At Hearing, Senator Warren Highlights Successful Projects in Massachusetts to Expand Housing Stock, Reiterates Need for Federal Investment to Address Nationwide Housing Shortage

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"Thank you, Mr. Chairman and thank you very much for holding this hearing today. Such an important topic.

The housing shortage is a national emergency that lies at the root of what makes buying or renting a home -- the single-largest line item in most families' budgets -- so wildly unaffordable to too many Americans today.

We know how to solve the problem: we need to build more housing. And not just more housing, but more of every kind of housing: housing for seniors, housing for people with disabilities, housing for veterans, housing for families with children, housing for single people, housing for first-time buyers, and on and on.

That will undoubtedly require new housing development and construction -- and I believe we need serious federal dollars to help make this happen. But there are also things we can do to make the most of the construction that we already have.

For example, towns all across this country are taking a look at their unused non-residential properties -- like office space or long-abandoned public buildings -- to see if those spaces could better be used to serve their communities as housing.

Dr. Schuetz, you have extensive experience studying the housing market. Now, property conversions may not work everywhere all the time, but are we seeing communities successfully using housing conversions to create accessible and affordable housing for some groups. Are you seeing this as a way to produce more housing for older Americans, for people with disabilities, and for other groups?

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I want to say, we're doing some of this in Massachusetts right now. Over the last few years, we've seen creative projects to convert existing, non-residential construction to homes for older Americans and for the broader population:

In New Bedford, a 114-year-old textile mill is being converted into apartments for lower- and middle-income adults aged 55 and older;
In Salem, two century-old Catholic schools are being converted to a mixed-income apartments for seniors and artists;
And earlier this month, Boston Mayor Michelle Wu announced a bold pilot program to immediately create residential housing out of unused office space -- and there's a lot of it, with about one in five of every commercial office building in downtown Boston currently vacant.
Federal investment in converting formerly non-residential properties into housing could help more communities expand their housing supply in a way that fits the needs of target populations, like older adults who need accessible and centrally-located homes.

Accessory dwelling units, or ADUs, are another tool that communities can use to get the most out of their existing construction. These units tend to be on the smaller side, something that homeowners can build on their own property and then use it as rental housing. Think of a mother-in-law unit in the back of the lot, or maybe an efficiency apartment over a garage.

Dr. Schuetz, could you say a word on how accessory dwelling units help address the housing shortage, especially among older adults?

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I think that's a really powerful point here. You know, this is something where my view on this is more is more. We need more. In the last few years, several towns on Cape Cod have agreed to reform their zoning laws to allow for the creation of ADUs to boost the supply of year-round housing for residents. Local advocacy groups stepped up to provide modest financial incentives and practical assistance to homeowners to help them get ADUs in place.

I get it. ADUs and conversions may not work everywhere. Every community's housing stock is different and particular needs are different. And there's no getting around the need for a major federal investment if we want to close the housing gap.

But we can also help move the needle with more targeted federal investments that support and expand communities' efforts to boost their housing stock and to ensure that everyone -- and I want to underline everyone -- has access to a safe, accessible, and affordable place to live.

Again, thank you, Mr. Chairman."

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