Regional data and tools to advance housing development
Western Massachusetts faces a housing shortage, and that brings both challenges and opportunities.
Way Finders works with regional partners to use data and local expertise to better understand housing needs and identify opportunities to build more homes. In partnership with the UMass Donahue Institute, the Massachusetts Housing Partnership, and the Western Mass Housing Coalition, we’ve developed research and interactive tools to help communities across the four counties of western Massachusetts plan for more housing.
Explore the resources below to better understand housing needs and identify opportunities for development that will advance housing in our region:
Our 2025 regional housing report with new insights into housing supply, affordability, and who is being left behind in the current housing market.
Interactive tools to explore detailed housing data for your municipality and compare trends across counties and communities.
An interactive database of all land parcels in western Mass. to help identify opportunities for development or policy change.
Our October 1 Building Homes. Building Futures. release event was a huge success
Over 75 people attended, along with 6 local media outlets. You can view the entire event – including the data presentation by Kerry Spitzer of the UMass Donahue Institute and the panel discussion with housing experts from all four western Mass counties – right here.
Media coverage for Building Homes. Building Futures.
Earlier housing studies
Transportation Survey
In the summer of 2024, Way Finders partnered with MassINC Polling Group (MPG) and the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) to study the impact of transportation on low-income households in the region. Over 1,600 Way Finders clients participated in the survey along with more than 600 additional residents of Hampden and Hampshire counties.