Housing for All

Forward-Looking Strategies for a Growing New Bedford

This report exposes the impact of the statewide housing shortage on Gateway Cities with an in-depth examination of New Bedford’s residential market. Produced in partnership with the Regeneration Project, the analysis pinpoints the forces contributing to rapid cost increases and explores the impact of rising housing prices on the local and regional economy. Detailed estimates

In Pursuit of Greatness

Bold Strategies to Grow a Strong and Diverse Educator Workforce

The increasing diversity of students in Massachusetts makes growing a diverse educator workforce a critical policy goal for the Commonwealth. In recent years, state and local leaders have responded to this challenge with a variety of programs and policy changes. This report details these efforts and their considerable impact to date. However, the findings show

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Dear Friends, 2019 will go down as a year of promising advancement. From passage of the Student Opportunity Act to a historic board vote on Rail Vision, policies with the potential to make a tremendous difference to Gateway Cities gained real traction. Through the Gateways podcast, MassINC helped magnify the voices of Gateway City leaders. To sustain and build

In Mass., white pols dominate state and local politics

Study proposes even-year elections for muni races

THE PREDOMINANCE OF white male politicians in positions of power in Massachusetts may be a symptom of the way elections are run, according to a report released Wednesday entitled MassForward. The report recommends addressing the lack of minority representation in state and local government through reforms big and small, from relieving legislative staffers from the often

Massachusetts government is stubbornly unrepresentative

Report calls on Legislature to remedy structural forces that keep women, people of color, and Republicans from winning elected office

A new report by the nonpartisan think tank MassINC demonstrates that elected leaders in Massachusetts fail to represent the state’s diversity, the capacity to make laws and policy is far too concentrated in a few leaders, and limited electoral competition, declining state and local news coverage, and the absence of a strong opposition party weaken

Fares for Gateway Cities residents are off the rails

Gateways Episode 32

MassINC recently published a report on fare equity that confirmed what most of us already know: the lowest-wealth Commonwealth residents pay more of their incomes to get around the state than wealthier folks. Nowhere is this more apparent than on the MBTA’s commuter rail network, a public

Reducing train fares to achieve equitable TOD

The Gateway Cities Journal

MassINC released a policy brief this week that is a “classic” in the sense that its main finding—many Gateway City residents can’t afford to ride commuter rail—is blatantly obvious. While this problem has been apparent for some time, we think now is the moment to seek a remedy. Transportation has risen to the top of the

Prioritizing Equitable Growth Through Fare Policy

This policy brief explores the concept of fare equity and demonstrates why the current commuter rail fare structure makes train travel uneconomical for many Gateway City residents, especially those living in the immediate station areas. The brief also provides a deeper understanding of why affordable fares are a critical precursor for transformative transit-oriented development and

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