Current:Home > FinanceMassachusetts House approves sweeping housing bill-InfoLens
Massachusetts House approves sweeping housing bill
View Date:2024-12-23 15:26:26
BOSTON (AP) — The Massachusetts House approved their version of a sweeping housing bill late Wednesday, seeking to build on proposed legislation unveiled by Gov. Maura Healey last year designed to rev up the creation and renovation of affordable housing.
The House bill includes $6.5 billion in bond authorizations, tax credits, and policy initiatives designed to increase housing production, streamline affordable housing development, and preserve existing public housing in Massachusetts.
One thing the bill doesn’t include is a proposal by Healey that would give cities and towns the authority to approve taxes on high-end property sales with the money going to pay for affordable housing.
Democratic House Speaker Ronald Mariano said the investments included in the House bill would amount to the largest investment in affordable and middle-income housing — including critical infrastructure related to housing production — in the state’s history.
“Given that Massachusetts is one of the most expensive states in the entire country to buy a home or rent an apartment, the funding and tax credits provided by this bill will be crucial as we work to ensure that every Massachusetts resident can afford to live here, work here, and raise a family here,” he said in a statement.
The bill includes $1 billion to allow for the expansion of the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority water system, a key investment needed to help spur housing development outside the greater Boston area, supporters said.
Another key feature of the bill is language that would allow for the construction of one accessory dwelling unit up to 900 square feet to be built by right on a property in single-family zoning districts in all Massachusetts communities. The bill also includes a new $150 million program to help municipalities convert commercial properties into multi-unit residential or mixed-use properties.
Advocates for renters say the bill doesn’t include enough to help those facing the loss of their homes including rent stabilization and foreclosure protections.
“Massachusetts’ housing crisis is past the breaking point, and a 30-year strategy to build more affordable homes — while absolutely necessary — won’t do anything to help people who are facing eviction and foreclosure today,” said Carolyn Chou, Executive Director of Homes for All Mass, which describes itself as a statewide formation of grassroots housing justice groups.
The bill now heads to the Senate.
veryGood! (6527)
Related
- Gun groups sue to overturn Maine’s new three-day waiting period to buy firearms
- San Francisco 49ers WR Deebo Samuel to miss a couple weeks with calf injury
- Arizona tribe fights to stop lithium drilling on culturally significant lands
- Artem Chigvintsev's Lawyer Says He and Nikki Garcia Are Focused on Co-Parenting Amid Divorce
- 'Joker 2' actor pans DC sequel as the 'worst film' ever: 'It has no plot'
- Horoscopes Today, September 16, 2024
- Aubrey O' Day Speaks Out on Vindication After Sean Diddy Combs' Arrest
- Why Suede Bags Are Fashion’s Must-Have Accessory This Fall
- Denzel Washington teases retirement — and a role in 'Black Panther 3'
- ESPN's Peter Burns details how Missouri fan 'saved my life' as he choked on food
Ranking
- RHOBH's Erika Jayne Reveals Which Team She's on Amid Kyle Richards, Dorit Kemsley Feud
- Ex-North Carolina sheriff’s convictions over falsifying training records overturned
- US Coast Guard says Russian naval vessels crossed into buffer zone off Alaska
- Officers will conduct daily bomb sweeps at schools in Springfield, Ohio, after threats
- Off the Grid: Sally breaks down USA TODAY's daily crossword puzzle, Take the Day Off
- San Francisco 49ers WR Deebo Samuel to miss a couple weeks with calf injury
- Winning numbers for Powerball drawing on September 16; jackpot climbs to $165 million
- Sean Diddy Combs Allegedly Forced Victims Into Drug-Fueled Freak-Off Sex Performances
Recommendation
-
Seattle man faces 5 assault charges in random sidewalk stabbings
-
Fed rate decision will be big economic news this week. How much traders bet they'll cut
-
Emmy Awards ratings up more than 50 percent, reversing record lows
-
Los Angeles Rams WR Cooper Kupp to miss 'good amount of time' due to ankle injury
-
She was found dead while hitchhiking in 1974. An arrest has finally been made.
-
Justin Timberlake Shares Tour Update After Reaching Deal in DWI Case
-
Tearful Kristin Cavallari Reacts to Her and Jay Cutler's 12-Year-Old Son Getting Tackled in Football Game
-
Haunting last message: 'All good here.' Coast Guard's Titan submersible hearing begins