The following editorial is from the opinion page of The Republican newspaper in Springfield. It reflects views of the newspaper’s leadership and not necessarily those of MassLive. Readers are invited to share their opinions by emailing to letters@repub.com.
This month, remarks by housing officials and experts put a vexing issue – the shortage and high cost of shelter – back on the table. We heard good questions from state and local officials. Some good ideas, too.
But not close to enough answers, especially from Washington.
More than 100 people turned out for a “fair housing listening session” in downtown Springfield. They came together as the federal government beats a hasty retreat from the problem many Americans face in affording a home.
That dereliction of duty puts a greater burden on Massachusetts and local communities to find solutions.
There are more than enough burdens to go around. People who rent apartments in Hampden County are being asked to pay 40% more, on average, than they did in 2021. Even those who hold Section 8 housing vouchers are finding this help doesn’t cover rents.
At the Springfield forum, Ed Augustus, secretary of the Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities, said the Trump administration has fired hundreds of federal employees who handle enforcement of fair housing laws.
That’s in keeping with a White House run by a real estate developer. Both Trump and his father, Fred, faced federal complaints of housing discrimination. The deputy chief of investigations for the Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination said his agency can no longer partner with the federal government.
So what is the White House doing about housing affordability? Wouldn’t it make political sense to appear to care?
One recent Trump administration proposal seems dead on arrival. The White House said the debut of 50-year home mortgages (30-year loans have been the norm) could make it easier for Americans to afford homes.
If you look at the numbers, this notion is as bankrupt as Trump University. The Associated Press provided a breakdown on the costs and benefits of longer loans. After paying a 10% down payment and shouldering today’s interest rates, the monthly cost on a 30-year loan for the average-price home would be $2,288; for a 50-year loan, $2,022.
The cost of that $266 monthly savings would, over the life of the note, come to $389,000 in additional interest costs. And for most, mortgages of that length would never be paid off, heaping more burden on future generations already wondering if they will ever collect Social Security.
In remarks Tuesday to a gathering of McDonald’s franchise owners, President Trump boasted that America had reached a “golden age” and that “prices are coming down and all of that stuff.” That’s not true; the cost of ground beef has risen steadily since 2022, and sharply this year, to record highs.
But back to housing – and Massachusetts. In a supplemental budget this year, Gov. Maura Healey steered $1 million to the Fair Housing Trust, to support fairness in the market. The state passed landmark legislation last year – the $5.16 billion Affordable Homes Act. That law included 50 different measures to accelerate housing production, support low- and moderate-income homeowners, including first-time buyers, and make the creation of accessory dwelling units legal without special zoning OKs.
The fruits of that work will mature slowly, but at least Massachusetts is facing up to this issue, with scant help from Washington.