Affordable Housing Set for Hub, Nearby Towns

Editor’s note: This is the third story in a series of interviews and articles Sampan is posting over the next several issues that explore the high cost of housing in Greater Boston and beyond. The first story can be found here and the second here. These stories include commentary from experts, activists and others.

As housing costs continue to rise across Boston, several affordable housing and community development projects are breaking ground across the city. Boston’s housing affordability crisis is driven by several factors. One culprit is structural inflation, according to the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce. This is where high-income job growth in biotech and technology sectors vastly outpaces permitted housing. Just how high are costs? According to RedFin Housing Market and the 2026 Boston Apartment Rental Market Report, median home prices cost over $865,000 and average rents are hitting $3,400 per month. That’s just out of reach for many households, especially those with kids. But some so-called affordable housing is on the way in Greater Boston.

Here's a look at some of the major projects residents should know about:

Boston

The Mayor’s Office of Housing of The City of Boston reports that Boston is expanding its affordable housing pipeline by expediting the approval process for projects that dedicate at least 60% of their units to income-restricted housing. The initiative is part of the city's larger effort to address the housing shortage while shortening development timelines.

One of the projects moving forward is 95 Everett St. in Allston-Brighton, an 88-unit development that will provide permanent affordable rental housing. Drexel Village in Roxbury is expected to build 217 new homes, including 190 income-restricted units, as part of a larger mixed-income redevelopment project. The city has also continued to provide public funding, city-owned land as well as low-interest financing to nonprofit and private affordable housing developers. Another project that’s already in progress in Chinatown will include the development of a Chinatown branch library. The housing development, headed by the Asian Community Development Corporation, promises 110 affordable apartments and condos near Hudson and Tyler streets.

Cambridge

The City of Cambridge says that it continues to rely on its Affordable Housing Overlay (AHO), which was adopted in 2020, to encourage 100% affordable housing developments by allowing greater flexibility in zoning requirements like height and density. AHO was introduced to the term "help affordable housing developers create new, permanently affordable homes more quickly, predictably and efficiently."

One of the largest projects currently in the pipeline is 87–101 Blanchard Road, where developer B'nai B'rith Housing plans to build 110 affordable apartments for seniors. As of the latest update in May 2026, construction is expected to begin this summer.

Another major proposal, 240 Broadway, would create new affordable housing on a Just A Start-owned site in Cambridge’s Port neighborhood. The energy-efficient development would be built to Passive House standards and add new affordable rental units to the city’s housing stock.

Brookline

Brookline's housing efforts are guided by its 2024 Housing Production Plan, a long-range strategy that outlines the town's affordable housing goals through 2029.

The plan entails the preservation of existing affordable housing. It calls for increasing the number of income-restricted homes and encouraging development through tools such as inclusionary zoning, Chapter 40B and partnerships with affordable housing organizations. The distribution of affordable housing throughout the community, according to the plan, will also go into effect along with the location of new homes near transit, schools and other neighborhood amenities. The Chapter 40B statute lets local zoning boards of appeals “approve affordable housing developments under flexible rules if at least 20%-25% of the units have long-term affordability restrictions,” according to the state. Earlier this summer, the town saw the opening of what was dubbed the largest affordable housing project in a half century there, with the construction of a 115-unit low-rise complex at 32 Marion St.

Quincy

Quincy continues to incorporate housing into redevelopment efforts, particularly as downtown growth continues.

The city's Planning and Community Development Department is overseeing projects that combine residential construction with commercial development, transportation improvements and public infrastructure investments.

According to the Housing Quincy Plan, officials have identified housing production as a key component of Quincy's long-term economic development strategy. It hopes to create mixed-use neighborhoods near transit and expand housing opportunities for a growing population.

Milton

Milton's housing efforts are tied to its broader planning and zoning initiatives. The city’s Planning and Community Development Department seeks to increase housing production in response to state housing requirements.

Town officials are working to balance new residential development with preservation of neighborhood character, open space and existing infrastructure. Housing initiatives remain part of Milton's long-range planning efforts as communities across Massachusetts face increasing pressure to expand housing supply.

But even with these efforts, several housing experts have told Sampan that a dramatic increase in housing units in Greater Boston is needed to help stabilize housing costs that are out of reach for many people.