Survey: Brookline residents see housing costs driving inequities
Majorities support town action to address housing, other concerns, even if it means shifting resources or raising taxes.
Brookline residents see work to be done on making their town equitable and accessible for all, and that work starts with housing. Housing is far and away residents’ top concern overall, especially among renters, newer residents, those with lower household incomes, and Black and Latino residents. Homeowners and renters alike support a variety of policies to tackle the housing crisis, including rent control and a range of other types of housing development such as affordable housing, housing for people with low-wage jobs, mixed income housing, and high density housing. Residents support action even if it means shifting resources from other priorities or raising taxes.
These were some of the key findings from a survey of 508 Brookline residents commissioned by the Brookline Racial Justice & Equity, a new non-profit formed to inform policy initiatives to address racial inequalities. The poll was conducted by the MassINC Polling Group earlier this spring.
“Housing has been a top concern for residents statewide for some time, so it’s not surprising that Brookline residents are worried about it,” said Steve Koczela, president of the MassINC Polling Group. “What’s interesting about this survey is, unlike other wealthy towns that have rejected new housing, Brookline residents seem to want to do their part.”
Housing was named as the top issue in Brookline by 44% of residents, more than 30 percentage points higher than any other issue. On another question 70% said that all Brookline residents did not have access to affordable housing, higher than any other item tested. Women (76%) and Black and Latino residents (78%) were particularly likely to see housing access as a problem. Residents are feeling the crunch themselves: 68% agree with the statement: “It’s getting harder for me to afford to live in Brookline”.
In response to these concerns, Brookline residents support building different types of housing, including majorities who strongly support more affordable housing (66%), housing for people in low-wage jobs (56%), and mixed income housing (55%).
Race relations in Brookline
A majority (57%) of Brookline residents see racism as an at least somewhat serious problem, although only 13% see it as a “very serious” problem. Black and Latino residents (70%) and women (68%) are more likely to see it as a problem. About half (49%) see race relations as stable; only 17% think they have gotten better in the past five years.
When asked to rate various civic groups on addressing racial disparities, the public school and health groups get the highest marks, although many residents are unsure. But more residents think local government leaders and businesses are doing only a fair or poor job on reducing disparities. A quarter or more of Black and Latino (25%) AAPI (28%) residents think the town government is doing poorly at addressing racial disparities.
Shifting resources and increasing taxes
Half or more of residents support shifting resources or increasing taxes to increase the amount of local funding to increase affordable housing, address food insecurity, and expand childcare options. Black and Latino residents show more support for shifting resources or raising taxes for every initiative.
Residents most impacted by inequities feel they have less say in local decisions
While residents who are Black or Latino, moved to Brookline more recently, have lower education and income, and are younger lack the most resources and are thus most affected by issues of affordability, they are more likely to say that they don’t have a voice in the local decision making process. They also state that they feel less engaged with community events or activities and are less likely to have contacted an elected official, donated to a candidate or campaign, or attended government meetings.
"This poll makes clear that those most impacted by the policy decisions which have led to our affordability crisis feel least heard by their government and our community,” said Raul Fernandez, Executive Director of Brookline Racial Justice & Equity. “This is especially true for underpaid residents of color who, despite our good intentions and 'everybody is welcome here' lawn signs, are increasingly struggling to maintain equitable access to the educational, health, environmental, and other benefits of living in Brookline."
About the poll: These results are based on a survey of 508 residents of Brookline, Massachusetts. Responses were collected by mail invitation, text invitation into an online survey and by live interviews via landline and cell phones March 9 – April 18, 2024. The survey was offered in English, Spanish, and Chinese. Results were weighted by race, age and gender, education, and geography to reflect known and estimated population parameters for the adult population of Brookline. The margin of error for this survey is +/- 5.1 percentage points at the 95% confidence level, inclusive of the design effect. This project was conducted by The MassINC Polling Group and sponsored by Brookline for Racial Justice & Equity.
About The MassINC Polling Group: About The MassINC Polling Group: The MassINC Polling Group is a nonpartisan public opinion research firm serving public, private, and social-sector clients. MPG elevates the public's voice with cutting edge methods and rigorous analysis. Based in Boston, MPG serves a nationwide client base.