Massachusetts

The housing divide is pulling Massachusetts apart – The Boston Globe

Published

3 years ago

May 12, 2022

The housing divide is pulling Massachusetts apart – The Boston Globe

“Exterior of one thing like housing, we don’t enable incumbents who’ve a monetary curiosity in proscribing provide to limit provide,” says Jenny Schuetz, an economist who research housing on the Brookings Institute, a nonprofit public coverage group based mostly in Washington, D.C. “And that’s precisely what we’re doing with homeownership.”

Which has resulted, after all, in skyrocketing costs. In simply the 2 years between 2019 and 2021, costs for single-family houses in Massachusetts surged almost 28 %.

So, how did the marketplace for houses grow to be so completely different from the marketplace for virtually anything, from vehicles to pizza to watches?

First, politicians have lengthy informed People that homeownership is — to cite President George W. Bush — “an vital a part of the American Dream.”

And we didn’t want a lot convincing. “Two-thirds of American households,” Schuetz writes in “Fixer-Higher: Restore America’s Damaged Housing Techniques,” her current guide, “personal their very own dwelling.” And most of their cash is locked up in that dwelling.

Second, state governments determined to delegate a number of their authority on development to native authorities. And native authorities, in flip, determined to delegate a lot of the decision-making to teams of present residents, who had been typically not concerned about including a raft of recent homes to city.

A lot of these residents additionally understood that they had been in possession of a restricted useful resource, and the extra restricted it was, the extra helpful it will grow to be.

For householders in Massachusetts, intricate and restrictive zoning insurance policies have been a bonanza. And never simply in the course of the pandemic-induced housing mania. During the last 10 years, dwelling costs within the state have risen near 70 %, in line with the Federal Reserve.

Katherine Levine Einstein, a political scientist at Boston College who research housing, notes that Massachusetts now has “among the most costly housing within the nation.” And the crunch has gotten so unhealthy, she says, that it’s beginning to mirror the San Francisco and Los Angeles markets (the place 1,800-square-foot houses routinely promote for greater than $2 million).

Basically, we’re dwelling in our diamonds. And for lots of people, it feels unbelievable.

However, says Schuetz, this creates a horrible irony: In areas the place folks discuss lots about fixing inequality (like Boston, New York, and San Francisco), actual property costs have erected greater and better limitations between current and aspiring householders.

Already, Massachusetts is among the most unequal states within the nation, when it comes to revenue: The Financial Coverage Institute pegs us because the sixth-most unequal. The highest 1 % of earners earn virtually $2 million a 12 months, on common, whereas the opposite 99 % earn a mean of $62,000.

Surprising, maybe. However that’s only for starters. Contemplate what occurs when a rich particular person’s revenue is plowed into a beautiful dwelling in Dover or Lexington, which then surges in worth.

In the meantime, for somebody making $62,000 a 12 months and paying an enormous chunk of that in hire, there isn’t any nest egg. No appreciation. And little hope of ever breaking into an insanely sizzling housing market.

“It’s a extremely tough drawback,” Schuetz informed me, “when you’ve gotten individuals who say that they care about inequality. They are saying that they care about racial justice … And but they aren’t keen to make adjustments in their very own life, or to simply accept adjustments of their private setting that may make fairness higher, that would cut back racial segregation.

“So there’s kind of this paradox that a number of the actually Democratic-leaning locations have among the most restrictive zoning and are combating the toughest towards issues like constructing a low-income house constructing in an prosperous neighborhood, which is strictly the type of factor we have to do if we wish to make progress on racial fairness.”

And, she says, it’s a self-perpetuating cycle.

Beautiful cities with nice colleges typically function restricted — and expensive — homes. These houses internet a number of taxes for the city. The taxes are then funneled into providers like parks and colleges. And as colleges get higher and higher, individuals are keen to pay increasingly for houses, placing these cities additional and additional out of the attain of mere mortals.

Einstein emphasizes that “in a number of these bed room suburban communities, the crown jewel … are the varsity programs. And so in some ways, the failure to construct sufficient housing in lots of our suburban communities is a approach of hoarding unique entry to extremely ranked public college programs. And that may be a profound fairness problem.”

There are almost-unending ripples that radiate out from this cycle. Alternative Insights, a gaggle led by Harvard economist Raj Chetty, argues that there’s “clear scientific proof you can dramatically change children’ outcomes simply based mostly on the place they develop up.”

Within the Nineteen Nineties, a gaggle of low-income households in Baltimore got vouchers to maneuver to richer neighborhoods with their kids. By the point these kids had been adults, Chetty famous, they had been “incomes 30 % extra. They’re 27 % extra more likely to go to varsity, one thing like 30 % much less more likely to have a teenage being pregnant.”

Residing in a pleasant space — and particularly proudly owning your individual place — can alter social mobility, psychological well being, and the flexibility to switch wealth to the subsequent era.

And white households are way more outfitted to make that switch than Black households. Greater than two-thirds of white households personal their very own houses, Schuetz notes, versus lower than half of Black households. And even should you solely examine white and Black householders to one another, white households have virtually twice as a lot fairness of their houses ($100K vs. $56K), actually because they had been capable of afford a home in a fancier city, the place housing costs have a tendency to understand extra.

“If we keep on with our present programs,” Schuetz says, “issues will worsen … We could have much more racial and financial segregation than we have now now and an even bigger hole in family wealth.”

In lots of pink states, like Texas and Georgia, housing has historically been greenlit quicker, which makes it extra plentiful and cheaper, and has helped gas migration to these states.

Although, Schuetz argues, if among the worst-performing states change (together with California, New York, New Jersey, and Massachusetts), they might assist bend the present trajectory of inequality.

However change will not be imminent.

Folks just like the locations they stay. They like them to remain the way in which they bear in mind them. Typically, they don’t need extra site visitors, or extra children within the college. They don’t need timber minimize down, and so they don’t need house buildings to sprout up. On a person stage, that’s completely comprehensible. At a state — or nationwide — stage, it may be disastrous.

Which is why part of the financial growth invoice handed into legislation in Massachusetts final 12 months has confirmed so controversial.

It requires 175 cities with public transit (or bordering cities with public transit) to construct extra high-density housing, and Schuetz informed me that this type of laws is a step in the correct path. Governor Charlie Baker appears to agree along with her, however dozens of the cities that must construct the housing don’t.

Einstein believes that the state should exert its authority, as a substitute of delegating that authority to particular person cities and cities — although she singles out the Metropolis of Boston for forging forward on new housing.

“State-level options are actually vital for overcoming native aversion to vary,” Einstein says. “As a result of there are only a few communities who’re voluntarily, like, ‘We wish to change ourselves!’ It’s human nature for folks to love issues to remain as they’re.”

And having any kind of dialog about coverage shifts is difficult, as different states with restrictive zoning and expensive housing have found. “As soon as housing will get very, very costly,” Schuetz says, “the politics simply grow to be so poisonous that it’s exhausting to do very a lot.”

Although, if we decide to not do very a lot, that, in and of itself, will form the way forward for Massachusetts.

Comply with Kara Miller on Twitter @karaemiller.

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Massachusetts

Here's what the largest lottery prize won in Mass. in 2024 was

Published

7 hours ago

January 3, 2025

Press Room

Here's what the largest lottery prize won in Mass. in 2024 was

The largest lottery prize won in Massachusetts in 2024 came from a ticket given to the winner as a birthday gift, which they called “the best birthday present ever.”

There were at least 150 players who won between $1 million and $15 million — and one player won even more.

The top prize won in Massachusetts in 2024 was worth $1 million a year for life.

The prize was from “Lifetime Millions,” a $50 scratch ticket game released on Feb. 6, 2024. As of Jan. 3, there are still two $1 million a year for life grand prizes remaining to be claimed, along with three $2 million prizes and seven $1 million prizes.

The top lottery winner of 2024 claimed their prize through the Merjon Tangovan Nominee Trust of Boston, represented by trustee Greg Racki, on July 10, 2024.

The winner received $15.4 million after Racki selected the cash option instead of annuity for the grand prize. They told Racki they plan on buying a new car, traveling and helping their family with the cash.

The winning ticket was bought at Northside Market & Liquors, located at 44 North Rd. in Bedford. The store received a $50,000 bonus for selling the winning ticket.

Here’s the complete list of the top 10 largest lottery prizes won in Massachusetts in 2024:

$1 million a year for life prize claimed from the “Lifetime Millions” scratch ticket game on July 10. The winner opted to receive their prize as a one-time payment of $15.4 million, and bought their $50 ticket at the Northside Convenience shop in Bedford. There’s still two grand prizes left to be claimed.
$15 million prize claimed from the “$15,000,000 Money Maker” scratch ticket game on Aug. 15. The winner bought their $30 ticket in Lynn at the One Stop Mart. As of December, there’s just one grand prize left to be claimed in the game.
$15 million prize claimed from the “300X” scratch ticket game on June 13. The winning $30 ticket was purchased at the Country Farms store in Topsfield. This was the first and only grand prize claimed in the game as of December, with two more grand prizes left to claim.
$10 million prize claimed from the “$10,000,000 Cash Blast” scratch ticket game on Oct. 3. The winner bought their $20 ticket at the Star Liquor store in Shrewsbury. It was the first and only grand prize claimed in the game as of December, with two more grand prizes left to claim.
$10 million prize claimed from the “$10,000,000 Cash King” scratch ticket game, also on Oct. 3. This winner bought their $20 ticket in Boston at Jobi Liquors, Inc., leaving no grand prizes left to be claimed.
$10 million prize claimed from the “$10,000,000 Bonanza” scratch ticket game on Sept. 4. The winning $20 ticket was sold in Raynham at Coletti’s Market, and was the only grand prize claimed in the game as of December, with two more grand prizes left to claim.
$5.37 million jackpot prize won during the “Megabucks” drawing on May 4. The winning numbers for the drawing were 4, 11, 15, 26, 30 and 40, and the winning ticket was purchased in Northborough at Lowe’s Variety Mart.
$5 million prize claimed from a “$5,000,000 100X Cashword 2024″ scratch ticket on Oct. 2. A hot week for lottery players in the state, this $20 winning ticket was sold at From Brazil Restaurant in Peabody. There’s just one grand prize left in the game as of December.
$5 million prize claimed from a “$5,000,000 100X Cashword” scratch ticket (released in 2023) on June 18. The winning ticket was sold at the Price Chopper in Pittsfield, and was the last grand prize left in the game.
$2.64 million prize won during the “Megabucks” drawing on Aug. 24. The winning numbers for the drawing were 5, 6, 8, 9, 24 and 32, and the winner bought their ticket while at the Hillcrest Country Club in Leicester.

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Massachusetts

These 9 new laws go into effect in Mass. in 2025. Here's what they all are

Published

18 hours ago

January 3, 2025

Press Room

These 9 new laws go into effect in Mass. in 2025. Here's what they all are

With the new year comes new laws that are set to take effect in Massachusetts in 2025.

Five bills were signed into law with set dates for when the new laws, signed by Gov. Maura Healey, go into effect.

Four other new laws were part of a large economic development bill Healey signed in November, covering a wide range of issues from clean energy to education. The text of this law contained an emergency preamble, which gives the governor authority to determine whether a new law should go into effect immediately.

Here are the latest changes made to Massachusetts state law.

Employers must show salary ranges in job postings

Beginning Oct. 29, 2025, Massachusetts employers with 25 or more employees must disclose salary ranges and protect an employee’s right to ask for salary ranges. This received Healey’s approval on July 31 when Healey signed the Francis Perkins Workplace Equity Act, named after the first woman to be Secretary of Labor under President Franklin Roosevelt.

The new law also prohibits employers from firing or retaliating against any employee or applicant who asks for salary ranges when applying for a job or promotion, according to state law.

Employers’ demographic wage data

Along with salary ranges, Massachusetts employers with at least 100 state-based employees must file an annual report to the state, according to the legal firm Cooley. This annual report includes workforce demographic and pay data categorized by race, ethnicity, sex, and position.

This goes into effect on Feb. 1, 2025, with the Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development then publishing aggregated data in a report on its website on July 1 of each year.

Massachusetts joins 11 other states in enacting this law: California, Colorado, Connecticut, Hawaii, Illinois, Maryland, Minnesota, Nevada, New York, Rhode Island and Washington.

Sealing eviction records

Healey signed the Affordable Homes Act on Aug. 6. Going into effect on May 5, 2025, this law allows tenants to petition the courts to seal certain eviction records that can make it difficult for renters to secure housing, according to the state’s website.

The law will also make it illegal for a consumer reporting agency to include a sealed eviction record in its reports.

Parentage equality expansions

In August, Healey signed into law an act that updates the state’s parentage laws for the first time in 40 years, according to the Governor’s Office. The Massachusetts Parentage Act provides protections for parents who use surrogacy, in-vitro fertilization and assisted reproduction, as well as for LGBTQ+ parents.

The bill also modernizes the law’s language to be more inclusive, replacing words like “paternity” for “parentage” and “child born out of wedlock” for “nonmarital child,” Healey’s office said.

“Our laws need to reflect the realities of modern families and the loving environments where children grow and flourish,” Healey said in an Aug. 9 statement. “This moment is a victory for all families in Massachusetts who deserve to be treated with dignity and to have their rights recognized and protected under the law.”

This law goes into effect on Jan. 1, 2025.

Updates to paid family and medical leave

On Oct. 1, the Department of Family and Medical Leave announced it would update weekly benefits for paid family and medical leave in Massachusetts. The maximum weekly benefits that employees can receive are set to increase from $1,149.90 to $1,170.64 per week, according to the legal firm Fisher Phillips.

The overall paid family and medical leave contribution rate will stay at 0.88% for eligible employees working at a business with 25 employees or more, the legal firm Seyfarth said in a statement. The contribution rate for smaller employers will remain at 0.46%.

Changes go into effect on Jan. 1, 2025.

Economic development for climate tech, AI and natural gas

Healey signed an economic development bill called the Mass Leads Act on Nov. 20. Its goal is to promote the development and use of clean energy across the state, with improvements to energy affordability, expand access to electric vehicles, and “facilitate the application of artificial intelligence across the state’s ecosystem‚“ Healey’s office said in a statement.

“This legislation will create new jobs, strengthen our efforts to recruit and retain the best talent, support all of our communities, and grow our arts, culture and tourism sectors,” the administration said in its statement.

The new law supports initiatives that aim to make Massachusetts a hub for climate technology, Healey’s office said. This includes $400 million in capital resources going to the offshore wind industry and establishing a new climate tech incentive program to bring and keep climate tech companies in Massachusetts. It will also update the existing Offshore Wind Tax Incentive Program.

The sweeping bill also includes provisions to overhaul the state’s permitting process for Massachusetts to build more renewable energy infrastructure to meet its climate goals. WBUR reported that these changes are intended to go into effect by March 2026.

The law also authorizes $100 million to be used to create the Massachusetts AI Hub “to facilitate the application of artificial intelligence across the state’s ecosystem,” the statement read. Healey’s office added that this hub is expected to boost innovation and “attract AI talent” to the state.

Additionally (but not lastly), the law establishes new provisions for natural gas. More networked geothermal projects, like Eversource in Framingham, will be built in order to bring cleaner forms of heating and cooling, WBUR reported.

The law also changes how gas utilities are incentivized to replace leaky underground pipes, with the state now prioritizing short-term repairs or retiring segments of a pipeline.

Due to the emergency preamble written into the Mass Leads Act, the law immediately went into effect with Healey’s signature.

More funding for electric vehicle incentives

The Mass Leads Act also introduced new provisions for electric vehicles, including an extension of state funding for its electric vehicle incentive program until 2027, WBUR wrote.

The Massachusetts Offers Rebates for Electric Vehicles, or MOR-EV, program is intended to cut down on air pollution and greenhouse gases.

The program offers rebates for buying or leasing eligible battery electric vehicles and fuel-cell electric vehicles.

Another provision includes directing the Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs to review laws that ban the sale of new gasoline or diesel-powered vehicles after 2035, WBUR reported.

As part of the Mass Leads Act, these parts of the law also immediately went into effect upon the bill’s signing.

Nurses can work across state lines

The passage of the Mass Leads Act also addressed the nursing shortage in Massachusetts. The bill included a measure to join the Nurse Licensure Compact, which allows nurses operating in other states affiliated with the compact to practice out of state via in-person or telehealth, GBH reported in November.

Massachusetts became the last New England state to join the compact.

“Compact membership will also enhance the ability of the Massachusetts health care system to prepare for pandemics, emergencies and other staffing needs and to facilitate telehealth and other care delivery transformations in the future,” Mickey O’Neill, spokesperson for the Massachusetts Health Policy Commission, told GBH.

This also went into effect immediately after Healey signed the Mass Leads Act.

Educator diversity

Another facet of the economic development bill that Healey signed focused on education. The new law incorporated a bill known as the Massachusetts Teachers Association-supported Educator Diversity Act.

This change will see the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education develop an alternative certification process for teachers who may have challenges with the educator certification exam, but can still demonstrate their capabilities as teachers, Massachusetts Senate President Karen Spilka said in a statement in November.

Because educator diversity was part of the Mass Leads Act, it immediately went into effect with Healey’s signature on Nov. 20.

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