Editorial: Massachusetts lawmakers must get serious about costs
In Massachusetts, the growing affordability crisis is emerging as a critical concern for families and policymakers alike. A recent report from SmartAsset highlights that the state ranks as the most expensive in the nation to raise a child, with the average cost soaring to approximately $44,000 annually—an increase of 5.7% from the previous year. This figure starkly contrasts with the national average, illustrating a significant financial burden for parents in the Bay State. Contributing factors include soaring housing prices, high childcare costs, and escalating taxes, which collectively squeeze family budgets. The situation is further compounded by the fact that many residents are grappling with food insecurity, as revealed by a report from Mass General Brigham and The Greater Boston Food Bank. In 2024, over 1 in 3 Massachusetts adults faced food insecurity, a troubling rise from previous years, indicating that many families are struggling to meet their basic needs.
The disparity between the affluent and the struggling in Massachusetts is becoming increasingly pronounced. While the state has seen a nearly 39% increase in the number of millionaires over the past year, many residents who once felt secure are now feeling the financial strain. The rising costs of living, particularly in energy and housing, are making it difficult for families to thrive. Governor Maura Healey’s administration has taken some steps to address these issues, such as launching the Employer Child Care Innovation Fund to improve access to affordable childcare and releasing unused land for new housing development. However, critics argue that more comprehensive measures are needed to alleviate the financial pressures on working families, particularly those in lower-wage jobs who are often overlooked.
As Massachusetts navigates this affordability crisis, it is imperative for lawmakers to prioritize policies that enhance financial stability for all residents. This includes addressing high energy costs, increasing the availability of affordable housing, and supporting families with children. The mantra of “affordability across the board” should guide legislative efforts to ensure that living and raising families in Massachusetts is not just a privilege for the wealthy but a viable option for all. The state’s vibrant economy and quality of life can only be sustained if the needs of its residents are met, making it essential for policymakers to act decisively in the face of this existential threat.
Affordability is an existential threat in Massachusetts. Policy makers should treat it as such.
We know high energy costs are squeezing Bay Staters. This week they saw their hopes of the Legislature focusing on saving money on bills thwarted in favor of climate initiatives.
Now a new report from SmartAsset finds that Massachusetts is the most expensive state in which to raise a child, costing parents roughly $44,000, up 5.7% from last year, when we also topped the list.
That’s for one child.
That matches a ConsumerAffairs study from earlier this year which found the costs of raising a child in Massachusetts almost double the national average.
“To calculate this figure, we analyzed key expenses such as housing, food, childcare and taxes for a household with one child,” said Brooklyn Bannister, a media relations specialist for ConsumerAffairs.
Buying a house is out of reach for far too many, and rents are eating up more and more of taxpayers’ paychecks. Food banks are doing a steady business.
Findings from Mass General Brigham and The Greater Boston Food Bank’s annual statewide food access report, released this summer, are sobering.
Approximately 2 million Massachusetts adults — over 1 in 3 residents — faced food insecurity in 2024. The report revealed that 37% of Massachusetts households faced food insecurity in 2024, rising from 34% in 2023 and nearly doubling from 19% in 2019.
Bay Staters are being hit from all sides, and “barely making it” can’t be the new normal.
There are some untouched by such struggles. A spring report from Institute for Policy Studies noted that the number of millionaires by net worth in Massachusetts rose by almost 39% from 2022 to last year — from 441,610 people to 612,109 people.
There’s a chasm between the comfortable and the squeezed in this state, and the squeezed now include those who used to be comfortable.
Massachusetts is a great state, and lawmakers need to pull out the stops so residents, even the non-millionaires, can afford to live and raise families here.
For starters, energy costs are out of control, and while Gov. Healey may blame Donald Trump’s administration for not releasing heating assistance funds, the state can’t ignore the Fiscal Alliance Foundation report which found that state-mandated climate and energy programs are behind the sharp rise in electric bills in Massachusetts.
We need more housing stock, specifically homes that are affordable. Healey deserves kudos for releasing more than 450 acres of unused land, in a bid to create up to 3,500 new housing units across Mass. We should make building in the Bay State easier and uncomplicated.
Last month the Healey administration launched the Employer Child Care Innovation Fund, a $2.5 million pilot program to help employers expand access to affordable, high-quality child care for working families. An excellent idea, and a great way to attract talent to Mass.
But we can’t forget workers who are already here and under the radar. The ones who serve the coffee, clean the office buildings, drive the Ubers, ring up the customers and work more than one job to care for their families.
Affordability across the board should be the mantra, and mandate, for Massachusetts lawmakers and leaders.
Editorial cartoon by Chip Bok (Creators Syndicate)
