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.