Half of Brookline renters aged 65 and older spend more than 30% of their income on housing, a UMass Boston study of more than 2,000 town seniors found.

The needs assessment, conducted by researchers at UMass Boston's Gerontology Institute, surveyed 2,259 residents aged 60 and older, a 17% response rate. It found that while more than 90% want to stay in Brookline as they age, rising costs are squeezing both renters and homeowners.

Renters face the steepest burden. Fifty percent of those 65 and older are housing-burdened, compared with 27% of senior homeowners, according to American Community Survey data cited in the study. Twenty-two percent of senior renters said they lacked money for at least one basic necessity in the past year, nearly triple the 8% rate among homeowners.

A single renter in Norfolk County needs an estimated $48,072 per year to cover basic expenses, according to UMass Boston's Elder Index, a related cost-of-living tool maintained by the same Gerontology Institute — a figure that does not appear in the needs-assessment findings themselves. Sixteen percent of Brookline households headed by someone 65 or older earn less than $25,000.

Seniors currently make up 21% of Brookline's 63,266 residents. That share is projected to reach 24% by 2040, according to UMass Donahue Institute projections cited in the assessment.

Caitlin Coyle, one of the UMass Boston gerontologists who led the study, told the Select Board the week of Sept. 1 that property taxes pose a direct threat. "The cost of living in Brookline, specifically the property taxes, are a real threat to people being able to age in the community," Coyle said, as reported by Brookline.News on Sept. 4.

That pressure intensified in May when voters approved a $23.25 million property tax override. Tax bills will rise 18% over the next three years, according to Brookline.News.

Rising equity, rising taxes for senior homeowners

Senior homeowners in neighborhoods like Fisher Hill and Coolidge Corner sit on decades of appreciation that has built substantial equity but also pushed annual tax bills beyond what retirement income can cover, according to an analysis by the Bushari Team at Compass, a Brookline real estate firm.

The town offers a means-tested senior property tax exemption under state law. For FY2026, eligibility required an assessed home value below $1,171,000, non-home assets under $750,000, and income below $72,000 for a single filer, $91,000 for head of household, or $109,000 for joint filers, according to the Brookline Board of Assessors application. Applicants had to be 65 or older and a Brookline resident for 10 consecutive years.

The Bushari Team noted that many newer or renovated condos near Coolidge Corner already exceed the $1,171,000 assessed-value cap, locking some downsizers out of tax relief.

One survey respondent wrote that they live in "too much" house with grown children and high property taxes, but that new construction in Brookline is too expensive to make downsizing appealing or financially practical.

Maintenance, isolation and what's next

Half of those surveyed said they need home modifications such as grab bars or stair railings to age in place safely. Forty-five percent said they need repairs like a new roof or HVAC work. Among those needing repairs, 29% said they cannot afford them.

Forty percent of respondents said they are uncertain that older residents are heard by local policymakers. Nineteen percent said they do not have a nearby neighbor they can rely on for help.

Hsiu-Lan Chang, a Council on Aging member who helped organize the survey, told the Select Board the week of Sept. 1 that seniors deserve recognition for their contributions. Chang said organizers have formed a group called the "squeaky wheels" of Brookline to hold town leaders accountable, according to Brookline.News.

Emily J. Williams, director of the Brookline Senior Center, said in August that the full findings would be presented this fall, with a date to be announced. Residents seeking information about the FY2027 senior tax exemption cycle can contact the Board of Assessors at 617-730-2060.