Empowering local officials to create thriving communities
Join CHAPA's Massachusetts Housing Leadership Academy
Become a catalyst for change in your community by participating in CHAPA’s free, six-month fellowship designed for city and town councilors, select and planning board members, and members of local boards and commissions who can impact housing
Leadership Academy Benefits
The Academy was recently named a 2026 Housing Choice Community best practice, meaning you can help your community qualify for exclusive grants and programs by participating!
Comprehensive Curriculum
Expert-Led Workshops
Networking Opportunities
Get Involved
CHAPA’s free fellowship involves a time commitment of roughly 25 hours over the course of 6 months.
Each month, fellows are expected to attend one seminar with expert speakers and one small-group cohort meeting with officials from similar communities. Seminars will be held on Zoom, while cohort meetings will vary between virtual and in-person events based on fellows’ availability. Fellows will get the chance to celebrate with in-person events at the beginning and end of the semester
Thirty-two Housing Leadership Fellows are currently participating in the first semester of the Massachusetts Housing Leadership Academy. The second semester will run from June to December 2026.
Nominate a Leader
Apply for the Academy
Applications for the Summer/Fall 2026 Semester open on March 30 and close on April 27.
Questions?
Contact CHAPA’s Director of Education and Action, Lily Linke ([email protected]), with any questions about the Housing Leadership Academy.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who can apply to the Massachusetts Housing Leadership Academy?
The Massachusetts Housing Leadership Academy is open to any elected or appointed municipal official who can impact housing. This includes:
- Mayors
- City and Town Councilors
- Select Board Members
- Planning Board Members
- Zoning Board of Appeals Members
- Affordable Housing Trust Board Members
- Finance Committee Members
- Historic Preservation Committee Members
- Members of other local Boards and Committees who touch housing policy (if you’re not sure if you qualify, reach out!)
CHAPA is happy to work with local officials who have any level of housing expertise–from seasoned housing advocates to newly-elected officials who are eager to learn about creating more housing options in their communities.
What will the curriculum cover?
The curriculum will cover:
- Roots of Massachusetts’s housing shortage and its impact on communities
- Policy options that municipal governments can implement to address their housing challenges
- How affordable housing is financed, produced, and preserved
- Addressing common concerns around housing growth
- Community engagement and building local support
Each month, housing experts will lead workshops, then fellows will dive deep into how these lessons apply to their own communities in cohort meetings.
By the end of the program, all fellows will identify a housing initiative that would solve a problem in their community and develop a plan to implement it.
What time commitment does the Academy require?
The Massachusetts Housing Leadership Academy requires a total time commitment of roughly 25 hours over the course of six months. Fellows can expect:
- In-person social events in January and June in Greater Boston
- One 90-minute virtual seminar each month
- One 90-minute virtual or in-person cohort meeting with four to seven other local leaders each month
- A brief assignment to learn more about housing policy and the local housing situation each month
Fellows are expected to attend all workshops and cohort meetings.
When and where will cohort meetings and virtual workshops take place?
Tuesday, July 14th, 2026
Tuesday, September 8th, 2026
Tuesday, October 6th, 2026
Tuesday, November 3rd, 2026
Tuesday, December 1st, 2026
What is the cost of enrolling in the Academy?
We are pleased to offer this program at no cost to fellows! CHAPA recognizes that local officials play a powerful role in creating more housing opportunities in their communities, so we’re happy to provide this critical support without financial barriers.
CHAPA will charge a small fee for the social events at the beginning and end of the program to ensure that we do not violate state ethics restrictions on gifts to elected officials. We will keep this fee as low as possible, and we do not anticipate it exceeding $30.
What happens after fellows graduate from the Academy?
After graduation, Massachusetts Housing Leadership Academy fellows will gain permanent membership in a community of local leaders dedicated to creating more housing opportunities in Massachusetts. Through the program, graduates will connect with technical experts in housing policy, experienced community organizers, and influential local officials from other communities.
Graduates will be permanently invited to the Massachusetts Housing Leadership Academy’s biannual social events, where they’ll be able to network with current and former graduates. Graduates will also have continued access to CHAPA’s Municipal Engagement Team for consulting on community engagement and housing advocacy.