Boston Municipal Research Bureau

Examining Boston’s Affordable Housing Programs

Inclusionary Zoning, Linkage, and the Community Preservation Act Provide Critical Income-Restricted Housing Units

City Hall Plaza in Boston’s Government Center

Boston’s Expenditures of Federal Funds Fall 23.1% as COVID-19 Funds Dry Up

Non-COVID-19 Spending of Federal Funds Increases for 5th Straight Year

FY27 Budget Expected to Rise 2.1% Amid Low Revenue Growth

Hard Decisions as 519.8 FTEs Eliminated and Departments Experience Cuts

Final Year of ARPA: $103.1M Remaining to Spend

City Must Spend or Lose ARPA Funds by December 31, 2026

Stethoscope with financial statement digital tablet

Health Insurance Costs and Policy Choices Facing the City of Boston

City Faces Large Increase in Health Insurance Premiums

Research Bureau In the News

Griswold, N. (2026, June 17). Warning of layoffs, Wu moves to reverse City Council cut to transportation staff in $4.9 billion budget plan. The Boston Globe. https://www.bostonglobe.com/2026/06/17/metro/michelle-wu-returns-budget-restores-cut-to-transportation-staff/

Cawley, Gayla (2026, June 7). Construction slowdown driving Boston budget crunch, report says. The Boston Herald. https://www.bostonherald.com/2026/06/07/boston-budget-crunch-driven-by-property-tax-revenue-dip-tied-to-construction-slowdown-report/

Boston Globe Editorial Board. (2026, June 5). If city councilors don’t like Wu’s $4.9b budget, they should amend it [Editorial]. The Boston Globe. https://www.bostonglobe.com/2026/06/05/opinion/wu-budget-city-council/

Zuckoff, E. (2026, June 3). Boston City Council passes $1.7 billion schools budget. WBUR. https://www.wbur.org/news/2026/06/03/boston-2027-school-budget-jobs-cuts

McDonald, D., & Serres, C. (2026, June 2). World Cup, Wu, and MBTA reach Summer Street agreement. The Boston Globe. https://www.bostonglobe.com/2026/06/02/metro/world-cup-wu-mbta-summer-street-agreement/

Staff. (2026, May 21). Wu aims to tap $70M in reserves to cover Boston budget gaps from snow removal, school costs. Boston’s ROCK 92.9. https://rock929rocks.com/2026/05/21/wu-aims-to-tap-70m-in-reserves-to-cover-boston-budget-gaps-from-snow-removal-school-costs/

Vyskocil, M. (2026, May 21). Wu aims to tap $70M in reserves to cover Boston budget gaps from snow removal, school costs. HOT 96.9 Boston. https://hot969boston.com/2026/05/21/wu-aims-to-tap-70m-in-reserves-to-cover-boston-budget-gaps-from-snow-removal-school-costs/

Vyskocil, M. (2026, May 21). Wu aims to tap $70M in reserves to cover Boston budget gaps from snow removal, school costs. 105.7 WROR. https://wror.com/2026/05/21/wu-aims-to-tap-70m-in-reserves-to-cover-boston-budget-gaps-from-snow-removal-school-costs/

Griswold, N. (2026, May 18). Boston wants to use nearly $70 million in reserve funds to plug city, BPS budget deficits. The Boston Globe. https://www.bostonglobe.com/2026/05/18/metro/boston-budget-wu-70-million-deficits/

Vyskocil, M. (2026, May 4). Boston projects $40M in new growth as construction slowdown threatens tax revenue. HOT 96.9 Boston. https://hot969boston.com/2026/05/04/boston-projects-40m-in-new-growth-as-construction-slowdown-threatens-tax-revenue/

Vyskocil, M. (2026, May 4). Boston projects $40M in new growth as construction slowdown threatens tax revenue. 105.7 WROR. https://wror.com/2026/05/04/boston-projects-40m-in-new-growth-as-construction-slowdown-threatens-tax-revenue/

Carlock, C. (2026, April 30). How Boston’s development slowdown is hurting the city’s bottom line. The Boston Globe. https://www.bostonglobe.com/2026/04/30/business/boston-development-building-construction-slowdown-tax-revenue/

Córdova, K. (2026, April 25). Wu’s cut to arts & culture budget reveals history of underinvestment and leaves programs in limbo. Boston Art Review. https://www.bostonartreview.com/read/mayor-wu-fy27-arts-culture-budget-cuts-kim-cordova ]

Boston Globe Editorial Board. (2026, April 17). Low-balling the Boston police overtime budget is not a strategy [Editorial]. The Boston Globe. https://www.bostonglobe.com/2026/04/17/opinion/boston-police-overtime/

Smith, K. (2026, April 8). At Boston budget unveiling, Mayor Wu defends proposed public school funding. GBH News. https://www.wgbh.org/news/politics/2026-04-08/at-boston-budget-unveiling-mayor-wu-defends-proposed-public-school-funding

Reporter Staff. (2026, April 8). Wu files budget of ‘tough choices,’ amid ‘perfect storm’ for municipalities. Dorchester Reporter. https://www.dotnews.com/2026/04/08/wu-files-budget-of-tough-choices-amid-perfect-storm-for-municipalities/

Zuckoff, E. (2026, April 6). Wu floats $4.9 billion budget amid ‘challenging’ times, soaring health costs and less federal funding. WBUR. https://www.wbur.org/news/2026/04/06/mayor-wu-boston-budget-cuts-health-care

Boston Globe Editorial Board. (2026, April 2). The answer to Boston’s budget woes: Spend less, grow more [Editorial]. The Boston Globe. https://www.bostonglobe.com/2026/04/02/opinion/boston-budget-deficit/

Research Spotlight

Special Reports

A Closer Look at Boston’s Federal Funds

Diversifying Boston’s Revenue

Analyzing Mayor Wu’s Property Tax Classification Proposal

Recent Research

Mayor Recommends 4.45% Budget Increase for FY26

Boston Public Schools Reaches Tentative Agreement with Boston Teachers Union on New Contract

Boston Spending on Schools Projected to Increase 3.4%

An Elected School Committee is Not the Answer

FY25 Tax Rates Rise as Pace of New Growth Slows

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