Mayors of 14 Boston-area cities and towns are pledging to work together to address the region’s severe housing shortage.

The Metropolitan Mayors Coalition — which includes the leaders of inner-ring municipalities from Braintree to Brookline to Winthrop — on Tuesday are expected to unveil a new agreement to boost housing development in a bid to blunt rising rents and home prices that make Greater Boston one of the most expensive areas in the country in which to live. It’s a recognition, they say, that housing costs are a regional problem, in need of a regional solution.

“It’s really important not to look at yourself on an island any more,” said Medford Mayor Stephanie Burke. “When we [mayors] get together and talk, housing is an issue that comes up frequently. It’s a priority for all of us to try and balance it.”