Can 'Millennial Villages' for Young Professionals Help Solve the Massachusetts Housing Crisis?

Posted by: Allison Friedman // Rate It Green Admin

Via BostInno and Boston.com,

In the Boston area, the population of young professionals has continued to grow and compete with both each other and families for limited housing stock. The 18 to 24 year olds crowd into houses originally designed for families, driving up the rent prices for everyone.

One suggestion for easing the resulting housing crisis is the idea of "Millennial Villages" of large numbers of small apartments and shared common features.

While not an entirely new idea, the Villages have support in a report called “Facing the Massachusetts Housing Crisis” recently released by a newly created group at the State House, the Special Senate Committee on Housing. To access the report: https://s3.amazonaws.com/media.wbur.org/wordpress/1/files/2016/03/Final-Housing-Report.pdf

The report lays out a 9-point plan and also addresses some strategies for relieving gentrification.

What do you think of this idea? What would it take to succeed, and what are the challenges?


To read more:

http://www.boston.com/real-estate/news/2016/03/03/would-millennial-villages-solve-boston-housing-crisis/FgNQwPJoHiqYcIJW1zDINP/story.html#sthash.14gchtUe.dpbs

http://bostinno.streetwise.co/2016/03/03/millennial-villages-boston-affordable-housing-for-yopros/

http://www.wbur.org/2016/03/03/senate-report-mass-housing-crisis