SENATE DOCKET, NO. 1216        FILED ON: 2/12/2021

SENATE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 887

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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PRESENTED BY:

Adam G. Hinds

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To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in General
Court assembled:

The undersigned legislators and/or citizens respectfully petition for the adoption of the accompanying resolve:

Resolve establishing a task force to study racial disparities in home ownership and reducing the wealth gap.

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PETITION OF:

SENATE DOCKET, NO. 1216        FILED ON: 2/12/2021

SENATE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 887

[SIMILAR MATTER FILED IN PREVIOUS SESSION
SEE SENATE, NO. 800 OF 2019-2020.]

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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In the One Hundred and Ninety-Second General Court
(2021-2022)

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Resolve establishing a task force to study racial disparities in home ownership and reducing the wealth gap.

Resolved, that there shall be a task force to study the racial disparities in home ownership. The task force shall: (i) collect and analyze data concerning levels of home ownership among minority racial and ethnic groups in Massachusetts; (ii) identify barriers to home ownership that minority racial and ethnic groups in this state experience; (iii) investigate current practices and procedures for approving mortgage loans; (iv) identify any mortgage loan application and approval practices and procedures that deliberately or inadvertently discriminate impermissibly against minority racial and ethnic groups or that directly or indirectly create or maintain barriers against approving mortgage loans for minority racial and ethnic groups; (v) identify barriers other than access to mortgage loans or other credit that reduce or prevent home ownership among minority racial and ethnic groups.

The task force shall include: the Undersecretary of the Department of Housing and Community Development or a designee who shall serve as chair; an appointee of the President of the Senate; an appointee of the Senate Minority Leader; an appointee of the Speaker of the House of Representatives; an appointee of the Minority Leader of the House of Representatives; and 1 person to be appointed by each of the following organizations: the Massachusetts Association of REALTORS; the Massachusetts Bankers Association; the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People New England Area Conference; the Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination; the Rural Policy Advisory Commission; MassHousing; the Massachusetts Housing Partnership; and the Massachusetts Black and Latino Legislative Caucus.

The task force may consult experts, conduct field investigations, hearing, or other meetings, or solicit testimony to carry out its purpose.

The task force shall issue a report with recommended solutions, including legislation, to modify practices or procedures for mortgage loan applications and approvals to eliminate any impermissible discrimination or barriers and to improve other conditions that reduce or prevent home ownership among minority racial and ethnic groups in Massachusetts. The task force shall file its report with the clerks of the House of Representatives and Senate, the House and Senate chairs of the joint committee on housing, the House and Senate chairs of the joint committee on financial services, and the chairs of the Senate and House committees on ways and means no later than July 1, 2023.