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It is rare for ambitious Boston projects to outpace their original projections, but in the case of Mayor Martin Walsh’s goal of 53,000 new housing units by 2030, the city is ahead of schedule.
Boston added more housing in 2017 than it has since the 1990s, issuing 5,349 permits for new houses, condos and apartments, the Boston Globe reports. The Walsh administration announced Friday the figure is 17% more than the previous housing benchmark set in 2015.
Walsh, who was sworn in for his second term Monday, has made more housing a priority to combat the city’s soaring costs. He has pushed for 53,000 new units of housing by the city’s 400th birthday in 2030 and an additional 42,000 units by 2050.
“While our population is growing faster than ever, we have been working to meet the housing demands of our growing city,” Walsh said in a statement to the Globe. “I believe that Boston’s growth must benefit everyone who lives here, and I’m proud that we are building housing for a range of incomes.”
Despite the housing persistence, Walsh has been criticized for most new housing under his watch arriving in the form of pricey, glassy towers in the Seaport and Back Bay. His announcement tried to rebuke critics by noting nearly 20% of the units permitted in 2017 are price restricted to what low- to middle-income residents can afford.
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