Politics and Elections in Boston, Massachusetts: What do you need to know?

While Boston appears to be a liberal haven to outsiders, many of its residents’ views regarding housing and transportation are actually quite conservative. The population of the city has grown significantly over the past few years, but the supply of available housing has not kept pace with this growth. As a result, housing costs in Boston for both renters and home buyers are some of the highest in the country. A significant number of renters in Boston are severely rent-burdened, meaning that they spend more than 50% of their income on housing costs. Additionally, state funding of the public transportation system has not covered necessary maintenance of vehicles and infrastructure, but many so-called liberal residents continue to oppose raising the gas tax to fund public transit infrastructure.