During a recent candidate forum in Roxbury, Mayor Michelle Wu and mayoral candidate Josh Kraft engaged in a heated discussion regarding the pressing issue of housing affordability in Boston.
As both candidates outlined their plans to address the high cost of housing, they found common ground in acknowledging that housing in the city is excessively expensive.
Despite this agreement, their approaches to solving the crisis sharply diverged.
Wu highlighted her administration’s achievements in her first term, pointing out that over 1,000 first-time homebuyers secured homes through city assistance.
She also noted that more than 20% of the affordable housing units currently in development will be homeownership opportunities rather than rental properties.
Additionally, Wu claimed her administration has halved the permitting time for affordable housing developments, considerably expediting the process.
In contrast, Kraft expressed frustration with the slow pace of new housing construction, arguing that it fails to effectively tackle the region’s affordability issues.
He reiterated his commitment to reducing construction costs to stimulate development, stating, “By creating more housing, the city will be able to collect more tax dollars to funnel into housing programs such as down payment assistance for first-time homebuyers.”
Kraft asserted, “It’s too expensive to get housing built, and we need to get housing production moving.”
He vowed to collaborate with private developers and housing professionals to accelerate the production of housing and ensure a sufficient supply.
While both candidates expressed their intent to maintain or expand existing housing programs, their viewpoints diverged on two contentious topics: inclusionary zoning and a proposed transfer fee on luxury real estate sales.
Last year, Boston’s revised inclusionary zoning policy mandated that new housing projects with seven or more units allocate 17 to 20% of those units to affordable housing, adjusting the previous threshold of 13%.
Wu had proposed a transfer fee in 2022, which would levy a 1 to 2% tax on real estate sales exceeding $2 million, directing the revenue toward affordable housing initiatives.
Although the City Council backed this proposal, it awaits state Legislature approval for implementation.
Kraft criticized the proposed transfer fee and the current inclusionary zoning requirements, suggesting these factors would hinder housing construction and exacerbate the challenges of affordability.
He stated, “We need housing. That’s the number one issue. The number one way to solve a housing emergency is to get more housing built.”
Kraft mentioned he would reconsider the transfer fee under more favorable economic conditions in the future.
However, Wu countered with her analysis of the situation, dismissing Kraft’s characterization of the inclusionary zoning policy.
She likened his perspective on adjusting these requirements to changing the channel on an old television, indicating it lacked sense when the core issues were unaddressed.
Wu argued that recent declines in housing development weren’t unique to Boston, attributing them instead to broader economic factors such as high interest rates and federal tariffs that inflate construction costs.
Furthermore, she took issue with Kraft’s argument regarding the transfer fee, saying, “It makes no sense to wait until ‘when it’s good for developers.'”
Wu added that communities should not have to endure drawn-out waits for the benefits of the housing market to trickle down.
“It is not the job of the city government or the public sector or the people to subsidize for-profit developers in making their money,” she stated emphatically.
Wu insisted that the city’s focus should remain on ensuring affordability for residents.
Looking ahead, the Massachusetts Affordable Homeownership Alliance (MAHA) is set to host a second virtual candidate forum next month.
The preliminary municipal election is scheduled for September 9, 2025, with polls open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.
image source from：masslive
