Gateway City Housing Monitor
Interactive city-level data tool
Last update:
The Gateway Cities Housing Monitor is a new tool to provide the data needed to make effective housing policy decisions. It tracks housing market conditions in the 26 Gateway Cities and their suburbs by asking and answering five critical questions on an annual basis:
- To what extent is Gateway City housing supply keeping pace with demand?
- How affordable is housing for Gateway City residents?
- How do the economics of housing production vary across Gateway Cities?
- Are Gateway City neighborhoods revitalizing?
- Is neighborhood revitalization occurring in an equitable manner?
This tool enables interested parties to access city-level information on individual Gateway Cities. In some cases, the cities are compared to their suburbs, which were defined using census boundaries for New England City and Town Areas (NECTAs) and NECTA Divisions. Cities and towns outside of Massachusetts were excluded. All sources and methods can be found in the annual Gateway City Housing Monitor.
Housing Production
To what extent is housing supply keeping pace with demand?
This section evaluates the relationship between housing production and demand in Gateway Cities and their suburbs over the past decade. The focus is not only on the quantity of housing, but also on its availability for year-round occupancy, accounting for factors like vacant and blighted properties, and seasonal and recreational use. Whether or not there is sufficient housing on the market is assessed by comparing vacancy rates to target rates, with is the amount of vacant, on-the-market housing that is understood to be needed to stabilize prices.
Housing Affordability
How affordable is housing for Gateway City residents?
This section explores housing affordability for residents of Gateway Cities in comparison to Greater Boston and the Gateway City average. It also describes the state of the affordable housing inventory in Gateway Cities and their suburbs, including both naturally-occurring and deed-restricted units.
Conditions for Growth
How do the economics of housing production vary across Gateway Cities?
This section explores financial, regulatory, and infrastructure-related drivers of housing production in Gateway Cities. The section also provides an initial look at the favorable conditions for growth in Gateway Cities from a mobility standpoint.
Neighborhood Revitalization
Are Gateway Cities revitalizing?
This section assesses the degree of revitalization in Gateway City neighborhoods by examining key indicators of economic and community well-being.
Equitable Development
Is residential growth happening in an equitable manner?
This section delves into the critical question of whether housing development in Gateway Cities is benefiting residents equitably. We examine trends in homeownership, property values, and demographic shifts, focusing on how these factors affect different racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic groups. Homeownership is a key way for residents to benefit from the economic growth of their communities, but access to this opportunity varies widely across Gateway Cities and racial groups. We also explore the markers of gentrification, testing assumptions about the relationship between revitalization and displacement. By analyzing these dynamics, we aim to provide the fact set needed to enable the charting of a middle path that maximizes the benefits of neighborhood improvement while minimizing the potential for harm to individuals.
