You're not seeing the counterfactual. Imagine a world where this housing doesn't get built. Would prices be lower?

Also just because they're trying to get this rent now doesn't mean that they'll be able to rent it at that level. There were some similar apartments that went up near me in the city I was living a couple years ago. Units they were trying to rent for $2200-$2400 are now going for $1700. At the end of the day, prices are driven by supply and demand.

We still need to plan on there being additional growth as long as the Commonwealth is growing. Most of the growth is happening in the metro Boston area, so that's where more housing needs to be built. If you don't build housing that's how you end up with large homeless populations and the unaffordability crisis we've seen in California and other places on the west coast over the last decade or two.

Saying the schools can't take it isn't a plan and it isn't sustainable. The state typically helps municipalities with the capital cost of building schools, but towns still need to allocate money for such a project, or end up with over-full schools. But if you're building more housing, that usually means that your tax base increases as well which should help fund the schools and other services that residents need.

Growth is coming whether we like it or not, all we can decide is how to react and plan.

That's how California has started dealing with municipalities that refuse to build new housing. Builder's remedy allows developers to create housing in areas that don't meet their housing targets. The first projects are just getting started

https://www.planetizen.com/news/2022/12/120313-first-full-builders-remedy-application-filed-santa-monica

My first thought was "hmm it looks kinda flat for the Alps, good that they're getting some snow too". Then I was confused when I saw what sub I was in