Announcements

Governor Healey Signs Affordable Homes Act to Address State’s Housing Needs

On August 6th, Governor Healey signed the Affordable Homes Act. NMCOG staff Jennifer Raitt, Executive Director, and Chris Hayes, Housing and Economic Development Manager, attended the bill signing ceremony.  

The bill includes $5.16 billion dollars in spending authorizations with several policy priorities included. $2 billion in funding for public housing modernization and decarbonization, $50 million in funding to assist MBTA Communities in complying with multifamily zoning requirements, and $20 million in funding for the Smart Growth Housing Trust Fund (which supports 40R districts).  

Local communities and organizations in Greater Lowell will also receive support:  

• Funding for a local housing trust: $350k to the Dunstable Affordable Housing Trust to improve and renovate site conditions in Dunstable.

• Funding for area nonprofits, including the Merrimack Valley Housing Partnership, $500k to City of Lowell for veteran preference in housing and $1 million for the Revitalization Effort Toward New Urbanism, Inc, for the production of more than 100 affordable housing units along Merrimack St in Lowell.

• Funding for area housing authorities: $8 million to the Lowell Housing Authority for developing new affordable housing and veterans supportive housing units; $1 million to the Chelmsford Housing Authority for redeveloping Chelmsford Arms senior housing; $500k to Dracut Housing Authority for capital improvements; $250k for the Pepperell Housing Authority for improvements; and $500k to Tyngsborough Housing Authority for improvements. 

Read the final bill from the Conference Committee. Additional notable sections of the act are noted below:  

• Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) By-Right (Section 7-8) 
  The bill includes language that would require that all communities allow one ADU by-right on all single-family residential lots, as included by both branches. This ADU would be subject to “reasonable regulations,” including water and sewer regulations, site plan review, dimensional and setback requirements, and restrictions or prohibitions on the accessory unit’s use as a short-term rental. Owner occupancy requirements are prohibited, as are parking requirements, provided an ADU is within 0.5 miles from a commuter rail, subway, ferry terminal or bus. Any subsequent ADUs on the same lot are subject to a special permit. This shall take effect 180 days after the effective date of the act. 

• Office of Fair Housing (Section 5) 
  The bill includes language establishing an Office of Fair Housing within the Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities, and a Fair Housing Trust Fund to support the Office’s activities, as included by both branches. The Office would be charged with proactively furthering fair housing law and making policy recommendations to improve equitable access to housing. 

• Eviction Sealing (Sections 28 &52) 
  The bill includes language establishing a process to seal eviction records through the Trial Court, as included by the Senate. 

• Seasonal Communities (Section 5 & 136) 
  The bill includes language establishing a Seasonal Communities designation which will by default include all municipalities in Dukes and Nantucket Counties, communities with more than 35 percent seasonal housing in Barnstable County, communities with more than 40 percent season housing in Berkshire County, and other communities as designated by the Secretary of Housing and Livable Communities. The bill establishes a Seasonal Communities advisory council comprising at least seven members, including a representative from each regional planning agency which serves at least one seasonal community. Finally, the bill grants seasonal communities the power to acquire year-round housing occupancy restrictions, develop housing for essential public employees and artists, permit undersized lots for tiny homes and more. 

• Healthy Homes Program (Section 5) 
  The bill includes language establishing a Healthy Homes program to support the rehabilitation of existing housing to address health and safety hazards such as mold, asbestos, pests, and lead, and remove barriers to energy and water efficiency improvements. The program will provide grants and loans of up to $50,000 per unit to low-to-moderate income owner occupants, small landlords, and large landlords with varying terms for each category of eligible recipient, with a requirement that at least half of funds made available through the program be made for rehabilitation of housing in gateway cities. 

• Commercial Conversion Tax Incentives (Sections 5, 17 & 26) 
  The bill includes language establishing a tax credit for up to ten percent of the development cost of projects which convert commercial spaces to housing. 

• Homeownership Production Tax Credit (Section 26) 
  The bill includes language establishing a homeownership production tax credit to support the production of homeownership units for homebuyers at or below 120 percent of area median income (AMI), covering up to 35% of qualified project expenditures. The bill establishes an annual cap of $10 million for credits issued under these provisions. 

• Tenant Protections in Public Housing Redevelopment (Section 35) 
  The bill includes language establishing protections for tenants of public housing projects in the case of that project’s redevelopment. These protections prevent evictions, reduction of assistance, and re-screening, and require that housing authorities develop plans to rehouse tenants during redevelopment. 

• Flexible Funding Pool for Supportive Housing (Section 44) 
  The bill includes language establishing a Supportive Housing Pool Fund to allow a more flexible funding stream for supportive housing, better able to cover expenses for wrap-around services which many funding sources primarily focused on housing do not cover. 

• Condo Conversions (Section 57) 
  The bill includes language removing exemptions to the condo conversion law (M.G.L. c.183A) for buildings with fewer than four units, preserving the exemptions only for buildings which are owner-occupied. 

• Surplus Land Disposition Reform (Section 121-123)
  The bill includes language prioritizing housing uses, and particularly affordable housing uses, in the disposition of state-owned properties, and gives the Governor the authority to order any public agency to determine if certain parcels of land are surplus within 30 days of such request. 

• Commissions (Sections 126-128) 
  The bill includes language establishing special commissions on: 1) affordable and healthy senior housing (Section 126), 2) accessibility in housing for people with disabilities and seniors (Section 127), and 3) expanding the supply of extremely low-income housing (Section 128). 

• Foreclosure Mediation Program (Section 129) 
  The bill includes language establishing a foreclosure mediation pilot program administrated by the Mass. Office of Public Collaboration at UMass Boston, which will select participating communities based on foreclosure rates. The program will support pre-foreclosure mediation and establish certain protections for eligible borrowers during mediation.