Massachusetts

The proposed real estate transfer fees in Governor Healey’s housing package would allow Massachusetts municipalities to charge a fee on residential sales over $1 million or a county’s median sale price, with the revenue going toward affordable housing.

Governor Healey’s $4.1 billion Affordable Homes Act, which would issue bonds for various housing programs, appears to be moving steadily through the state legislature.

Attorneys Christopher Cunio and Aidan Gross argue that Massachusetts’ contentious MBTA Communities Act – intended to encourage housing near public transit statewide – represents a milestone in tackling the state’s housing crisis but requires “teeth,” i.e., better enforcement mechanisms.

Greg Vasil, CEO of the Greater Boston Real Estate Board, highlights the steps taken in Brookline, Newton and other local jurisdictions to reform zoning laws to create much-needed housing. Vasil also offered a series of recommendations for state lawmakers to consider, including strengthening a local option law that allows communities to raise funds for affordable […]

Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey expressed skepticism over rent control, noting that addressing housing shortage is the most effective way to tackle affordability. “We lower rents by building more housing,” Healey stated. “More housing means more supply, means lowering of costs.” She noted that she supports a community’s right to make decisions around rent control for […]

The Boston Herald editorial board offered a strong argument against rent control, suggesting that the city of Boston would be better served focusing on policies to spur housing development. With respect to rent control, the editorial board wrote, “Would landlords’ costs be capped as well, or are they expected to eat the cost of stagnant […]

Yesterday, Massachusetts state lawmakers heard hours of testimony for and against several proposals to lift the state’s ban on rent control.

An effort to place a rent control question on the 2024 ballot collapsed, falling far short of the nearly 75,000 signatures needed to proceed. State Rep. Mike Connolly, who led the effort, plans to push to eliminate statewide rent control preemption through legislative channels, though state lawmakers have resisted such an approach in past years. […]

Massachusetts voters see the high cost of housing as a top concern, according to a recent UMass Amherst poll. But the poll also revealed that Massachusetts voters are latching on to false solutions to the state’s housing problems.

Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey released a package of sweeping housing reforms for legislative consideration.

“Do we bring it up every two years? There’s other things we can talk about with regard to housing. Why are we letting this take up oxygen?” Massachusetts House Majority Leader Mike Moran (D-Brighton) said in a recent news report.

In many geographies where artificial caps on rent exist, housing underdevelopment has resulted. Given its failed history, it comes as no surprise that the passage of rent control in St. Paul yielded immediate negative consequences.

WynnCompanies EVP Lynn Bora outlines why rent control is the wrong approach to addressing housing affordability in Massachusetts. 

The Wall Street Journal Editorial Board reacts to the overturn of Boston’s eviction moratorium.

Tim Logan reports on a new arrangement that could help preserve workforce housing in Boston. 

WBUR’s Beth Healy outlines what a new report from the Metropolitan Area Planning Council could mean for housing affordability in the region. 

The Boston Globe’s Tim Logan reports on the difficult position some housing providers have been put in by Massachusetts’ eviction moratorium. 

CBS 4 reports on funding for new affordable housing in Boston.

Rebecca Diamond and Jonathan Gruber explain why economic research shows that rent control will lead to a reduced supply of housing. 

The Boston Globe’s Tim Logan reports on what a slowdown in building permits could mean for affordability in the area. 

The Sun Editorial Board makes the case for following Gov. Charlie Baker’s lead in incentivizing the construction of affordable housing by cutting red tape. 

The Boston Herald Editorial Board outlines why rent control is wrong for Massachusetts.

The Boston Globe’s John Laidler takes a look at communities in the Greater Boston area doing their part to help alleviate the region’s housing affordability crunch. 

The Boston Globe’s Jeff Jacoby pens a column outlining the city’s broad opposition to failed rent control policies.