by Matt Noyes | May 15, 2025 | Housing News
Next week, the Massachusetts Senate will debate the FY2026 state budget. Among the 1058 amendments filed to the Senate Ways and Means proposal last week were several proposals that would roll back, weaken, or delay Chapter 3A – the MBTA Communities Act.
Massachusetts needs 222,000 homes by 2035 to stabilize our rental and homeownership markets. The MBTA Communities Act, passed by the Legislature in 2020 and signed into law in 2021, directs 177 cities and towns to establish multi-family zoning districts in their municipalities. To date, 131 of these communities have submitted compliance proposals to EOHLC, with many more on track to do so.
The MBTA Communities Act is a success. The multi-family zoning districts established through this law will make it possible to create many of the homes we need for Massachusetts to thrive.
The proposals to undermine this success are misguided and will only serve to set the Commonwealth back in its efforts to address our housing needs. In many cases, these are not new amendments – similar, if not identical, proposals have been made and overwhelmingly rejected during the process of developing the Affordable Homes Act, the FY2025 budget, and in the House during its FY2026 budget debate last month.
CHAPA urges the Senate to reject these amendments. If you are able, please contact your state senator and aske them to oppose these proposals:
#12 – Places New Requirements on Cities and Towns to Report on MBTA Communities Act Impact to EOHLC. This reporting would require an analysis of the impacts of housing construction on local infrastructure and schools – information that is not readily available and would be difficult to produce. If passed, this amendment would place a significant strain on scarce municipal resources without a clear benefit.
#13, #140, & #147 – Adds Unnecessary Appeal Criteria to MBTA Communities Act based on factors that are outside the scope of the law, including the availability of water, sewer, and wastewater treatment. The MBTA Communities Act does not require cities and towns to provide these sorts of infrastructure. If passed, these amendments would only delay and complicate the implementation of the law without providing a benefit to municipalities.
#141 & #296 – Narrows Definition of “MBTA Community” to exempt all communities without a rail, subway, or ferry station within its municipality from compliance with the MBTA Communities Act. If passed, it would significantly limit the number of new homes that could be permitted through the law and ignore the good-faith efforts made by nearly four dozen adjacent communities and small towns to comply with the MBTA Communities Act.
#274 & #834 – Limits the Use of Grant Funding to Encourage Compliance with MBTA Communities Act by allowing communities that choose not to do their part to address the Commonwealth’s housing challenges to avoid consequences established by the law, ignoring the good-faith efforts made by 131 communities in choosing to comply.
#297 – Delays Implementation of the MBTA Communities Act by changing the deadlines for municipal compliance. Massachusetts has faced significant housing challenges for years and cannot afford to wait any longer to address them. Given the acuity of our housing challenges, the 131 communities that have met their compliance deadlines and adopted compliant zoning, the extensive engagement and technical assistance provided to cities and towns, and the length of time needed to create the homes we need, this amendment is not only unnecessary but is harmful.
#298 – Exempts Municipalities from Compliance with MBTA Communities Law without Meeting Requirements based on factors outside of the scope of the law, including compliance with 40B and the granting of water withdrawal permits. The law is not about what is on the land now – it is about what will be allowed to be built in the future. To produce homes that people, our communities, and the Commonwealth need, local zoning needs to allow for it.
#839 – Creates A Single-Municipality Exception from MBTA Communities Law Classifications by altering the MBTA Communities Law for the benefit of one community. In creating this carve-out, the amendment goes against the broad stakeholder engagement and public comment process that informed the Law’s implementation and would be unfair to the 176 other communities subject to the Law.
by Matt Noyes | Apr 16, 2025 | Housing News
Just after noon today, the House Ways and Means released its budget for Fiscal Year 2026. With state revenues coming in lower than hoped and a great deal of uncertainty at the federal level, legislators are faced with significant challenges in developing a spending plan for the state.
The housing items in the House Ways and Means proposal reflects these challenges. While there were modest increases for some housing programs (MRVP, RAFT, Sponsor-Based Supportive Housing, and Access to Counsel were all funded at a higher level than in the Governor’s budget), others were level funded (AHVP and Unaccompanied Homeless Youth), and several other important programs were significantly cut (Housing Consumer Education Centers and Public Housing Reform).
Legislators have until Friday afternoon to file amendments to the Committee’s budget proposal, with the full House slated to debate the FY2026 budget starting the week of April 28.
A tracking grid of CHAPA’s budget priorities is available here.
by Jenna Connolly | Jan 17, 2025 | Featured News, Housing News
Friday marked an important date in the new legislative session as it is the deadline for on-time filing of bills. Over the past several months, CHAPA has been working with stakeholders, policy makers, and legislators to develop a slate of priority legislation that we will be advocating for over the next two years. Our sincere thanks go out to everyone who participated in this process, but especially the legion of State House staffers who do remarkable work in helping to shape policy ideas into actual bills.
Below is CHAPA’s slate of priority bills, which have been assigned temporary docket numbers until they are sent to committees of jurisdiction, where they will receive bill numbers.
Please contact your state representative and senator to urge them to add their name as a cosponsor of these bills:
People
- Codification of the Massachusetts Rental Voucher Program (MRVP) – HD 2020 & SD 1573.
- Updating the Alternative Housing Voucher Program (AHVP) Statute – HD 1953 & SD 1708.
- Access to Counsel in Evictions – HD 3912 & SD 1771.
- Eliminating Mandatory Broker Fees for Tenants – SD 35.
- Establishing a Matched Savings Program – HD 3851 & SD 2106.
Production
- Yes In God’s Back Yard (YIGBY) to Allow Multi Family By-Right on Religiously-Owned Property – HD 3756 & SD 1663.
- Creating a Local Option Real Estate Transfer Fee – HD 1112 & SD 1216.
- Increasing the Deeds Excise Tax to Support Affordable Housing and Environmental Adaptation – HD 2997 & SD 846.
- Creating an Interagency Supportive Housing Finance and Strategy Board – HD 3758 & SD 2594.
- Establishing a Housing Production Goal for Massachusetts – HD 3920.
Preservation
- Creating a Commission to Examine Increasing Property Insurance Rates on Affordable Housing – HD 3370 & SD 876.
- Establishing a Zero Carbon Renovation Fund – HD 3171 & SD 1325.
Planning
- Yes In My Back Yard (YIMBY) to Eliminate Barriers to Housing Production – HD 3248 & SD 1913.
- Promoting Affordable and Fair Housing Through Inclusive Zoning – HD 2978 & SD 811.
- Establishing a Definition for Municipal Site Plan Review – HD 2362.
- Mandating Training for Local Land Boards – HD 2395 & SD 114.
by iwd Tina | Nov 22, 2024 | Housing News
The Healey-Driscoll Administration has implemented 41% of the policies outlined in the $5.16 billion Affordable Homes Act, which aims to build, preserve, and rehabilitate over 65,000 homes in Massachusetts over five years. The Act includes measures such as creating an Office of Fair Housing, allowing accessory dwelling units (ADUs) under 900 square feet by right, and establishing a Seasonal Communities designation to address housing challenges in areas with fluctuating seasonal employment. Additionally, it allocates $2.2 billion for improvements to the state’s 43,000 units of public housing.
Progress includes hiring an ADU Coordinator, launching an informational webpage, and conducting a widely attended webinar for municipal officials. Upcoming steps involve public comment on draft ADU regulations. For Seasonal Communities, an advisory council is being assembled, and a coordinator will soon be hired to develop tailored tools for these areas. The Office of Fair Housing is in development, with a director position open to oversee planning, enforce fair housing laws, and manage the new Fair Housing Fund.
Public housing reforms under the Act include reducing audit frequency for local housing authorities, codifying tenant protections, and allowing authorities to borrow against state capital funds for larger projects. These efforts streamline operations and enhance housing quality. With multiple initiatives underway, the Affordable Homes Act is making measurable progress toward improving housing availability and affordability statewide.
by iwd Tina | Aug 1, 2024 | Housing News
CHAPA applauds the Massachusetts House of Representatives and the Senate for the passage of the Affordable Homes Act. This historic legislation will provide $5.1 billion in capital funding authorization and a wide range of housing policies to support the creation and preservation of tens of thousands of homes. CHAPA is proud to have worked closely with the Legislature to advocate for policies that put Massachusetts on the path to adding the 200,000 homes across income levels that people, our communities, and our economy need to thrive.
The Affordable Homes Act includes significant increases in funding authorizations to meet the range of the Commonwealth’s housing challenges. The bill includes $2.2 billion in bond authorization for state public housing, a doubling of the Affordable Housing Trust Fund ($800 million) and the Housing Innovations Fund ($200 million), and a nearly tripling of the Housing Stabilization Fund ($425 million) which included $10 million for the Small Properties Acquisition Fund. The legislation also included investments in programs that had not before been included in a bond bill, including $100 million for the CommonWealth Builder Program, $50 million for the Momentum Fund to accelerate the completion of mixed-income multifamily housing, $275 million for Green Housing, and $175 million for Housing Choice Infrastructure.
Beyond the funding authorizations, the bill creates and expands tax credit programs that will help spur much-needed production. The Affordable Homes Act creates a new $10 million annual Homeownership Production Tax Credit, a vitally important tool to help create opportunities for first-time home buyers to become owners, and increases the Community Investment Tax Credit to $15 million. Additionally, the legislation doubles the Historic Rehabilitation Tax Credit to $110 million annually through the year 2030 to help preserve historic buildings and put them to new use, including creating affordable housing.
Finally, the Affordable Homes Act recognizes that funding authorizations and tax credits alone are not enough to address the housing challenges facing Massachusetts. The bill includes policies such as the creation of an Office of Fair Housing and Fair Housing Trust Fund, mandating the establishment of a statewide housing plan, allowing Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) by right in single-family zoned districts, establishing special commissions on Extremely Low Income Housing, Senior Housing, and Accessible Housing for persons living with disabilities, creating a supportive housing pool fund to address the needs of households experiencing homelessness, establishing eviction records sealing, and authorizing a social housing pilot. These policies will help move us closer to a Commonwealth where people can have safe, healthy, affordable homes in the communities they choose.
The final bill is also notable for what it did not include. Attempts to weaken, undermine, or delay existing housing laws or to place unnecessary barriers to housing productions were resoundingly rejected at all turns. The legislation that passed does not include harmful changes to Chapter 40B, the MBTA Communities Law, or to the Community Preservation Act (CPA). CHAPA is grateful that not only does this bill move us forward in our housing policy, it also does not set us back by weakening the progress we had already made.
CHAPA applauds the commitment shown by the House of Representatives, the Senate, and the Governor to take the steps necessary to meet the moment. While the Affordable Homes Act is a remarkable and historic piece of legislation, it will not be a panacea for all of the housing challenges facing Massachusetts. CHAPA looks forward to working closely with the Legislature, the Healey-Driscoll Administration, and all stakeholders to implement this bill and to continue to find paths toward creating the homes we need.
CHAPA extends its profound gratitude to Governor Healey, Lt. Governor Driscoll, Secretary Augustus, Speaker Mariano, Senate President Spilka, Chair Michlewitz, Chair Rodrigues, Chair Arciero, Chair Edwards, Senate President Pro Tempore Brownsberger, and all of the policy makers and their staff who made this bill a reality. In Massachusetts, we are fortunate to have leaders who recognize the scope of the housing challenges we face and the commitment to do what is necessary to move us forward. CHAPA looks forward to continuing to be a productive partner in this work over the months and years to come.
