Massachusetts is facing a housing crisis, and it affects us all.
The new “Building Homes. Building Futures.” report shows that in western Massachusetts, we need to build or preserve 17,000 housing units by 2035. Our region faces a mix of challenges–and opportunities–when it comes to building more housing. This data explorer is intended to help you understand population and housing in your own town or city. Whether you are a local leader or a volunteer, you can use this tool to explore real housing data, compare communities, and help shape smart solutions.
How to use the Housing Data Explorer
- Pick your area. Use the dropdown menu to select your city, town, or county. You can choose one or several. If nothing is selected, the dashboard will look empty.
- Explore maps and tables. Hover your mouse over towns on the map or in charts to see details.
- Focus in. Click a town name in the table to highlight it on the map.
- Download the data.
- Click the download symbol button in the bottom right.
- Choose “Crosstab.”
- Select “Housing data table.”
- Pick Excel or CSV.
- Click “Download.”
You may not know some of the terms used in the dashboards. Click below to view a glossary of terms.
Housing Data Explorer
Housing Impact Dashboard
To download information from these dashboards, click the download symbol in the bottom right of the window and choose the format and settings you want.
Using the Housing Impact Dashboard
This section shows possible impacts of new housing development on your town — from schools to emergency services. Start by picking your city or town from the dropdown menu above the map. Specific housing impact data for your chosen town appears in the four sections below the map.
Note: once inside the dashboard, you must use the black navigation buttons to move around. Do not use your browser’s back button.
For any of these four sections, click the black button to view additional information about:
Education
Learn how population changes affect school enrollment.
- Click the box to the right of the graph to compare enrollment changes by town and school district.
- In the pulldown menus you must choose at least one county and one town to view data. Choose multiple to compare.
- To download data, click the download symbol in the bottom right of the window, choose the format and settings that you want for your download.
Water/sewer
Estimate water and sewer needs for new developments.
Economic Impact
Estimate how much building a unit of housing in your community would add to the local economy.
Emergency Services
Learn what helps determine the need for increased emergency services.
Toolkit References
These are the references for the data used in the four sections of the Housing Impact Dashboard above.
Education
- An Update on Housing Production’s Impact on Public School Enrollment https://www.mapc.org/learn/research-analysis/enrollment/;
- New Housing Production in Massachusetts: Fiscal Dynamics and Community Implications https://equitable-arlington.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/School-impact-BenchMark.pdf
Water/sewer
- MassWorks Infrastructure Finance Program: https://www.mass.gov/info-details/massworks-infrastructure-program
- Massachusetts HousingWorks Infrastructure Program: https://www.mass.gov/how-to/housingworks-infrastructure-program-hwip
- State Revolving Fund Website: https://www.mass.gov/state-revolving-fund-srf-financial-assistance-program
- Article on potential impacts of housing policies on infrastructure: https://www.wgbh.org/news/local/2024-03-07/what-lies-beneath-towns-may-be-the-downfall-of-the-mbta-communities-law
- Details on Title V sewer rules and their impact on housing: https://www.mhp.net/assets/resources/documents/sewer_rules_housing_supply.pdf
Economic impact
- Understanding IMPLAN Effects, https://blog.implan.com/understanding-implan-effects.
Municipal services
- Numeric information on Emergency Service and Infrastructure needs are drawn from the Planner’s Estimating Guide: Projecting Land-Use and Facility Needs by Arthur Nelson Planner’s Estimating Guide a book by Arthur Nelson – Bookshop.org US
Additional Resources
Interested in learning more about housing in your community, or how to advance housing locally? Take your curiosity to the next step and explore these resources.
Local resources
Housing is built on the local level. Communities decide where and what kind of housing to build based on zoning and local resources. These local/county organizations provide information, data, and tools to advocate locally. Even if you’re not in a specific community, the work they’ve done offers great examples of what you can do, too.
| Organization | Resource |
|---|---|
| Franklin Regional County of Governments (FRCOG) The regional planning organization for Franklin County. |
FRCOG created a Housing Plan that includes helpful data and housing goals developed with local communities. |
| Pioneer Valley Planning Commission (PVPC) The regional planning organization for Hampden and Hampshire counties. |
PVPC has a Pioneer Valley Data site and Community Profiles to find local data about your community. |
| Berkshire Regional Planning Commission (BRPC) The regional planning organization for Berkshire County. |
This Planning Toolkit offers different resources for local planners. |
| Berkshire Benchmarks: This data site was developed by BRPC and houses lots of data specific to Berkshire County. | Find specific data for your community here. |
| 1Berkshire: a Berkshire County business and tourism organization. | 1Berkshire developed a Housing Vision document to highlight housing as a key economic driver. |
Statewide resources
How and what kind of housing we build is shaped by state policies and funding. These organizations can provide a larger context of housing trends across the Commonwealth. They also offer great opportunities to build your advocacy toolbox and connect to statewide policy initiatives.
| Organization | Resource |
|---|---|
| Commonwealth of Massachusetts | A Home for Everyone: Massachusetts’ Statewide Housing Plan
Building for Tomorrow: A report from the Unlocking Housing Production Commission |
| Massachusetts Housing Partnership (MHP) works to increase the supply of affordable housing in Massachusetts. | Center for Housing Data provides MHP’s latest analyses of Massachusetts housing stats, migration trends, and other related data and policy topics. |
| Citizens’ Housing & Planning Association works to encourage the production and preservation of housing that is affordable to low and moderate-income families and individuals and to foster diverse and sustainable communities through planning and community development. | CHAPA has a Municipal Engagement Initiative to support local advocates for housing. |
| Abundant Housing Massachusetts (AHMA) works to change policy at the state and local level and build the power of local organizers. | AHMA has a Pro-Housing Resource Library to help you advocate locally. |
| MassINC works to make Massachusetts a place of civic vitality and inclusive economic opportunity. | MassINC has helpful housing research for gateway cities and neighborhood planning. Research – MassINC |
| Housing Navigator Massachusetts works to connect people to affordable housing. | Housing Navigator has a statewide Housing Data Dashboard and downloadable data sheets for developers and advocates. |
National resources
Even though housing is built on a local level, national policies and funding shape which communities and individuals have access to affordable housing. These organizations are conducting research and advocating for federal policy and funding changes.
| Organization | Resource |
|---|---|
| Joint Center on Housing Studies of Harvard University (JCHS) Researches housing nationwide. |
JCHS has great research and data resources for housing advocates and policymakers to help understand nationwide trends. |
| National Low Income Housing Coalition (NLIHC) Works to ensure people with the lowest incomes have quality homes that are accessible and affordable in communities of their choice. |
NLIHC has national and state data about affordable housing. |
| National Association of Housing and Redevelopment Officials (NAHRO) An organization whose members create and manage affordable housing for low- and middle-income families, and support vibrant communities that enhance the quality of life for all. |
NAHRO has federal policy and advocacy resources. |
| National Fair Housing Alliance (NFHA) Works to eliminate housing discrimination and ensure equitable housing opportunities for all people and communities. |
NFHA has reports and research about affordable and fair housing practices. |
| Public and Affordable Housing Research Coalition (PAHRC) The research entity of HAI Group, an insurer exclusively serving public and affordable housing. They promote the importance of affordable housing on a national level |
PAHRC has data and reports about how housing impacts special populations. |
Thank you to these sponsors, whose generous contributions made this research possible
Advisors
We gratefully acknowledge the advisors highlighted in bold for their leadership in raising funds for this project.