The Housing Shortage – Are There Solutions?
By Phillip Sego Phillip Sego was an environmental advocate, lobbying for the Massachusetts Sierra Club from 1995 to 2015. In Cambridge, he has authored zoning petitions targeting the preservation of open space. After reading articles and comments that appeared in local newspapers, I saw that there were misunderstandings about the causes and potential solutions to the complex issue of our housing shortage. Years of research as to what is causing housing shortages around the globe, what has worked to solve these shortages, and what has failed led many to believe that some of the simplistic ideas are not sound solutions. The following isn’t necessarily meant to take sides in any debate or to offer any specific solutions, but to simply provide more background. Hopefully, the reader will be able to see the complexity of the issue and work for policy changes and long-term effective solutions. Most importantly, housing shortages aren’t confined to the Boston area. This is a global pro...