by iwd Tina | Nov 22, 2024 | Housing News
The Healey-Driscoll Administration has implemented 41% of the policies outlined in the $5.16 billion Affordable Homes Act, which aims to build, preserve, and rehabilitate over 65,000 homes in Massachusetts over five years. The Act includes measures such as creating an Office of Fair Housing, allowing accessory dwelling units (ADUs) under 900 square feet by right, and establishing a Seasonal Communities designation to address housing challenges in areas with fluctuating seasonal employment. Additionally, it allocates $2.2 billion for improvements to the state’s 43,000 units of public housing.
Progress includes hiring an ADU Coordinator, launching an informational webpage, and conducting a widely attended webinar for municipal officials. Upcoming steps involve public comment on draft ADU regulations. For Seasonal Communities, an advisory council is being assembled, and a coordinator will soon be hired to develop tailored tools for these areas. The Office of Fair Housing is in development, with a director position open to oversee planning, enforce fair housing laws, and manage the new Fair Housing Fund.
Public housing reforms under the Act include reducing audit frequency for local housing authorities, codifying tenant protections, and allowing authorities to borrow against state capital funds for larger projects. These efforts streamline operations and enhance housing quality. With multiple initiatives underway, the Affordable Homes Act is making measurable progress toward improving housing availability and affordability statewide.
by iwd Tina | Nov 20, 2024 | Housing News
As of November 20, 2024, over 100 Massachusetts cities and towns have passed zoning districts to comply with the MBTA Communities Law. This innovative law aims to address Massachusetts’ housing shortage by allowing modest types of housing, like duplexes, triple-deckers, and low-rise apartment buildings, near transit. These newly approved multifamily zoning districts will bring us closer to the 200,000 homes that Massachusetts needs by 2030 to stabilize housing prices. Many communities took their commitment to housing one step further by using this new zoning to incorporate affordability as well.
“Communities across Massachusetts are overwhelmingly embracing the MBTA Communities Act. They understand that every municipality has a collective responsibility to ensure we are part of fostering a healthy and vibrant Commonwealth,” said Rachel Heller, Chief Executive Officer of the Citizens’ Housing and Planning Association (CHAPA). “Massachusetts needs more homes that families, older adults, and the local workforce can afford, and these MBTA Communities are doing their part by allowing the creation of more of these types of homes.”
For decades, strict local zoning policies limited opportunities for people by preventing the construction of anything other than single-family homes on large lots. With land values skyrocketing, these policies create barriers that leave some people out of the housing market entirely. Through coalition building, broad outreach, and inclusive community engagement, these 100 MBTA Communities have taken meaningful action to address those barriers.
“The MBTA Communities Act is succeeding at the local level because municipal leaders know that more housing is crucial to the future success of the Commonwealth,” said Lily Linke, CHAPA’s MBTA Communities Engagement Senior Manager. “The vast majority of cities and towns are doing their part in allowing the homes that our residents need, not just because it’s the right thing to do, but because they recognize that when our neighbors thrive, we all thrive.”
CHAPA’s MBTA Communities technical assistance program has supported 45 of these communities by educating residents about the law, consulting with local planners on community engagement, and supporting local pro-housing coalitions as they worked to pass new zoning. 90% of communities that participated in CHAPA’s program have approved an MBTA Communities District, compared to an 83% passage rate overall.
CHAPA congratulates the planners, advocates, elected officials, consultants, and everyone who helped make this milestone possible. We look forward to continuing our work across Massachusetts to encourage communities to embrace and adopt multi-family zoning.
When we say yes to more housing in our communities, we are closer to the Massachusetts we all want and deserve – where everyone has access to a safe, healthy, and affordable home in the community of their choice.
by iwd Tina | Nov 7, 2024 | Housing News
Over 400 advocates, neighbors, municipal employees, organizational representatives, and legislators working on affordable housing in their communities registered to join us virtually on October 23rd for our Annual Regional Meeting which this year was hybrid. As Rachel Heller our CEO mentioned in her opening remarks, each year we convene these sessions to thank all of you for the work we have accomplished together and provide a listening space to inform our vital collective work that “plants the seeds for the policies and programs we advocate for”.
During the meeting, CHAPA’s Municipal Engagement and Policy teams shared information on our legislative and budget priorities, Fair Housing agenda, Municipal Engagement Initiative, and updates on the Multi-family Zoning for MBTA Communities engagement. Participants broke out into regional sub-groups to share their unique challenges and opportunities across the following regions; Greater Boston (virtually and in-person at Metro Housing Boston), MetroWest, Cape & Islands, South Shore (including all of southeastern Mass, including all of the towns and cities in Bristol and Plymouth county and the South Coast), North Shore/Merrimack Valley, Central Mass/Worcester, Franklin/Hampden/Hampshire Counties (virtually and in-person at Way Finders), and Berkshires/Western Mass. Participants also provided feedback to CHAPA staff through an interactive polling activity which additionally will help to shape future priorities and activities.
Please take time to review the Key-Takeaways and where helpful we have made the Video Recording, and the Event Slide Deck available. These conversations have a profound impact on our Legislative Priorities and our advocacy efforts at the state and local level.
We appreciate Bank of America for sponsoring these sessions and to all of our regional co-sponsors for not only sharing their experiences and expertise, but also helping with the outreach to make the event such a success! A special thank you to our co-sponsors Way Finders and Metro Housing|Boston for hosting regional sessions in-person.
Regional Co-Sponsors:
Berkshire County Regional Housing Authority
Berkshire Housing
Cape Cod Community Development Partnership
Harborlight Homes
Housing Assistance Corporation
Housing Nantucket
Pioneer Valley Planning Commission
Regional Housing Services Office
Rural Community Assistance Partnership (RCAP)
Lawrence Community Works
Massachusetts Association of Community Development Corporations (MACDC)
Metro Housing|Boston
Metro West Collaborative Development
NeighborWorks Housing Solutions
NewVue Communities
Northern Middlesex Council of Governments
North Shore Community Development Corporation
Way Finders
Sponsor Logo:
Get Involved with CHAPA
Thank you to those who were able to join us. Please continue to support CHAPA’s efforts to keep making a difference in our communities. Be sure to contact Whitney Demetrius, Director of Fair Housing and Municipal Engagement, at wdemetrius@chapa.org with any questions.
by iwd Tina | Oct 3, 2024 | Housing News
This week, the Commonwealth launched the MBTA Communities Catalyst Fund to assist municipalities in meeting the requirements of the MBTA Communities Act.
Eligible municipalities can apply for grants ranging from $250,000 to $1 million to support housing development and infrastructure improvements, focusing on creating multifamily housing within or adjacent to compliant MBTA “3A Districts.” Funds may be used for various activities, including public outreach, engineering, and infrastructure upgrades such as water, sewer, and streetscape improvements. Priority will be given to projects that produce affordable multifamily housing, particularly those with units affordable to households earning below 80% of the Area Median Income (AMI). Mixed-use projects are also eligible, though those with a greater focus on housing will be more competitive. Funded projects must use at least 50% of awarded funds in the first fiscal year, with FY25 projects expected to be completed by June 30, 2026.
This initiative supports the development of affordable housing in key transit areas, promoting inclusive community growth and improving infrastructure to meet future housing needs across Massachusetts.
by iwd Tina | Sep 19, 2024 | Housing News
This week, CHAPA submitted a friend of the court (amicus) brief in support of Attorney General Andrea Campbell’s lawsuit against Milton to enforce the MBTA Communities Act. The brief was filed by Nixon Peabody on behalf of CHAPA and more than 30 organizations and businesses, representing housing developers, local housing coalitions, faith-based coalitions, disability advocates, service providers, business organizations, community development corporations, realtors, and lenders.
The AG’s lawsuit sends a clear message: the Commonwealth’s housing laws must be followed and municipalities play a critical role in allowing the homes that people, our communities, our economy, and the Commonwealth need to thrive.
At a time when people across income levels are feeling the pain of escalating home prices and rents, the status quo keeps Milton’s gates closed. For too long, zoning has been used to say no and to limit opportunities for people. This hurts people, our environment, our businesses, and the competitiveness of the Commonwealth.
The Legislature passed this law to establish the by-right zoning needed to produce multifamily housing. The MBTA Communities Act is one of many housing policies meant to remove barriers to production and facilitate housing development. From Chapter 40B through the Affordable Homes Act’s establishing accessory dwelling units by right in all single-family neighborhoods, the MBTA Communities Act is another tool created by the Legislature to ensure that Massachusetts is a place where everyone can have a home they can afford in the community they choose.
Municipalities have a collective responsibility to ensure we are part of fostering a healthy and vibrant Commonwealth. This includes allowing the multifamily housing we need for vibrant communities where kids can grow up near their grandparents, businesses thrive, renters can become homeowners, and people can stay in the neighborhoods they love.
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