Boston Rent Prices Up, Growing Number Of College Students To Blame

A new report finds the growing number of university students in the Boston area is pushing up rent prices, while the weak economy is driving home prices down.

"We've had about 45,000 additional students over the past decade and forecasts somewhere between 40,000 and 45,000 more university and college students over the next decade, and they are putting tremendous pressure on the rental market," said Barry Bluestone of Northeastern University, the lead author of the Boston Foundation study.

Bluestone says Boston's status as a higher education hub is good because it creates jobs, but universities should make a greater effort to build student housing.