HOUSING
Massachusetts is facing an historic housing crunch. Explore its root causes and implications for shelter systems, economic development planning, and the state’s competitiveness pitch with CommonWealth Beacon reporting.
SJC again upholds MBTA Communities housing law
As most cities and towns got into compliance with the housing law — eagerly or dragging their feet along the way — some holdouts were hoping that the state’s high court would rule that they did not have to rezone. It was a longshot bid, after the SJC already upheld the law as enforceable by the attorney general’s office in early 2025.
Tenant right to purchase bill closer than ever on Beacon Hill
The House and Senate each tucked a version of the Tenant Opportunity to Purchase Act, or TOPA, into its economic development bond bill this summer. A six-member conference committee is now negotiating a single version of the omnibus bill to send to Gov. Maura Healey.
On Fall River’s waterfront, the debate over market-rate housing unfolds
The South Coast community is on track to see its 20-acre waterfront transformed by a massive mixed-use development consisting of up to 1,500 new housing units, all of which the city has indicated should be market rate. The move has angered affordable housing advocates and sparked a familiar debate, where pro-development and pro-affordability ideals seem to be at odds.
Tax credits expected to turn old offices into 860 rental units
Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll announced the second tranche of commercial conversion credits, established through the 2024 Affordable Homes Act.
Beacon Hill housing moves swish past Boston
None of the big housing reforms passed recently on Beacon Hill apply to Boston, which is covered by its own state-authorized zoning code, not the code directly changed by legislation, which covers every other municipality in Massachusetts.
Federal housing bill includes modest help for Mass., but buzzy investor limitation unlikely to have much impact here
“It’s not very tailored to Massachusetts related-housing concerns,” said Andrew Mikula, senior housing fellow at the Pioneer Institute. “The bill nibbles at the edges on a number of process and regulatory standards,” which “disproportionately” affect other regions more than the Northeast.
Layered over ADU law, Senate duplex bill would allow three units on most residential lots
Lawmakers “could, say, take another 10, 20 years to ask cities and towns to legalize duplexes,” said Amy Dain. “We have learned that is not possible. You could spend 50 years on it and you would only see it at the margins.”
In the face of a state housing shortage, could single-family zoning be on the chopping block?
The Senate’s economic development bill, which lawmakers have teed up for a vote next week, includes a provision that would require municipalities to allow duplexes as-of-right on all residentially zoned lots.
Faced with crippling housing crisis, Beacon Hill nibbles at the edges
A rundown of recent actions, pending proposals, and actions at the Supreme Judicial Court influencing housing policy more aggressively than any single piece of legislation.
Homeowner satisfaction high in Gateway Cities despite a host of financial challenges, new poll finds
The poll highlights a clash between how people feel about homeownership and what it means for their finances. Gateway City homeowners were more likely to skip urgent home repairs due to cost, buy in neighborhoods that were not their first choice, and say that competition with other buyers was a barrier they faced.
Mass. high court strikes rent control question from ballot
The decision averts a months-long season of aggressive campaigning that seemed sure to generate tens of millions of dollars in spending on attack ads and dire warnings about economic upheaval.
New report urges state to think small on housing crisis
Massachusetts has become “a victim of our own affluence,” said Andrew Mikula, the report’s author. “It’s like we forgot how to build smaller homes that can be more affordable for folks.”
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