Op-ed: Cost of housing is a cornerstone recovery issue

Before Covid-19 hit the U.S., the income required for a person with a full-time job to be able to afford average housing in Massachusetts was more than two-and-a-half times our state’s current hourly minimum wage of $12. The commonwealth regularly ranks as one of the most expensive states in which to live, along with New York and California. Nearly half of Massachusetts residents spent more than 30% of their income on housing, and are considered “housing cost burdened.” Rising housing costs,…