A guest column in the Revere Journal two weeks ago discussing the new state Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) law (which allows ADUs of up to 900 sq. ft. in single-family zoning districts) included this statement, “Revere has just 18.33 housing units per acre, lagging behind Everett (22.19), Somerville (29.72), and Chelsea (30.22) — cities that have embraced housing policies to meet growing demand.”
The implication of that statement suggests that Revere has not done its part to alleviate a housing crisis that exists not only in Massachusetts, but across the globe.
We’re not taking a position on the ADU law, but we would like to point out that Revere has done far more to create new housing in the past 25 years than almost any community in the state. Our city’s population has grown immensely, from 43,159 in 1999 (a figure that was roughly stable for about 50 years) to 57,954 in 2023, a significant increase of about 35% (a figure that will only grow larger when the Suffolk Downs project is built-out).
Revere has embraced the concept of transit-oriented housing districts, waiving many of our zoning regulations to allow for the construction of many new, large-scale residential complexes close to T stops and along bus routes.
In addition, the city recently established an Affordable Housing Trust Fund that has been instrumental in developing affordable housing policies and creating affordable housing opportunities for new homeowners. Further, the city’s Planning Dept. has applied for (and received) state grants to encourage the construction of both affordable and market-rate housing.
So while it may be true that Revere is not as densely-housed as Chelsea and Somerville (which, by the way, ALWAYS have been the most densely-populated cities in the state because of their small size) or Everett (which has been experiencing a huge overcrowding problem in its schools because of its recent population increase), we believe the more complete picture is that Revere has been doing more than its fair share to alleviate the housing crisis in the Metropolitan Boston area.
