The Massachusetts House and Senate have each now passed their own version of the 2026 Economic Development Bill, sending it to a conference committee that will negotiate a single, final version. With formal sessions wrapping up this month, this is one of the last vehicles left this year that can move meaningful housing policy across the finish line.
Both versions carry a substantial set of measures aimed at growing the state’s housing supply. CHAPA thanks the leadership in both branches for keeping housing front and center as this bill took shape.
Conference Committee
The House and Senate have named the conferees who will negotiate the final bill:
House
- Rep. Aaron Michlewitz
- Rep. Carole Fiola
- Rep. Michael Soter
Senate
- Sen. Barry Finegold
- Sen. Michael Rodrigues
- Sen. Peter Durant
Some of CHAPA’s top housing priorities passed in only one chamber’s bill, which means the conference committee will decide whether they become law. CHAPA is urging the conferees to include these three priority policies in the final bill:
Yes In God’s Back Yard (YIGBY) – In the House bill – The House bill lets religious institutions build multifamily housing as-of-right on land they already own, without the special permits or discretionary approvals that local zoning so often requires. Development must include meaningful affordability — at least 20 percent of the units reserved for households earning no more than 80 percent of area median income — and projects near transit are freed from parking mandates. Faith communities across Massachusetts hold significant amounts of underused land, and this policy would help turn it into homes.
Duplexes as-of-right – In the Senate bill – The Senate bill makes two-family homes allowed as-of-right in every residentially-zoned district in the state. By legalizing this modest, naturally more affordable housing type everywhere — rather than leaving it to a project-by-project approval fight — the policy has the potential to create thousands of new homes and give more families an attainable option in more communities.
Site plan review – In both bills – Both bills establish a single statewide framework for site plan review, replacing the town-by-town patchwork that makes permitting slow and unpredictable today. The framework keeps local oversight while making reviews objective and time-limited: reasonably definite standards, a 90-day decision deadline for as-of-right projects, and automatic approval if a community fails to act in time. Because both chambers included it, this reform is well positioned for the final bill.
Take Action
Contact your legislators TODAY using this form from the Action Network and ask them to urge the conference committee to include CHAPA’s priority housing policies in the final Economic Development Bill, especially YIGBY, duplexes, and site plan review.
As the conference committee does its work, CHAPA will keep advocating for these housing provisions to be included in the final economic development bill that reaches the Governor’s desk.