVwEK%E2%8... an interactive map (on the report's landing page) that plots all projects in the MBTA Communities permitting pipeline as of December 18, 2025.

What impact is the MBTA Communities Law having on the goal of building housing that is close to transportation? "Our analysis shows that so far, approximately a third of units in the pipeline are within a half mile of a station," Boston Indicators' Amy Dain says.

"Braintree has the single largest project in the pipeline. In the MBTA community's pipeline, 752 units in one project on approximately 30 acres. This is a huge, mostly vacant industrial property," Boston Indicators' Amy Dain explains.

The 2021 MBTA Communities law calls on cities and towns served by the MBTA to zone for greater housing density. Our new report— “An Early Look at the MBTA Communities Permitting Pipeline” buff.ly/Qvxi23l — evaluates the law’s impact.

This morning, we’re holding our author event for our new report—“An Early Look at the MBTA Communities Permitting Pipeline” buff.ly/jXJVwEK. The report was written by Boston Indicators’ Amy Dain, and she’ll be discussing the impact that the MBTA Communities Act is having on housing production.

Check out our new report— “An Early Look at the MBTA Communities Permitting Pipeline” buff.ly/Qvxi23l — which evaluates the initial impact that the MBTA Communities Law is having on housing production.

There are Greater Boston communities where the median sale prices of single-family homes are growing more slowly. But as we show in “The Greater Boston Housing Report Card 2025,” buff.ly/D9g3BmD no matter the rate of growth, affordability remains a problem.

Please sign up to join us for an author briefing on our new report, “An Early Look at the MBTA Communities Permitting Pipeline,” featuring Boston Indicators’ Amy Dain. buff.ly/Bp5UO3i

Greater Boston doesn’t just have rental deserts: it also has areas that are homeownership deserts, where 80 percent of homes are occupied by renters. This is also a challenge, as we explain in our report, “The Problem of Rental Deserts in Greater Boston, by the Numbers.” buff.ly/wkcR7Uy

As we explain in our report, "The Problem of Rental Deserts in Greater Boston, by the Numbers," buff.ly/wkcR7Uy, rental deserts tend to be located in richer, whiter neighborhoods.

In our report, "The Problem of Rental Deserts in Greater Boston, by the Numbers," buff.ly/wkcR7Uy we look at some of the policy history that has led to rental deserts, places where fewer than 20 percent of homes are renter-occupied or available for rent.

To keep up with all of our latest research and analysis, sign up for the Boston Indicators newsletter. buff.ly/1IzJX2w

Homelessness continues to be a persistent local challenge, as the Greater Boston Housing Report Card 2025 buff.ly/U5QacFS explains. IN 2024, homelessness hit record highs, then dropped slightly in 2025, but the number of homeless residents remains high.

It’s common knowledge that buying a home in Greater Boston is expensive. What the Greater Boston Housing Report Card 2025 buff.ly/U5QacFS reveals are the high median prices of single-family homes:

We've just released our new report, "The Problem of Rental Deserts in Greater Boston, by the Numbers," buff.ly/wMgIhQj which looks at the region's supply of rental housing and finds concerning shortages that limit housing options for area residents.

In addition to high home prices, Greater Boston residents also face the increasingly high cost of apartment rents, as we explain in the Greater Boston Housing Report Card 2025 buff.ly/U5QacFS.

Part of Greater Boston’s economic success is driven by immigrants, but high housing costs and tough federal laws could take a toll on this source of prosperity and weaken the local housing market, as we explain in the Greater Boston Housing Report Card 2025, buff.ly/NGenz8e.

For the next two weeks, we'll be posting about the Greater Boston Housing Report Card 2025 (GBHRC). If you missed the GBHRC release event, you can watch a recording here: buff.ly/NGenz8e.

Tens of thousands of Massachusetts residents could lose their Medicaid coverage in 2027 when the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) will require them to meet new work requirements.

Every year, the Greater Boston Housing Report Card buff.ly/nWR2BCE points out what everyone knows: Greater Boston’s home prices and apartment rents are extremely high.

Massachusetts will have to act fast to respond to the new work requirements for Medicaid recipients in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. Regulatory details aren’t expected from the federal government until June 2026—a few short months before states have to notify residents of the new requirements.

Because of the federal One Big Beautiful Bill Act, tens of thousands of formerly eligible legal immigrants in Massachusetts will now be barred from state Medicaid programs. Learn more in our new report, "A Massachusetts Model For Medicaid Work Requirements." buff.ly/dMZvt4h

As we explain in our new report, "A Massachusetts Model For Medicaid Work Requirements," buff.ly/dMZvt4h there are four steps that state policymakers should take to protect residents from losing their MassHealth insurance coverage.

In our new report, “A Massachusetts Model for Medicaid Work Requirements,” buff.ly/dMZvt4h we point to the need for fast, effective state action to protect people from losing their Medicaid coverage because of new federal laws.

Massachusetts will have to comply with the federal law that compels many Medicaid recipients to meet work requirements—and it should learn from the mistakes of other states.

We've just released our new report, “A Massachusetts Model for Medicaid Work Requirements,” buff.ly/dMZvt4h which looks at how Massachusetts can comply with new federal laws and protect people from losing their MassHealth insurance coverage.

Harsh federal policies could take a toll on the local housing market, as we explain in this year’s Greater Boston Housing Report Card. buff.ly/nWR2BCE

"At its best, Greater Boston is a welcoming region that draws strength from longtime residents and newcomers alike.

What are the benefits of building housing? buff.ly/NF8hGbY

"There are lots of intractable challenges within government. Building more housing isn't one of them... It should not be as hard as it is. buff.ly/NF8hGbY

The Special Topic section of the Greater Boston Housing Report Card 2025 looks at how the state's MBTA Communities law is doing at encouraging more housing density near commuter real stations. There is a huge amount of variation. buff.ly/NF8hGbY

Families' annual salaries would have to grow quickly to keep up with the cost of Greater Boston homes. To learn more, check out the Greater Boston Housing Report Card 2025. buff.ly/NF8hGbY