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Boston Indicators @bosindicators.bsky.social · 1d

To learn more, check out the report.

Boston Indicators @bosindicators.bsky.social · 1d

This will leave many low-income families vulnerable to economic shocks such as unexpected bills for car repairs and medical care, which makes it more likely that families will have increased debt and decreased economic stability, making it extremely difficult for them to save and accumulate wealth.

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Boston Indicators @bosindicators.bsky.social · 1d

...while families in the top 10 percent will gain roughly $13,600, or 2.7 percent of their income.”

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Boston Indicators @bosindicators.bsky.social · 1d

Based on an estimate from The Congressional Budget Office, the report notes, that hurt could mean that “those in the bottom 10 percent of the income distribution will lose about $1,200 annually in income and resources (largely from safety net cuts)...

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Boston Indicators @bosindicators.bsky.social · 1d

Goulart points to the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) of 2017, which increased the federal deficit and gave tax breaks to the wealthy. “So, with One Big Beautiful Bill, low-income families may not notice that they’re going to be hurt, because they’ve been hurting for a while.”

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Boston Indicators @bosindicators.bsky.social · 1d

“We’re already operating under a pretty regressive tax code,” according to Kimberly Goulart, a Boston Indicators Senior Research Analyst and the report’s author.

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Boston Indicators @bosindicators.bsky.social · 1d

While many wealthy families will become wealthier because of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBB), the new federal law could make the racial wealth gap even worse, as we explain in our new report, “Fading Beauty: How the One Big Beautiful Bill Could Widen Wealth Inequality.” buff.ly/qjS65ET

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Boston Indicators @bosindicators.bsky.social · 3d

The editorial also calls for consideration of whether single staircase building regulations would need to vary based on location. Would it make sense, for example, to have stricter height limits in rural communities with smaller fire departments?

To learn more, read the editorial and our report.

Boston Indicators @bosindicators.bsky.social · 3d

To make single staircase buildings safe, the editorial adds, policymakers would need to develop fire prevention safety standards, including rules about what construction materials can be used and what limits there should be on the distance to exits.

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Boston Indicators @bosindicators.bsky.social · 3d

The editorial cites our report, “Legalizing Mid-Rise Single-Stair Housing in Massachusetts,” buff.ly/udyyA5r and shares our estimate that “in Greater Boston alone, an additional 130,000 new homes could be built if single-stair construction were allowed in four- to six-story buildings.”

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Boston Indicators @bosindicators.bsky.social · 3d

“But a growing body of evidence is sparking a hot debate over whether that rule, enshrined in building codes nationwide and in Massachusetts, is outdated.”

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Boston Indicators @bosindicators.bsky.social · 3d

“For decades, it has been an axiom of construction: To reduce the danger from fire, a multifamily apartment building needs two stairwells,” the editorial says.

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Boston Indicators @bosindicators.bsky.social · 3d

“Do apartment buildings really need two stairwells?”

That’s the question The Boston Globe editorial page asks in the second installment of its series on reviewing housing regulations. buff.ly/Qzd9fvq

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Boston Indicators @bosindicators.bsky.social · 8d

In Upzone Update, we’ll consider policy trade-offs and the tensions between values that can get lost in the details— all to keep you current on what’s being tried, what’s working, and where Massachusetts needs to push next to reach housing abundance and affordability.

Please sign up to learn more.

Boston Indicators @bosindicators.bsky.social · 8d

Our Upzone Update newsletter reports on the mix of zoning, building regulations, and related policies that shape housing supply across Massachusetts. Upzone Update will look at big reform ideas as well as pragmatic, tactical fixes.

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Boston Indicators @bosindicators.bsky.social · 8d

This newsletter also features report release events that are held live and/or online and include Boston Indicators’ staff as well as leaders from Massachusetts and other states who are taking on policy challenges.

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Boston Indicators @bosindicators.bsky.social · 8d

Our Boston Indicators newsletter shares our newest policy briefs and reports on a range of current topics including housing, education, transportation, and the racial wealth gap.

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Boston Indicators @bosindicators.bsky.social · 8d

To keep up with local policy news, sign up for one—or both—of our newsletters! buff.ly/EeMKdJA

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Boston Indicators @bosindicators.bsky.social · 10d

...Still, this ranking is consistent with previous findings from the Pew Research Center, which identified Boston as one of the more economically integrated large metros in the country.”

To learn more, check out the report.

Boston Indicators @bosindicators.bsky.social · 10d

“The reasons for this are not entirely clear,” the report says. “It may be related to the region’s overall high-income levels, local policy choices, or simply greater increases in segregation elsewhere...

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Boston Indicators @bosindicators.bsky.social · 10d

Memphis, Houston, New York, and Detroit have the most income segregation among the 50 largest metropolitan statistical areas, according to an analysis done by the University of Minnesota. Portland, Salt Lake City, Orlando, and Minneapolis have the least.

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Boston Indicators @bosindicators.bsky.social · 10d

“Despite its increase in residential income segregation over the past 40 years, Metro Boston currently ranks in the middle of the pack among large U.S. metros on the Residential Income Segregation Index,” the report says.

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Boston Indicators @bosindicators.bsky.social · 10d

Compared to its municipal peers, Greater Boston has made progress on integration, as we explain in our report “Residential Segregation in Greater Boston: Shifting Patterns by Race and Income.” buff.ly/272tdjq

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Boston Indicators @bosindicators.bsky.social · 15d

To learn more, check out the article and our Meeting the Moment brief.

Boston Indicators @bosindicators.bsky.social · 15d

In its article, the Banner points to another report released by the Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts Foundation and “prepared with the Urban Institute” that says, “between 141,000 and 203,000 people statewide could lose MassHealth coverage as a result of the same law.”

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