A statewide housing target
In January 2018, Boston City Properties covered Governor Charlie Baker’s Housing Choice initiative and its goal of producing 135,000 housing units by 2025. The account described a $10 million initiative intended to encourage municipalities to support housing production, with an additional $2 million associated with MassHousing. These were commitments and targets reported at the time, not a tally of homes ultimately delivered.
The discussion covered both ownership and rental housing. It emphasized a range of household sizes and incomes, accessible homes, housing near transportation and the need to avoid displacement as new development proceeded. The statewide target was distinct from Boston’s separate housing-production goals.
Proposed changes to local decisions
The initiative included proposed legislation called the Act to Promote Housing Choices. The article explained the proposal as a change that would allow certain housing-related zoning decisions to pass by a simple majority rather than the existing two-thirds threshold. That was the legislative proposal being discussed in early 2018; it is not a statement of today’s zoning law or permission for a particular parcel.
Municipal incentives were another part of the approach. The account compared the program with Green Communities and described recognition and funding for communities pursuing housing-friendly practices. Planning assistance was meant to help local governments examine where and how additional housing could fit.
A regional problem, not one building
The article also discussed a coalition of Greater Boston municipalities and the planning role of the Metropolitan Area Planning Council. Housing demand, transportation access and employment growth crossed town boundaries, making coordination important even though zoning decisions remained local.
The historical proposal helps explain the policy debate over housing supply in 2018. Its grant descriptions, production deadline and proposed voting rules should be read in that period’s context, not as open application instructions, a promise of funding or proof that a specific development can proceed.
Historical attribution: Original Boston City Properties article, January 2018. Reported claims and attributed assessments have not been independently refreshed.