The House wrapped up work on its FY2027 budget bill, H.5500, this week, with housing items filed under Consolidated Amendment “F”.
Thank you to everyone who reached out to their Representatives and engaged in outreach throughout the week. Below is an overview of where CHAPA’s priority items stand following the House consolidated amendment.
A full side-by-side of funding figures is available in CHAPA’s updated FY2027 Budget Tracker.
NOTE: MBTA Communities Act
- The House rejected all five amendments that sought to weaken or repeal the MBTA Communities Act.
- Rep. Adrianne Ramos spoke on the floor highlighting the real progress municipalities have made under the law. She pointed to Amesbury, which created a Multi-Family Overlay District allowing for up to 433 units of “missing middle” housing, including townhomes, duplexes, and multi-unit options that create a more diverse housing stock. She noted that communities like hers had worked closely with EOHLC to get this completed, and that the law is an important part of how Massachusetts gets to the 222,000 homes the state needs by 2035.
- Amendments #1581 (outright repeal), #1326, #1582, and #1644 (limiting grant funding compliance incentives), and #1333 (new municipal reporting requirements) were all defeated. With 94% of MBTA communities having adopted compliant zoning, the House vote reflects the progress the law has made and keeps it moving forward
ADOPTED IN THE CONSOLIDATED AMENDMENT
Saving Toward Affordable and Sustainable Homeownership (STASH) (7004-0107)
- The House budget included $100,000 for local housing program administration under this line, but did not include dedicated funding for STASH, the matched savings and homebuyer education program for first-generation homebuyers. CHAPA is requesting $1,000,000.
- The consolidated amendment directs $500,000 to the Massachusetts Affordable Homeownership Alliance for STASH, bringing the line to $1,065,000.
EOHLC Administration (7004-0099)
- The House budget included $21,785,301. CHAPA is requesting $22,000,000.
- The consolidated amendment adds $240,000 – $200,000 to Revitalize Community Development Corporation and $40,000 to Maverick Landing Community Services – bringing the line to $22,025,301, above CHAPA’s request.
Re-Entry Voucher Program (7004-9034)
- The House budget included $3,000,000, which is $120,000 below the FY26 level.
- The consolidated amendment directs $200,000 to Justice 4 Housing, Inc. for housing, vocational, and family reunification services, bringing the line to $3,200,000 – above the FY26 level.
Public Housing Operating (7004-9005)
- The House budget included $117,810,000, a $2.2 million increase over FY26. CHAPA is requesting $132.9 million.
- The consolidated amendment adds $30,000 for repairs at the Norwell and Rockland Housing Authorities ($15,000 each), bringing the line to $117,840,000
RAFT (7004-9316)
- The House budget included $210,000,000.
- The consolidated amendment directs $60,000 to the Northern Bristol County Assistance Collaborative for construction of low- and moderate-income housing for seniors, bringing the line to $210,060,000.
- Note: CHAPA’s policy asks on RAFT eligibility (#805) and the benefit cap increase (#1707), which were not included.
Emergency Shelter and Homelessness Services (7004-0101, 7004-0102)
- The consolidated amendment adds over $515,000 across the emergency shelter and homelessness lines.
What’s Next
The focus now shifts to the Senate. Items not included in the House consolidated amendment remain opportunities for Senate advocacy, including MRVP, RAFT, public housing, HCEC’s, Access to Counsel, and other CHAPA priorities.
CHAPA will share specific asks and co-sponsorship opportunities as the Senate process moves forward. Thank you again for your advocacy this week. To stay engaged in the budget-advocacy process, please join us for the next Building Blocks Coalition meeting on May 6. You can register for that meeting here.