by Jordan Stocker | May 1, 2025 | Featured News, Housing News
On Wednesday, the Massachusetts House of Representatives voted to approve a $61.5 billion state budget for fiscal year 2026, capping off two and a half days of debate and the adoption of seven consolidated amendment packages. The final vote was 151 to 6, with the budget now heading to the Senate for consideration.
This year saw a near-record number of amendments filed, with more than 1,600 submitted, reflecting strong interest in shaping the budget across many issue areas, including housing. To manage the volume, House leadership grouped amendments by topic into consolidated packages, which are developed internally and voted on as a single block. Housing amendments were included in Consolidated Amendment C, alongside public safety and judiciary items.
The final budget includes several positive housing developments. Just over $1.5 million was added to housing line items through the amendment process, primarily in the form of local earmarks. Highlights include $200,000 in increased funding for Saving Toward Affordable Sustainable Homeownership (STASH) and a $500,000 earmark for the Massachusetts Housing and Shelter Alliance (MHSA) to support permanent supportive housing. Harmful amendments that would have weakened or repealed key housing and zoning tools such as the MBTA Communities Act and Chapter 40B were also defeated, preserving critical pathways to build and preserve affordable homes.
At the same time, several high-priority housing proposals were not included at this stage. Amendments to increase funding for crucial programs such as MRVP, AHVP, HCEC, and the Fair Housing Trust Fund had strong support but were left out of the final package.
As the budget moves to the Senate, advocates are calling on lawmakers to take the next opportunity to invest in the tools we know work, including rental assistance, fair housing enforcement, and community-based supports.
The full Consolidated Amendment C can be viewed here.
by Jordan Stocker | Apr 25, 2025 | Featured News, Housing News
Amendment #1263, filed by Representative Vanna Howard, would significantly increase funding for the Massachusetts Rental Voucher Program (MRVP) in the FY26 state budget. The amendment would raise MRVP funding to $270 million — enough to maintain current rental assistance and create 800 new vouchers for households across the Commonwealth.
Right now, no new MRVP mobile vouchers are being issued due to funding constraints, and more than 168,000 households remain on the waitlist. Strengthening MRVP is essential to meeting urgent housing needs and ensuring that new affordable homes are truly within reach for the lowest-income households.
MRVP helps households avoid housing crises like eviction, exit emergency shelter, and move toward long-term stability with better access to schools, jobs, and healthcare. It offers a sustainable alternative to emergency shelter, saving thousands of dollars each month while supporting stronger futures for all.
You can find more information about the impact of Amendment #1263 in this fact sheet.
Please contact your representative and urge them to co-sponsor Amendment #1263 to expand access to safe, stable, and affordable housing across Massachusetts.
by Jordan Stocker | Apr 23, 2025 | Featured News, Housing News
Next week, the House is scheduled to begin debate on the FY26 state budget. Lawmakers filed more than 1,600 amendments to the House Ways and Means proposal — the highest number in over a decade — reflecting the widespread need for support across the Commonwealth. With federal funding uncertain and local communities navigating increasing challenges, these housing amendments offer a meaningful opportunity to respond to needs on the ground.
We’re urging representatives to support the inclusion of CHAPA’s priority housing amendments in the final House budget. The amendments would strengthen rental assistance, support unhoused youth and individuals returning from incarceration, preserve public housing, and address housing discrimination — all essential steps toward greater housing stability across the state. You can find a full list of the amendments below in this fact sheet.
Please contact your representative and ask them to co-sponsor the following amendments:
Rental Assistance
- #1263 – Massachusetts Rental Voucher Program (MRVP) (Rep. Vanna Howard)
Increases funding to $270 million for approximately 800 new vouchers.
- #1402 – Alternative Housing Voucher Program (AHVP) (Rep. Rob Consalvo)
Modernizes AHVP to make it easier to use and administer.
- #1 – Residential Assistance for Families in Transition (RAFT) (Rep. David LeBoeuf)
Improves RAFT by eliminating the requirement for a notice to quit or utility shutoff to access benefits to allow for more upstream access to benefits. Also requires EOHLC to establish criteria for demonstrating that a household is experiencing or is at risk of homelessness.
- #1276 – Residential Assistance for Families in Transition (RAFT) (Rep. Marjorie Decker)
Improves RAFT by increasing the 12-month benefit cap to $10,000, provides direct payment to tenants of unresponsive landlords, authorizes forward rent payments and stipends, and moves access to benefits more upstream by eliminating requirements for imminent eviction or utility shutoff.
- #435 – HomeBASE (Rep. Christine Barber)
Improves the HomeBASE program by increasing benefit caps for recipients and making it easier for families experiencing housing challenges to access benefits.
- #1509 – Housing Assistance for Re-Entry Transition (Rep. Chyna Tyler)
Increases funding to $5 million for housing assistance for individuals exiting incarceration.
Public Housing
- #731 and #1351 – Public Housing (Reps. Paul McMurtry and David Biele)
Increases funding to $119 million to provide more for the operation and maintenance of the 43,000 homes provided by public housing.
Fair Housing
- #654 and #1256 – Fair Housing Centers (Reps. Patricia Duffy and Christopher Hendricks)
Provides $150,000 for the Massachusetts Fair Housing Center and $75,000 for the South Coast Fair Housing Center to support the vital work of addressing housing discrimination
EOHLC Administration Line
- #1631 – EOHLC Administration (Rep. Chris Markey)
Increase administrative funding for EOHLC to $22.2 million to support the work of the Office in addressing Massachusetts’ housing needs.
Housing Stability
- #1401 – Housing Consumer Education Centers (HCECs) (Rep. Rob Consalvo)
Restores proposed cuts to HCECs with funding of $8.974 million to provide critical support for people experiencing a range of housing challenges.
- #1649 – Healthy Homes Program (Rep. Shirley Arriaga)
Provides $5 million to address issues such as mold, lead, and asbestos to keep people in their homes and improve the quality of aged housing stock.
- #851 – Tenancy Preservation Program (TPP) (Rep. Andy Vargas)
Provides $42,755 to support TPP and to preserve the line item.
- #1410 – Direct Surplus to Community Preservation Fund (Rep. Kassner)
Dedicates up to $20 million from the FY25 surplus to the state match pool for cities and towns that adopt the Community Preservation Act.
- #285 – First-Time Homebuyer and Foreclosure Prevention (Rep. Samantha Montaño)
Restores funding to $3.05 million to provide a crucial tool that keeps people in their homes when experiencing housing challenges.
- #883 – Department of Mental Health (DMH) Rental Subsidy Program (Rep. Sean Garballey)-Increases the allocation to $21.548 million for housing people experiencing homelessness and disabling mental health conditions.
Homelessness and Supportive Housing
- #368 – Home and Healthy for Good (HHG) (Rep. James Hawkins)
Increase funding for HHG to $8.89 million to address the needs of individuals experiencing homelessness through the successful Housing First model.
- #1221 – Unaccompanied Homeless Youth (Rep. Jim O’Day)
Increases funding to $12 million for housing and services for youth experiencing homelessness.
Homeownership
- #983 – Saving Toward Affordable and Sustainable Homeownership (STASH) (Rep. Christopher Worrell)
Provides $500,000 for STASH to support first-generation homebuyers through matched savings.
Zoning and Planning
- #570 – MBTA Communities (Rep. Brad Jones)
Expands the scope of the MBTA Communities Act to include all cities and towns in Massachusetts.
Thank you for being a partner in the effort to ensure everyone in Massachusetts has a safe and stable place to call home!
by Will Rhatigan | Apr 14, 2025 | Featured News
April 14, 2025 — Today, the Massachusetts Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities (EOHLC) released final regulations for implementation of the MBTA Communities Act, or Section 3A of M.G.L. Chapter 40A, the state’s Zoning Law. Reflecting the spirit of the previous compliance guidelines, these regulations maintain strong requirements for every MBTA Community to do its part in solving the Commonwealth’s housing shortage.
Signed into law by then-Governor Charlie Baker in 2021, the MBTA Communities Act requires the 177 communities served by or adjacent to the MBTA to designate a district where property owners will have the right to build multifamily housing. Since restrictive zoning codes have been a major barrier to building multifamily housing in Massachusetts for decades, this law is an important step towards ensuring Massachusetts is creating enough homes for our current residents and to keep up with demand. This is critical to stabilizing housing costs and ensuring people have access to homes they can afford in the communities they choose.
Citizens’ Housing and Planning Association (CHAPA) commends EOHLC for maintaining regulations that present clear, consistent instructions for how all MBTA Communities should create multifamily zoning districts. At present, 119 communities have adopted multifamily districts. CHAPA has supported community engagement efforts in over 70 MBTA communities through our technical assistance program. The consistency in regulations will enable more communities to continue through the compliance process with clarity and confidence.
“Nearly everyone is feeling the pain of high home prices and rents. The MBTA Communities Act, along with the new state laws making it possible to create Accessory Dwelling Units in every community and increasing funding for affordable housing, provide necessary tools for expanding our housing supply so that people can find homes they can afford in the communities they choose,” said Rachel Heller, Chief Executive Officer of CHAPA. “EOHLC’s final regulations reflect the spirit and letter of the law in asking all MBTA communities to allow the homes that people, our neighborhoods, and the Commonwealth need to thrive.”
CHAPA appreciates that the final regulations allow municipalities significant flexibility in deciding where and how they would like to allow property owners to build multifamily housing. While all communities are held accountable for creating opportunities to build new housing, they retain flexibility in deciding the density, height, location, and design standards of any multifamily housing that they allow. This flexibility allows communities to meet the housing needs of the Commonwealth while preserving and adapting to what makes them unique.
“These regulations ensure that all MBTA Communities will create opportunities for teachers, first responders, small business owners, and local employees to find homes in the communities that they serve,” said Lily Linke, Director of Municipal Engagement at CHAPA. “High housing costs are driving young people and public servants out of Massachusetts, and I’m optimistic that implementing the MBTA Communities Act with these regulations will allow more people to feel confident building their lives in our state.”
With nearly 120 communities having adopted MBTA Communities multifamily zoning, we are putting the Commonwealth on track towards achieving the state’s goal of creating 220,000 new homes by 2035 to meet the needs of current and future residents. CHAPA looks forward to continuing to work with EOHLC and local communities to advance policies that will provide everyone in Massachusetts with a safe, accessible, and affordable home in the community of their choice.
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Citizens’ Housing & Planning Association (CHAPA) is the leading statewide affordable housing policy organization in Massachusetts. Established in 1967, CHAPA advocates for increased opportunity and expanded access to housing so every person in Massachusetts can have a safe, healthy, and affordable place to call home in the communities they choose, free from discrimination. For more information, visit www.chapa.org.
by Jenna Connolly | Feb 7, 2025 | Featured News, Housing News
A result of more than a year of engagement with stakeholders and the work of the Housing Advisory Committee, Governor Healey released A Home for Everyone: Massachusetts’ Statewide Housing Plan on February 6. A priority for CHAPA, the Affordable Homes Act included a requirement that the Commonwealth develop a statewide housing plan every five years. The Healey-Driscoll Administration launched this process in October 2023 following the filing of the Housing Bond Bill.
The new plan outlines the housing challenges facing Massachusetts, identifies current unmet housing needs, sets goals for production and preservation, and proposes strategies to address the situation. This publication will be followed by others, including expanded needs assessments and strategies.
CHAPA joined the other leaders of the Supportive Housing Pipeline Coalition, a coalition of more than 80 member organizations dedicated to creating the supportive housing needed to address chronic and high-need homelessness, in issuing a statement in support of A Home for Everyone.
Here is the quote from CHAPA CEO Rachel Heller included in the statement:
“The solution to homelessness is housing that is affordable and housing that provides supportive services. We applaud the Healey-Driscoll Administration’s Housing Plan, which sets the Commonwealth on a path to create and preserve the homes needed to reduce and prevent homelessness, expand housing that is accessible for people with disabilities, and provide opportunities for everyone to have safe and healthy homes they can afford in the communities they choose. This plan identifies strategies for creating the diversity of housing needed to meet our wide ranging needs, including supportive housing, public housing, and deeply affordable housing.”
by Jenna Connolly | Jan 22, 2025 | Featured News, Housing News
Today, Governor Healey unveiled her budget proposal for Fiscal Year 2026. CHAPA is pleased that during what is shaping up to be a challenging fiscal year, this legislation largely maintains the Commonwealth’s commitment to investing in housing, with increases put forward for several important programs.
An overview of the Governor’s H1 budget proposal compared to the final FY26 budget is available here.
Still, more must be done. While the FY26 proposal includes a higher funding level than FY25, costs continue to rise. Far too many Massachusetts residents are struggling to find a home they can afford. Failure to provide adequate resources to address actual housing needs will only result in hardship for impacted households and increased costs in other areas for the Commonwealth.
Over the next six months, CHAPA will be joining with our members and partners to advocate for the funding we need to help address our housing challenges. The Governor’s proposal is the first step in a long budget process that now moves to the Legislature.
For a more detailed discussion of the Governor’s budget proposal as well as an opportunity to provide input into advocacy strategy, please join us on Thursday, January 25 at 10:30am on Zoom for the Building Blocks Coalition meeting. Registration is required and is available on the CHAPA website.
