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Boston Indicators @bosindicators.bsky.social · 7h

“Massachusetts has one of the lowest rates of uninsured people, so it might be better prepared to handle these policy changes. But for other states, like Georgia and Arkansas, it could be more challenging.”

To learn more, check out the report.

Boston Indicators @bosindicators.bsky.social · 7h

“Particularly with Medicaid, the impact is likely to vary,” says Boston Indicators’ Kimberly Goulart, the report’s author.

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Boston Indicators @bosindicators.bsky.social · 7h

Another looming problem: OBBB’s rollout stands to hit some states harder than others.

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Boston Indicators @bosindicators.bsky.social · 7h

This is a particularly sharp threat for Black and Hispanic residents in Massachusetts who are more likely to receive insurance through MassHealth and more likely to report financial strains when paying medical expenses.

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Boston Indicators @bosindicators.bsky.social · 7h

“These changes will almost certainly make lower-income individuals and families worse off in the long run,” we explain in our new report, “Fading Beauty: How the One Big Beautiful Bill Could Widen Wealth Inequality.” buff.ly/qjS65ET

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Boston Indicators @bosindicators.bsky.social · 7h

Despite its name, the One Big Beautiful Bill (OBBB) makes ugly cuts to Medicaid and SNAP benefits, which threatens to increase the racial wealth gap.

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Boston Indicators @bosindicators.bsky.social · 2d

In Massachusetts, however, the OBBB won’t have any impact on the state-level estate tax exemption, which remains at $2 million.

To learn more, check out the report.

Boston Indicators @bosindicators.bsky.social · 2d

Who benefits from this higher exemption level? Mostly white families.

“Of those newly exempted, 93.5 percent were White, 5 percent were Asian and less than 1 percent were either Black or Latino,” the report says.

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Boston Indicators @bosindicators.bsky.social · 2d

“That’s about $212 billion over 10 years, which is a lot of money that could have been redistributed,” Kimberly Goulart says. She’s a Boston Indicators Senior Research Analyst and the author of our report, “Fading Beauty: How the One Big Beautiful Bill Could Widen Wealth Inequality.” buff.ly/qjS65ET

Fading Beauty: How the One Big Beautiful Bill Could Widen Wealth Inequality

Much of the public discussion has focused on OBBB’s near-term income effects. But income is only part of the story.

buff.ly

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Boston Indicators @bosindicators.bsky.social · 2d

One way that the One Big Beautiful Bill (OBBB) undercuts wealth building among low-income families is by making what had been a temporary estate tax exemption of $15 million—up from $7 million—permanent.

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Boston Indicators @bosindicators.bsky.social · 7d

To learn more, check out the report.

Boston Indicators @bosindicators.bsky.social · 7d

This will leave many low-income families vulnerable to economic shocks such as unexpected bills for car repairs and medical care, which makes it more likely that families will have increased debt and decreased economic stability, making it extremely difficult for them to save and accumulate wealth.

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Boston Indicators @bosindicators.bsky.social · 7d

...while families in the top 10 percent will gain roughly $13,600, or 2.7 percent of their income.”

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Boston Indicators @bosindicators.bsky.social · 7d

Based on an estimate from The Congressional Budget Office, the report notes, that hurt could mean that “those in the bottom 10 percent of the income distribution will lose about $1,200 annually in income and resources (largely from safety net cuts)...

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Boston Indicators @bosindicators.bsky.social · 7d

Goulart points to the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) of 2017, which increased the federal deficit and gave tax breaks to the wealthy. “So, with One Big Beautiful Bill, low-income families may not notice that they’re going to be hurt, because they’ve been hurting for a while.”

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Boston Indicators @bosindicators.bsky.social · 7d

“We’re already operating under a pretty regressive tax code,” according to Kimberly Goulart, a Boston Indicators Senior Research Analyst and the report’s author.

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Boston Indicators @bosindicators.bsky.social · 7d

While many wealthy families will become wealthier because of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBB), the new federal law could make the racial wealth gap even worse, as we explain in our new report, “Fading Beauty: How the One Big Beautiful Bill Could Widen Wealth Inequality.” buff.ly/qjS65ET

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Boston Indicators @bosindicators.bsky.social · 9d

The editorial also calls for consideration of whether single staircase building regulations would need to vary based on location. Would it make sense, for example, to have stricter height limits in rural communities with smaller fire departments?

To learn more, read the editorial and our report.

Boston Indicators @bosindicators.bsky.social · 9d

To make single staircase buildings safe, the editorial adds, policymakers would need to develop fire prevention safety standards, including rules about what construction materials can be used and what limits there should be on the distance to exits.

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Boston Indicators @bosindicators.bsky.social · 9d

The editorial cites our report, “Legalizing Mid-Rise Single-Stair Housing in Massachusetts,” buff.ly/udyyA5r and shares our estimate that “in Greater Boston alone, an additional 130,000 new homes could be built if single-stair construction were allowed in four- to six-story buildings.”

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Boston Indicators @bosindicators.bsky.social · 9d

“But a growing body of evidence is sparking a hot debate over whether that rule, enshrined in building codes nationwide and in Massachusetts, is outdated.”

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Boston Indicators @bosindicators.bsky.social · 9d

“For decades, it has been an axiom of construction: To reduce the danger from fire, a multifamily apartment building needs two stairwells,” the editorial says.

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Boston Indicators @bosindicators.bsky.social · 9d

“Do apartment buildings really need two stairwells?”

That’s the question The Boston Globe editorial page asks in the second installment of its series on reviewing housing regulations. buff.ly/Qzd9fvq

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Boston Indicators @bosindicators.bsky.social · 14d

In Upzone Update, we’ll consider policy trade-offs and the tensions between values that can get lost in the details— all to keep you current on what’s being tried, what’s working, and where Massachusetts needs to push next to reach housing abundance and affordability.

Please sign up to learn more.

Boston Indicators @bosindicators.bsky.social · 14d

Our Upzone Update newsletter reports on the mix of zoning, building regulations, and related policies that shape housing supply across Massachusetts. Upzone Update will look at big reform ideas as well as pragmatic, tactical fixes.

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