Boston beats the drum for affordable housing as Governor Maura T. Healey and Lieutenant Governor Kim Driscoll spearhead a sweeping campaign across Massachusetts. The duo's game plan? Shine a spotlight on the dire need to make housing more affordable statewide, a challenge Healey tags as the foremost hurdle for citizens, communities, and businesses alike.
In a blitz of upcoming events detailed in a May 3rd announcement, the Healey-Driscoll administration is doubling down on their commitment to ease housing costs. It's a pitch for action on their proposed Affordable Homes Act and the MBTA Communities Law, legislation aimed at boosting housing production and dialing down costs. "That’s why we’ve gone big on our housing agenda to lower costs for everyone," Healey said, per the statement.
qKicking off in Lynn on May 6 alongside mayors and municipal leaders from across the Commonwealth, Healey and Driscoll are set to commend cities that have fallen in line with, or are tracking toward compliance with the MBTA Communities Law. This law incentivizes the creation of multi-family units in transit-accessible areas, a move aligned with the administration’s affordable housing push.
In Worcester, come May 8, the top brass will engage with business honchos in a roundtable that connects the dots between more accessible housing and the prosperous future of Massachusetts' economy. "Over the next few weeks, our team is going to be visiting communities across the state to highlight the ways in which housing impacts every aspect of our residents' quality of life and our economy and call for urgent action to make housing more affordable for all," Governor Healey remarked according to the administration's release.
Healthcare sits at the roundtable on May 9 with Boston Medical Center, renowned for its innovative "housing as medicine" approach, serving as backdrop for discussions on how the housing crisis impinges on health outcomes. The Affordable Homes Act, flaunting a hefty war chest for public housing and a commission to broaden senior supportive housing, will be in the spotlight.
Lt. Governor Driscoll and Housing Secretary Ed Augustus will trail the initiative across multiple events, from emphasizing public housing survival to promoting transit-oriented development in Attleboro—and even looking into homeownership incentives for first-timers in Haverhill. Touted proposals like the CommonWealth Builder and MassDREAMS programs aim to put homeownership within reach for many, especially those in communities bearing the brunt of disparities.
The campaign rolls out with its doors wide open to the press, paving the way for public scrutiny and, government officials hope, widespread public support. From local housing authorities to senior accommodations, the campaign crisscrosses the state on a mission to champion affordable roofs over Massachusetts heads.
