The Argument: Should Massachusetts significantly expand construction of public housing?

Read two views and vote in our online poll below.

YES
Rachel Heller

Chief executive officer, Citizens’ Housing and Planning Association; Belmont resident

Massachusetts is one of four states with state-funded public housing, comprising 43,000 homes in 242 communities. These homes provide more than 70,000 people with extremely low incomes the solid base we all need to thrive.

To meet our collective need for more homes, we must keep the public housing we have — and greatly expand public housing and the overall number of homes affordable to people with extremely low incomes.

Public housing provides more than homes, fostering neighborhoods where residents form networks and support systems. As Olivia Richard, a board member of Citizens’ Housing and Planning Association and the Boston Center for Independent Living, said, “Public housing provides a safe, affordable, and dignified place to call home. For disabled people like myself, it is the safety net we turn to when faced with homelessness or institutionalization in a nursing home.”

To read this article in full, please visit the Boston Globe