PROMOTE RACIAL JUSTICE, NOT EXCLUSION AND INEQUALITY:
It’s time for “affordable housing” that is in our communities’ reach.

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People of color in Boston make much less than white people because of the combined forces of economic inequality and systemic racism. So not only does using high AMI’s exclude many Boston residents, but it discriminates against people of color. This is another reason that the IDP must redefine affordable housing to truly reach low- and moderate-income households!

Many Black, Latino, and Asian/Pacific Islander households make $0-25,000 or $25,000-50,000 a year. In the language of “area median income” or “AMI” (you can read more about the definition of AMI and its problems here), more than half of households of color make 0-50% AMI.

But the current IDP requires apartments at the 70% AMI income level, and home ownership units at the 80-100% AMI levels — discriminating against people of color who are disproportionately lower-income and burdened by housing costs.

It’s time to change the IDP’s definition of “affordability”! Rental units should be affordable at an average of 40% AMI, with a range of 30-70% AMI. Ownership units should be afforable at a range of 50-100% AMI.

According to the City’s own data:

  • 34% of Black households make less than 30% AMI, and 59% make less than 60% AMI

  • 46% of Latino households make less than 30% AMI, and 68% make less than 60% AMI

  • 41% of Asian/Pacific Islander households make less than 0% AMI, and 55% make less than 60% AMI

People of color are dispropirtionately lower-income. In contrast, 16% of white households make less than 30% AMI.

THE RENT IS TOO DAMN HIGH: “HOUSING COST BURDEN”

A household is called “housing cost burdened” if it pays more than 30% of its income on housing, such as rent/mortgage, utilities, and property taxes.

There are many myths that low-income households have enough access to housing through public housing programs (even though waitlists are extremely long), and that it’s households making close to $100,000 a year that are suffering the most. In reality, the vast majority of rent-burdened households make low and moderate incomes (0-30% AMI and 31-60% AMI). And, rent-burdened households are disproportionately people of color.

By focusing on housing at income levels of 70-100% AMI, the current IDP discriminates against low- and moderate-income households, especially people of color, who have the greatest need for affordable housing. It’s time to make rental units affordable at an average of 40% AMI (with a range of 30-70% AMI), and make ownership units affordable at a range or 50-100% AMI.

According to the City’s own data on rent burden:

  • 100,791 of the lowest-income renter households (making 0-30% AMI) pay more than 30% of their income on housing. That’s 77% of these households paying too much on rent — and 59% pay more than half of their income on housing!

  • 54,956 of moderate-income renter households (making 31-60% AMI) pay more than 30% of their income on housing. That’s 66% of these households paying too much on rent, with 28% paying more than half of their income on housing.

  • The number of cost-burdened households drops for higher incomes. 15,873 of renter households making 61-80% AMI are cost burdened, and 3,409 of them pay more than half of their income on rent.

According to the City’s own data on race and rent burden:

  • 59% of Black, Latino, and Asian/Pacific Islander renter households pay more than 30% of income on housing. 34% of these households pay more than half of their income on housing!

  • In contrast, 43% of white renter households pay more than 30% of income on housing. The majority (57%) of white renter households have affordable housing that costs less than 30% of their income

STABILIZING COMMUNITIES OF COLOR

The current IDP also hurts people of color because it is exacerbating speculation, rising housing costs, and displacement in low- and moderate-income communities of color. After decades of disinvestment in communities of color, dating back to redlining and blockbusting, developers now want to cash in on luxury rents and condo prices with minimal affordability requirements. The new luxury developments are driving up prices in communities of color, leading to increased land prices, higher rents, and more displacement. And as people of color get displaced, they are unable to afford the units in the new developments going up in their neighborhoods.

Strong affordability requirements would bring a better balance of housing to neighborhoods, so that more residents can benefit from new development instead of being hurt by it. A strong IDP goes hand in hand with solutions such as tenant protections; affordable housing on community land trusts and public land; and funding for non-profits to buy land, buy and portect existing housing, and build new affordable housing. Together, these solutions can bring stability to the neighborhoods where low- and moderate-income people of color are being displaced!