ABOUT
WHY THIS PROJECT EXISTS
Greater Boston needs 140,000 to 180,000 new housing units this decade alone. Permitting as of 2025 is running 44% below 2021 levels. The gap is widening, not closing.
Behind every statistic is a family priced out of their neighborhood, a teacher who can't afford to live where she works, a father whose eviction cost him his job and ultimately forced him out of Massachusetts entirely.
The 140K Project exists to bridge the gap between the crisis and the people living it — providing free, accessible, neighborhood-specific resources so that Greater Boston renters can understand their rights, access assistance, and fight displacement.
Research without action is incomplete. This site is built for the person who just got a rent increase notice and doesn't know what to do next.
This site is grounded in research drawn from the 2025 Greater Boston Housing Report Card, published by the Boston Foundation and Boston University Initiative on Cities, as well as analysis of zoning law, investor activity, and displacement risk across the region.
The 140K Project was founded by Jack Sheppard, a student at Boston College studying Economics on a pre-law track. It is rooted in the Jesuit principle of being a "man for others" — the belief that education and service are inseparable. Have a question or want to connect? Get in touch.