2021 | Urbanism Research

Income restricted housing is housing units that have an income cap and reduced rent for low to middle income families and individuals. This is difierent than subsidized rental housing or voucher programs, in which rent is collected as  a percentage of one’s income or through the help of subsidies. Instead, income restricted housing is a lottery process in which people who meet a certain income are able to apply and pay a monthly rent. With growing housing costs and increased migration into Boston, the city has dedicated its resources in the last 5 years to increasing its income restricted housing stock. According to the Boston Housing Plan for 2030, Boston plans to increase income restricted housing by 15,280 units, with 895 units built last year in 2019. As of today, 20 percent of Boston’s housing stock is income restricted housing with over 2/3rds of housing for those who make less than 50% of the Area Median Income. Income restricted housing has become an important priority for Boston in maintaining its working class population and housing stock. However, it is important to be critical of the word “afiordable” as Boston moves forward in this process. Who are IR properties afiordable to and where? My research attempts to answer some form of this question by asking: how is income restricted housing distributed spatially in Boston?