3 issues readers want Boston to prioritize in 2024
Readers agree housing affordability should be at the top of the city's to-do list.
At her State of the City address last week, Boston Mayor Michelle Wu touted the accomplishments made in the previous year and offered a glimpse at her vision and priorities for 2024.
Schools and climate change were among the issues she said she plans to tackle this year, but one issue was paramount: housing.
“The state of our city is strong,” she said. “Not because the challenges that remain are simple or small. But because they’re big, and they matter, and we are rising to meet them. And that starts with housing, because home is the place where everything starts.”
To address the affordable housing crisis Boston faces, Wu said her administration permitted the highest ratio of affordable housing in over a decade and approved nearly 7,400 housing units for future development.
Additionally, Wu said she will identify locations for nearly 3,000 new public housing units to be built over the next decade, with more than $100 million in funding from the federal government a year to maintain them.
While many of the 108 respondents to a recent Boston.com poll agreed that housing should be one of the issues prioritized in 2024, the majority (86%) disagreed with Wu’s statement that the state of the city is strong.
For some readers, it was challenging to choose a single issue they believe Wu should prioritize in 2024.
Boston.com reader Allen from the South End said “fixing Boston’s economy, the T, housing, schools, and crime,” are some of the major issues he wants to see the mayor address. “It’s almost difficult to say what isn’t a priority status issue,” he added.
Katie from Boston also couldn’t decide on a single issue she wants the mayor to focus on, and instead, offered a laundry list of items she’d like to see addressed.
“Get rid of the bike lanes. Focus on keeping families in the city. Schools. Traffic. Building houses, not massive condo buildings that are not affordable. Fix the T,” she suggested.
Some common threads stood out among readers’ responses. Ahead, see why housing, the MBTA, and city infrastructure were the top three priorities Boston.com readers said they want the mayor to prioritize in 2024.
Responses have been lightly edited for grammar and clarity.
What issue should be the biggest priority for Mayor Wu in 2024?
‘Housing, housing, housing’
“Housing shortage, rising housing prices, lack of shelters.” — Paula D.
“Housing, housing, housing. The mayor can claim the highest ratio of affordable housing because the majority of the development community has pulled back from pursuing much of any development in a city that is now generally unwelcoming to private development and unrealistic with their demands of developers who do try. We need to return to the welcoming City Hall that previously existed. It is said that a rising tide helps all boats. New housing is required at all levels, the private development community can help deliver both market and affordable housing that our city needs, now.” — Timmy, Dorchester
“Rent is outrageous for a city without functioning public transportation or any nightlife that’s open past 12 a.m. To claim that there is success in the area of housing affordability is gaslighting at the highest level.” — Craig
“Produce more housing, don’t institute policies that will inhibit the growth of housing and exacerbate the issue. Perhaps it’s too late.” — Tom, Mansfield
‘Crumbling and non-compliant infrastructure’
“Do something with the Northern Avenue Bridge in the Seaport already. So much potential for an awesome public space!” — Donald, North End
“Basic blocking and tackling services like paving the roads, cleaning graffiti and clearing litter that will make the city more attractive, thereby giving citizens a better sense of place and attracting more visitors who have a positive experience and spend money here” — Barry R., Back Bay
“Crumbling and non-compliant infrastructure. Too many city-owned spaces are not accessible and not code-compliant. These should be baseline goals. They’re willing to fight for variances on issues that should have been addressed decades ago. They’d rather push the more exciting, attention-grabbing work while neglecting the less exciting infrastructure issues that truly impact residents daily.” — Tay, Jamaica Plain
‘Fix the T’
“Fix the T! It is unreliable, never on time, has long wait times, and overall an awful experience for the rider.” — Donald, North End
“Fixing the MBTA. It is a non-functional embarrassment and holding back the future development of our city.” — Gabe L., Hingham
Boston.com occasionally interacts with readers by conducting informal polls and surveys. These results should be read as an unscientific gauge of readers’ opinion.
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