SENATE DOCKET, NO. 902        FILED ON: 1/15/2025

SENATE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No.         

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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PRESENTED BY:

Jason M. Lewis, (BY REQUEST)

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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 bill:

An Act for community housing packages.

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PETITION OF:

SENATE DOCKET, NO. 902        FILED ON: 1/15/2025

SENATE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No.         

[SIMILAR MATTER FILED IN PREVIOUS SESSION
SEE SENATE, NO. 134 OF 2023-2024.]

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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In the One Hundred and Ninety-Fourth General Court
(2025-2026)

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An Act for community housing packages.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:
 

SECTION 1. The Massachusetts General Laws are hereby amended by inserting the

following new chapter:

An Act for Community Housing Packages.

PURPOSE OF THIS ACT:

Over a period of many recent years, it has been concluded by many communities, especially in Eastern Massachusetts, that the supply of affordable, high-quality, and/or housing of almost any kind, has fallen short of the actual needs, thereby creating severe economic pressures, often for, both employees, and employers, in convenience to actual work places.

Only by, creating improved incentives, and distinct standards, might these problems be eased, to the extent that it is possible, and these matters, are the business, and purpose of this act. Mandatory requirements, have value; but cannot be understood, as the only way to accomplish expanding needed housing supply.

SECTION 2.

1.) The Department of Communities and Development, shall be authorized to create, after due consideration, Community Housing Packages (CHPs), for helping to create, and recruit, improved economics, across the 351 municipalities of Massachusetts, to expand, and strengthen local communities, and especially affordable, safe, and durable housing units. These CHPs, shall be part of a comprehensive state planning, and coordination process, intersecting with Master Planning processes, as needed, and appropriate.

2.) The Department of Communities and Development, shall be authorized to create suitable Regulations, to provide for the provisions of this statute, taking into account, particular local preferences for, and including strengthened, safe, and durable housing units; that reflect state-of-the-art, fire-resistant, and energy-efficient standards. While pressures to create significant increases in housing units, are understandable; these pressures should not prevent opportunities, to create substantially, better, well-built, longer-term quality construction.

3.) Such Community Housing Packages shall be based on encouraging, where possible, mixed-use development, and by consulting a recognized list of pre-screened, neighborhood, and community-friendly developers, and contractors, with high-quality lasting construction standards.

4.) The Department of Housing and Community Development, shall establish, keep, and annually renew, a listing of high-quality, neighborhood, and community-friendly developers, by welcoming, pre-screening, of such companies, interviewing them, and publicizing such businesses, in various appropriate positive publicity, by public announcement, and general media.

5.) Community Housing Packages (CHPs), shall take into account relevant modest, to medium intensity regional transit options, in encouraging newer local economic development; and intersect with state transportation planning.

6.) These Community Housing Packages (CHPs), shall also be distributed across the width, and breadth, of The Commonwealth, taking into account opportunities, to strengthen local businesses, local communities, and ranges of income levels.