Poll: Housing, transportation costs are squeezing Mass. residents' budgets

Most Massachusetts residents say housing and transportation costs are a burden — and some are even considering leaving the state — according to a new poll released Tuesday.

The poll was conducted by the MassINC polling group on behalf of the advocacy group Transportation for Massachusetts and sponsored by The Barr Foundation. MassINC surveyed 1,408 Massachusetts residents about transportation, housing and potential policy solutions.

A majority of residents surveyed — 71% — said monthly housing costs are at least somewhat of a burden to them. And more than half — 57% — said the monthly cost of transportation is a burden, according to the poll.

Many of those who feel the financial squeeze of housing and transportation the most said they can see themselves moving out of Massachusetts in the next five years. According to the poll, 38% of those individuals said they will move out of state while another 15% plan to move within the state.

The findings show housing and transportation costs are a "double whammy" on people's pocketbooks, said MassINC senior research director Rich Parr.

"As bad as the housing crisis in the state is, when you take into consideration the extra steps and the extra transportation that folks are having to do to deal with the housing crisis, it makes it even worse," Parr said.

The financial squeeze of housing and transportation is being felt by some more than others. The poll found those who say housing and transportation costs are "very big" burdens tend to be women, renters, public transit riders and low income residents.

The poll shows residents are experiencing housing and transportation as "combined, intersecting crises," according to Reggie Ramos, the executive director of Transportation for Massachusetts.

"Housing affordability and transportation connectivity to opportunities impact quality of life and can exacerbate inequality," Ramos said in a statement. "Our public officials must take steps to solve them jointly and immediately."

The poll also asked residents to grade public officials on their handling of transportation. About a third gave both Gov. Maura Healey the state legislature a "C."

Overall, 28% of poll respondents said the condition of state's transportation infrastructure is good while 41% said it was fair and 25% said it was poor. In terms of the MBTA, only 22% of respondents overall — and 29% of transit riders — feel the T has gotten better since General Manager Phillip Eng took over, while 43% said the transit system is about the same as it has been.

Massachusetts residents were also asked about several potential policy solutions to the state's housing and transportation challenges. The poll found more than two-thirds of residents support building transit-oriented developments, which have a mix of housing, shopping and office space near public transportation. And nearly three-quarters of residents support making regional transit authority services free — something that's included in the legislature's latest compromise budget.

The MassINC poll also found some openness to policies that would raise money for transportation, according to Parr. More than two-thirds of residents support letting cities and towns put transportation funding on their local ballots in order to raise local taxes for projects. The poll also found 58% of residents think real estate developers should pay to support transportation infrastructure near their projects. And half of poll respondents support studying congestion pricing in Greater Boston.