by Jacob Love | Aug 3, 2026 | Featured News, Housing News
Under a 1977 law called the Community Reinvestment Act (“CRA”), federal regulators must regularly grade FDIC-insured banks on their efforts to invest in low-income neighborhoods within their service areas. The CRA also requires regulators to consider these grades when banks seek federal permission to open new branches and merge with other banks.
This is a critical mechanism not only for preventing modern lending discrimination, but also for combatting the long-term effects of historical redlining. Since poor CRA grades can hinder banks as they strive to expand, the CRA directly incentivizes private financial institutions to extend credit to historically underserved communities. As a result, the law generates hundreds of billions of dollars in annual lending for community development projects, like affordable housing, in low-income areas.
While the CRA applies to all FDIC-insured banks, it subjects them to three different levels of review based on size. Under current rules, the so-called “large bank” review process, which is by far the most rigorous, applies to institutions with more than $1.6 billion in assets. Over 500 total banks meet that threshold.
However, the federal government is now proposing to drastically shrink the total number of banks subject to each of the two highest levels of CRA review. According to reporting, if the rule is allowed to take effect, 800 total banks would drop to a lower compliance tier and only 86 total banks across the country—those with over $10 billion in assets—would be considered large banks.
Removing strict CRA oversight for hundreds of big banks will weaken their incentive to finance community development, significantly reducing the flow of funding to critical housing and revitalization projects in underserved neighborhoods across the country.
For more information, see the National Community Reinvestment Coalition’s resource on the proposal.
by Matt Noyes | Jul 24, 2026 | Housing News
On Thursday night, the Massachusetts Senate passed SB3178, the 2026 Economic Development Bill. This legislation, like the House version of the same bill, included significant housing policies designed to help Massachusetts create the homes we need to thrive. CHAPA is grateful to Senate President Karen Spilka, Housing Chair Julian Cyr, and the members of the Senate for their leadership and recognition of the importance of housing for the future of our Commonwealth.
Significantly, the Senate legislation included making development of duplexes as-of-right in all residentially-zoned districts across the state. This policy along has the potential to create thousands of new homes and to make this housing type more available as a development option. Through amendments, the Senate included the creation of a new fund to facilitate the development of first-time homebuyer opportunities as well as a five community pilot of the Tenant Opportunity to Purchase Act (TOPA). The Senate also mirrored the House in including codification of site plan review and incentives for municipalities to convert underutilized commercial parcels to residential use.
Within the next week, the House and Senate are expected to name members to a conference committee that will resolve differences between the two bills. CHAPA will be advocating strongly for the inclusion of all of the housing policies in the final economic development bill that is put before the Governor for her signature.
by Matt Noyes | Jul 22, 2026 | Housing News
Today, the Massachusetts Senate will begin debate on its economic development bill, S.3178. This legislation includes policies that will help create the homes Massachusetts needs to thrive and is one of the last major bills expected to pass before the legislative session ends this month. This is one of the best remaining opportunities to advance significant housing policy this year!
Creating new homes and preserving the affordable housing opportunities we already have are both crucial to the state’s economic development. High housing costs drive talent out of Massachusetts and make it harder for employers to fill jobs and remain competitive. Spending most of a household’s income on increasing housing costs also means impossible decisions for people—often between food, medical care, other necessities, and rent—and less choice in where they want to live.
The bill already includes major housing wins, including:
- Allowing duplexes as-of-right in all residentially-zoned areas;
- Codifying site plan review to make the process predictable, timely, and clear; and
- Incentivizing local communities to convert under-utilized commercial properties for residential use.
CHAPA is also advocating for several additional amendments to be included in the final bill:
#72 – Matched Savings (Sen. Eldridge)
Creates a Matched Savings Program for people with low incomes to save with up to a 4:1 match. Savings can be used for the down payment on a home, starting a small business, education, and other allowable financial goals.
#135 – Parking Reform (Sen. Cronin)
Encourages more homes near transit, lowers construction costs, and makes it possible to create the homes we need by eliminating parking requirements within ½ mile of public transit and capping parking minimums at 1 space per unit everywhere else.
#257 & #302 – Expanding and Improving RAFT (Sen. Tarr & Sen. Crighton)
Improves RAFT by eliminating the requirement for a notice to quit or utility shutoff, allowing for more upstream access to benefits.
#326 – Expedited Lot Subdivision (Sen. Crighton)
Makes it easier to build homes on smaller lots by allowing property owners to subdivide their land into parcels no larger than 10,000 square feet.
#458 – Massachusetts Rental Voucher Program (Sen. Lovely)
Codifies MRVP in statute, providing stability and predictability for the operation of the vitally important state rental assistance program.
Contact your state senator TODAY and ask them to support CHAPA’s priority housing amendments!
Thank you!
by Matt Noyes | Jul 17, 2026 | Housing News
On Thursday, the Senate Committee on Ways and Means released a $325 million economic development bill that included several policies that would make it easier to build the homes Massachusetts needs.
These policies include:
- Enabling duplexes to be built as of right on all residential lots (similar to a recommendation of the Unlocking Housing Production Commission and legislation filed by CHAPA).
- Codification of municipal Site Plan Review processes (a CHAPA priority).
- A local-option framework to convert commercially zoned lots and buildings into residential units.
- A 30-day deadline for local zoning boards of appeal to hold public hears on appeals.
CHAPA applauds the Senate, especially Senate President Karen Spilka and Housing Committee Chair Julian Cyr, for recognizing the importance of housing for the future of Massachusetts and the Commonwealth’s economy.
Opening statements on the Senate economic development bill are expected to be made on Wednesday, July 22 and debate is anticipated to conclude the next day.
by Jacob Love | Jul 10, 2026 | Featured News, Housing News
Governor Maura Healey signed the FY2027 budget this week, approving the version the Legislature sent to her desk without any vetoes. CHAPA advocated for that outcome to preserve key housing priorities contained in the $63.4 billion appropriations package. And we thank both the Governor and the Legislature for their continued work to preserve and expand critical housing programs, even in a very difficult budget year.
This year’s budget increases funding for key state rental assistance and supportive housing initiatives like MRVP, Public Housing, RAFT, and HomeBASE, and maintains level funding for many other beneficial efforts such as first time home buyer counselling. Additionally, the outside sections codify several targeted changes to Chapter 40A, the Commonwealth’s Zoning Act, designed to reduce local obstacles to development and expand housing production. A separate outside section streamlines the disposition of vacant public housing, helping housing authorities more quickly clear and repurpose long-vacant units so they can be returned to safe use for residents who need them.
CHAPA published a detailed analysis of the housing pieces in this budget earlier this month, which you can find here. We have also produced a budget tracker, which provides a side-by-side housing comparison between this year’s budget and last year’s.
by Jordan Stocker | Jul 10, 2026 | Featured News, Housing News
The Massachusetts House has passed its 2026 economic development bill (H.5562), building on legislation Governor Healey originally filed as “Mass Wins.” CHAPA is thrilled that the bill contains several of its priority housing policies for this session, including Yes in God’s Backyard (“YIGBY”) and a statewide framework for site plan review. We applaud the House—particularly Speaker Mariano, Chair Michlewitz, Representative Vargas, and Representative Kassner—for recognizing the urgency of our housing challenges and leading the charge on bold policy solutions.
Housing and economic development go hand in hand. Rising housing costs drive residents and workers out of state and make it harder for employers to hire and retain talent. By adopting policies that pave the way for more housing production, this bill will boost housing affordability, help families stay in their communities, and bolster the economy for everyone.
Next Steps
H.5562 now heads to the Senate, which will debate and approve its own version of the bill. The two chambers will then form a conference committee to negotiate and reconcile any differences between their respective versions, before sending a final bill to the Governor for her signature. As this process plays out between now and the end of the formal legislative session on July 31st, CHAPA will keep working with partners to protect these housing gains and to advance priorities not yet included.
Thank you to the House for passing a robust economic development bill that advances meaningful housing investments and policies.
Key Housing Provisions in the Bill:
- YIGBY: Allows faith-based organizations across Massachusetts to build multifamily housing by right on land they already own, significantly reducing local barriers to development while also requiring meaningful affordability for people with low incomes.
- Site plan review: Codifies a statewide framework for site plan review, replacing a fragmented system in which site plan review rules and processes vary significantly by municipality. It allows cities and towns to maintain local oversight while also creating a set of uniform rules to facilitate development, like mandating objective standards and establishing reasonable review timelines.
- Commercial conversions: Supports the conversion of commercial properties into new multifamily and mixed-use housing.
- $120 million in housing grants, including $50 million to help municipalities convert commercial properties into homes, $50 million to remediate former state-owned buildings for housing, and $20 million for a veterans housing initiative.
- Ending Housing Discrimination (Amendment #544, Rep. Madaro): Strengthens fair housing enforcement in real estate. It requires adjudicatory bodies, like the Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination, to refer findings of housing discrimination against real estate brokers to the state licensing board. Additionally, it mandates license suspension based on such violations (60 days for 1st violation, 180 days for subsequent violations within a 2 year period), adds fair housing and diversity training to licensing and continuing-education requirements, and requires annual public reporting of complaints and disciplinary actions.
Other Significant Housing Measures
The bill advances several other significant Housing Provisions
- Tenant Opportunity to Purchase (Amendment #71, Rep. Livingstone): Gives cities and towns a local option to establish a tenant opportunity to purchase, so tenants, or their designee, have a chance to buy their home when it’s offered for sale, with parallel rights in short-sale and foreclosure situations.
- Local Housing Tax Increment Financing (TIF) (Amendment #644, Rep. Vargas): Creates a local-option housing TIF framework that enables municipalities to encourage new residential and mixed-use growth.
- Housing Development Incentive Program (HDIP) (Amendment #347, Rep. Cabral) : Expands this Gateway Cities market-rate housing production tool, raising the annual program cap to $40 million and allowing awards of up to $5 million per project.
