Joe Moreno

A recent article from Banker & Tradesman reported that developers are anticipating another challenging year for housing production in 2026. At the close of 2025, units under construction in Greater Boston have declined by 20 percent in comparison to 2024’s numbers, even as demand and political rhetoric underscore the dramatic need for housing. This slowdown is a reflection of the obstacles to getting new housing built. Rising construction costs, volatile materials pricing, and uncertain financing conditions are compounding alongside already cumbersome zoning and permitting processes. With tight equity markets nationwide, even projects that win approvals may not pencil out or attract necessary financing, leaving sites sitting idle. Housing starts hit its lowest level since 2020 amid these pressures, according to Multifamily Dive. (https://lnkd.in/ek5PzBSr) In high-demand areas like Boston, these limitations amplify the need to address barriers to production including long approval processes, complicated zoning rules, and high costs. To keep Massachusetts competitive, we must reduce system friction by modernizing zoning, aligning affordability mandates with realistic project economics, and expediting pathways for urgently needed housing. Housing creation cannot afford to lag. Sustained, predictable housing production across income levels and neighborhoods is essential for economic growth, long-term affordability, and ensuring that people can make this region their home. Read more via Banker & Tradesman: https://lnkd.in/eQWU4aAS

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If you make a living in the #Housing industry whether you agree or disagree, we should all be paying attention to what’s unfolding in NYC. The largest city in the U.S., with more than 2.3 million rental units, now has a new mayoral appointee: Cea Weaver, Director of the NYC Mayor’s Office to Protect Tenants. Before reacting to headlines, it’s worth understanding what this role actually does and what power it does not have. This office does not independently enforce regulations, fine landlords, or issue violations. Its influence comes through coordination, advocacy, and policy shaping across city agencies. Under Weaver’s leadership, the office is expected to push for: • Expanded tenant protections and eviction prevention • Greater housing quality and landlord accountability • Increased tenant political engagement • Broader affordability initiatives and market intervention On paper, that sounds constructive. History, however, suggests caution. In other markets both abroad and domestically aggressive housing interventions have sometimes led to supply shortages, stalled maintenance, and capital flight. St. Paul’s 2021 rent policy is one recent U.S. example. Globally, Venezuela is in the news, you can research how similar housing initiates here played out in reality. The natural next question is: what policies might Cea advocate for? Public statements offer some insight. In prior interviews and posts, Weaver has criticized traditional homeownership and argued for shifting property from an individual asset to a collective or shared-equity model language that implies a fundamental rethinking of private property rights. Cea is quoted in saying: "Private property including and kind of ESPECIALLY homeownership is a weapon of white supremacy masquerading as 'wealth building' public policy." & "I think the reality is, that for centuries we've really treated property as an individualized good and not a collective good." That doesn’t guarantee outcomes. But in a city as large and influential as New York, these ideas matter. Housing policy at this scale tends to ripple outward and is worth watching closely no matter where you sit in the housing ecosystem. National Association of REALTORS® HousingWire Mortgage Bankers Association American Land Title Association BiggerPockets

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