Senate Voting on the Bond Bill Tomorrow (Thursday) - Call Your Senator Now!

On Thursday, June 27, the Senate will debate the Housing Bond Bill.  

Since the Ways and Means Committee released it earlier this week, senators have filed 333 amendments to the bill.  In keeping with CHAPA's four policy priority areas (People, Production, Planning, and Preservation), we have identified a list of priorities among these.  

Please contact your senator and ask them to cosponsor and support these amendments: 

People

#3 – Massachusetts Rental Voucher Program (MRVP) (Sen. Lovely)
Codifies MRVP in statute and makes improvements to the program.

#141 – HOMES Judiciary Committee Bill (Sen. Eldridge)
Establishes a strong framework for eviction records sealing in specific cases.

#143 – In Furtherance of the Authorization for a Social Housing Pilot program (Sen. DiDomenico)
Defines the purpose and structure of the Social Housing Pilot Program.  

#151 – Saving Toward Affordable and Sustainable Homeownership (STASH) Program (Sen. Crighton)
Directs $5 million for the STASH Program to support first-generation homebuyers.

#180 – ELI Housing Commission (Sen. Lovely)
Adds a representative of the Massachusetts Coalition for Racial Equity in Housing to the Special Commission on Housing for Households with Extremely Low Incomes.

#183 – Racial Equity in Housing (Sen. Miranda)
Creates a Special Commission on Racial Equity in Housing.

#214 – Foreclosure Mediation (Sen. Gomez)
Establishes a statewide mediation program to prevent foreclosures.

#244 – Special Commission on Affordable and Healthy Senior Housing (Sen. Jehlen)
Specifies the membership of the Special Commission on Affordable and Healthy Senior Housing.  

#282 – AHVP Program (Sen. R. Kennedy)
Updates the alternative Housing Voucher Program to create accessible and affordable homes.  

#283 – Commission on Accessible Housing (Sen. R. Kennedy)
Creates a Special Commission on Accessibility in Housing for Persons with Disabilities.  

Production

#130 – Community Based Housing (Sen. Eldridge)
Increases the bond authorization for Community Based Housing to $110 million.

#132 – Deed Excise Tax (Sen. Miranda)
Brings the Massachusetts excise fee rate in line with the rest of the region and uses additional funds to support housing affordability.  

#166 – CommonWealth Builder Program (Sen. Payano)
Increases the bond authorization for CommonWealth Builder to $300 million.

#176 – Neighborhood Stabilization Program (Sen. Velis)
Increases the bond authorization for the Neighborhood Stabilization Program to $75 million.

#242 – Local Option Transfer Fee (Sen. Comerford)
Gives municipalities the opportunity to choose to levy a fee on real estate transactions above a defined threshold and to use the proceeds to fund the local creation of affordable housing.  

Planning

#15 – CommonWealth Builder Geography (Sen. Miranda)
Defines the geographic catchment areas for the CommonWealth Builder Program as Gateway Cities and Boston to spur the construction of homeownership opportunities, particularly in communities of color.

#46 – Zoning for Housing Production (Sen. Cyr)
Directs all municipalities with populations larger than 2,000 residents to establish at least one district zoned for multi-family housing.

#156 – Accessory Dwelling Units (Sen. Crighton)
Eliminates barriers that would otherwise limit ADU production.

#237 – Housing Shortages Commission Membership (Sen. Comerford)
Adds a representative from the CPA Coalition and a representative from the Massachusetts Coalition for Racial Equity in Housing to the Special Commission on Housing Shortages.

#261 – MWRA Expansion (Sen. O’Connor)
Provides $1 billion in bond authorization to support expanded infrastructure for the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority.

Preservation

#16 – Enhancing the Mass Historic Tax Credit (Sen. Cronin)
Increases the cap for the Historic Rehab Tax Credit to $110 million through the year 2030.

#146 – The Massachusetts Healthy Homes Program (Sen. Keenan)
Establishes the Healthy Homes Program to assist homeowners and property owners to make repairs that will eliminate hazards such as poor indoor air quality, lead paint, and asbestos.

#252 – Small Properties Acquisition Fund (Sen. Jehlen)
Establishes a fund to acquire properties of 1-8 units for the creation or preservation of affordable housing and allocates $25 million to the fund.