Massachusetts

  • State Data Overview

    Across Massachusetts, there is a shortage of rental homes affordable and available to extremely low income households (ELI), whose incomes are at or below the poverty guideline or 30% of their area median income (AMI). Many of these households are severely cost burdened, spending more than half of their income on housing. Severely cost burdened poor households are more likely than other renters to sacrifice other necessities like healthy food and healthcare to pay the rent, and to experience unstable housing situations like evictions.

    Housing Profiles

    Massachusetts

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    Key Facts

    • 298,909 OR 28%

      Renter households that are extremely low-income

    • -160,543

      Shortage of rental homes affordable and available for extremely low-income renters

    • $38,710

      Average income limit for 4-person extremely low income household

    • $101,072

      Annual household income needed to afford a two-bedroom rental home at HUD's Fair Market Rent (FMR)

    Impact on Low-Wage Workers

    A minimum wage worker would need to work:

    • 106 hours per week or 2.7 full-time jobs to afford a 1-bedroom apartment at Fair Market Rent (FMR).
    • 130 hours per week or 3.2 full-time jobs to afford a 2-bedroom apartment at Fair Market Rent (FMR).
    Most Expensive Areas 2-Bedroom Housing Wage
    Nantucket County $60.35
    Boston-Cambridge-Quincy HMFA $56.56
    Easton-Raynham HMFA $49.04
    Barnstable Town MSA $46.58
    Lowell HMFA $45.21
    Common Occupations Median Hourly Wage
    Nursing Assistants $23.06
    Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners $22.52
    Home Health and Personal Care Aides $20.22
    Retail Salespersons $18.09
    Fast Food and Counter Workers $17.72

    Solutions

    • Provide significant resources to build and preserve homes affordable to renters with the lowest incomes through investments in public housing and the national Housing Trust Fund
    • Encourage states and local communities to reform zoning and land use regulations that prevent housing from being built and push up housing costs
    • Bridge the gap between incomes and housing costs by expanding rental assistance so that it is universally available to all eligible households or consider other innovative approaches, such as a fully refundable renters’ tax credit
    • Prevent evictions and homelessness by creating permanent tools, such as emergency rental assistance, to help stabilize families in crisis
    • Other federal housing resources, including the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit, should be reformed to better address the shortage of rental housing affordable to the lowest-income households.
  • State Level Partners

    NLIHC Housing Advocacy Organizer

    Zenayah Headshot

    Zenayah Roaché

    [email protected]
    202.662.1530 x815

    State Partners

    Citizens' Housing and Planning Association 
    One Beacon Street, 5th Floor, 
    Boston, MA 02108 
    P 617-742-0820 
    F 617-742-3953 
    www.chapa.org

    Rachel Heller
    Chief Executive Officer 
    [email protected] 

    Matt Noyes
    Director of Public Policy 
    [email protected]

    Become an NLIHC State Partner

    NLIHC’s affiliation with our state coalition partners is central to our advocacy efforts. Although our partners' involvement varies, they are all housing and homeless advocacy organizations engaged at the state and federal level. Many are traditional coalitions with a range of members; others are local organizations that serve more informally as NLIHC's point of contact.

    Inquire about becoming a state partner by contacting [email protected]

    Become a Member
  • Housing Trust Fund
    HTF Implementation Information

    NLIHC continues working with leaders in each state and the District of Columbia who will mobilize advocates in support of HTF allocation plans that benefit ELI renters to the greatest extent possible. Please contact the point person coordinating with NLIHC in your state (below) to find out about the public participation process and how you can be involved. 

    Current Year HTF Allocation

    $18,648,225

    See Allocation Amount for Prior Year

    HTF State Resources

    2019

    Draft Annual Action Plan with HTF Allocation Plan on page 57 (PDF)

    2018

    Draft Annual Action Plan with HTF Allocation Plan on page 54 (PDF)

    2017

    HTF Allocation Plan (PDF)

    2017 NOFA (PDF)

    Draft Annual Action Plan (PDF)

    Notice of Public Hearing About Draft Annual Action Plan (PDF)

    2016

    HUD Approved Allocation Plan (PDF)

    HTF NOFA (PDF)

    Draft HTF Allocation Plan by Massachusetts Department of Housing and Community Development (PDF)

    HTF Model Allocation Plan (PDF)

    State Designated Entity

    State Entity Webpage
    Massachusetts Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities (EOHLC)

    Official Directly Involved with HTF Implementation

    Catherine Racer
    Associate Director, DHCD
    617-573-1322
    [email protected]

    Bronia Clifton
    Supportive Housing Manager
    617-573-1305
    [email protected]

    NHTF-specific Pages
    National Housing Trust Fund
    Annual Action Plans

    Learn More About HTF

  • Resources
    Resources

    Housing Profiles

    State Housing Profile

    State Housing Profile: Massachusetts (PDF)

    Congressional District Housing Profile

    Congressional District Profile: Massachusetts (PDF)

    Research and Data

    National Housing Preservation Database

    The National Housing Preservation Database is an address-level inventory of federally assisted rental housing in the United States.

    Out of Reach: The High Cost of Housing

    Out of Reach documents the gap between renters’ wages and the cost of rental housing. In Massachusetts and Nationwide

    The Gap: A Shortage of Affordable Rental Homes

    The Gap represents data on the affordable housing supply and housing cost burdens at the national, state, and metropolitan levels. In Massachusetts and Nationwide

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