The latest Out of Reach report from the National Low Income Housing Coalition (NLIHC) highlights the growing gap between wages and rental housing costs in Massachusetts. While our state continues to lead with strong commitments to affordable housing, a higher minimum wage, and robust tenant protections, many renters are still unable to afford typical rent costs.
In 2025, the Housing Wage in Massachusetts—the hourly wage a full-time worker must earn to afford a modest two-bedroom apartment—is $45.90. The average renter earns $28.66 per hour, leaving a gap of nearly $20 per hour. For minimum wage earners making $15/hour, affording a two-bedroom apartment would require working 122 hours each week, or more than three full-time jobs. This affordability gap places Massachusetts as the 4th most expensive state for renters in the country. The pressure is even more acute in areas like Greater Boston and the Cape and the Islands, where housing costs are among the highest in the nation.
At CHAPA, we’re working to close this gap by advocating for policies and investments that expand access to affordable homes. This includes our goal of creating 222,000 homes by 2035, while preserving the affordable homes we already have. We also continue to support and advocate for expanded investments in our state rental assistance programs like the Massachusetts Rental Voucher Program (MRVP) and the Alternative Housing Voucher Program (AHVP), to help low-income and extremely-low income households access and maintain stable housing.
Addressing the affordability crisis in Massachusetts requires a comprehensive and coordinated approach. This includes expanding rental assistance, increasing housing production, and reforming local zoning and land use policies. By taking these steps, Massachusetts can make meaningful progress in closing the affordability gap and ensuring that more residents have access to stable, affordable housing in the communities where they live and work.
Read the full 2025 NLIHC Out of Reach report here and view the Massachusetts state profile here.