New data shows Massachusetts renters rely heavily on federal housing choice vouchers — sometimes called Section 8 — compared to the rest of the country. Around 10% of renters in the Bay State rely on a housing choice voucher to afford their rent, nearly double the national average of 5.6%.
That’s according to a new report from the Boston-based housing advocacy group Citizen’s Housing and Planning Association, or CHAPA. They found widespread use of these vouchers across the state, from the Greater Boston area to western Massachusetts.
CHAPA Executive Director of Housing Policy Jennifer Gilbert authored the report. She says it highlights how serious the need for affordable housing is in the state…