Affordability & Inclusion

As with any ecosystem, Brookline must continue to increase its diversity – of age, income level, race, culture, religion, economic activity – so we can all thrive.

Adopting more flexible zoning laws that allow abundant affordable homes in transit-friendly and walkable neighborhoods will give us the tools to build a more racially inclusive Brookline.

Brookline is a wonderful community, with good schools, expansive green space, and great public transit with ready access to Boston and other job centers. There has always been strong demand to live here. But zoning changes in the late 20th century severely limited the creation of housing. Many of Brookline’s beautiful 19th and early 20th century apartment buildings could not be built under our current zoning.

Because of continued demand and depressed development, prices continue to spiral. By the end of 2022, the median home in Brookline sold for $1,342,549, making Brookline homes not only among the most expensive in Massachusetts, but also some of the most expensive in all of America.

Homes in Brookline are out of reach for children who grew up here and want to raise their children near their grandparents; for those living on modest incomes; for our Town employees, our firefighters and our teachers; for our small business employees; and for older folks who want to downsize. Unless we reform our zoning, these trends will only get worse.

In addition to high real estate values keeping out all but the most wealthy, Brookline’s history of restrictive zoning codes, restrictive covenants, and Boston-wide redlining have also historically excluded Black and Brown people from our Town.

We cannot undo the past, but we can choose how to respond to it: we can either end these exclusionary practices, or we can do nothing and maintain the segregated society they have created.