Gov. Maura Healey and her coalition are pushing hard for a massive housing shakeup in Massachusetts, the so-called Affordable Homes Act. Laying down a cool $4.13 billion in spending, Healey's team presented their case in Boston, where they claim it's going to shine up the state's housing situation like never before. According to a statement by the administration, this legislative masterpiece is going to cough up nearly 30,000 jobs and $800 million in tax revenue, while boosting the economy by $25 billion, based on an upcoming UMass Donahue Institute analysis.
“Everywhere we go, Lieutenant Governor Driscoll and I hear from families, seniors, recent graduates, workers, and businesses alike that they are being held back by the high cost of housing in our state,” Healey told the Joint Committee on Housing. She's betting big that the act's 28 policy changes ain't just smoke and mirrors but will make a difference in bringing down living costs and giving the state's economy a shot in the arm.
It's planning to fund or spin up over 40,000 homes that otherwise wouldn't see the light of day, and would plug some tender loving care into more than 27,000 existing ones. Lt. Governor Driscoll recalled her time as Salem's mayor.
Business bigwigs, homeowners, and public housing tenants put on a united front at the hearing, singing the same tune about their hopes for the bill.“The unconventional alliances that have come forward to support this historic plan underscore just how great the need is,” Housing and Livable Communities Secretary Ed Augustus told the committee, despite having said earlier the stakeholders range from public housing advocates to employers, business leaders, and health care professionals.
Timothy Murray of Worcester Regional Chamber of Commerce hailed the bill as "transformational" for its potential to bump up housing production and homeownership opportunities. The act's evangelists claim to address equity and knocking down age-old barriers to affordable housing.
