Key facts
- Massachusetts is attempting to address its housing affordability crisis through legislative reform.
- Both the House and Senate have passed different versions of housing bills.
- Key provisions include ending single-family zoning to allow duplexes and incentives for commercial-to-residential conversions.
- The House bill allows religious institutions to build multifamily housing on their property.
- Rent stabilization measures are not included in the current legislative proposals.
- Lawmakers are in negotiations to reconcile the differing bills.
Massachusetts lawmakers are working to reconcile differing housing reform bills passed by the state House and Senate, aiming to address a significant housing shortage. The state's highest court previously blocked a statewide rent stabilization ballot question, and a compromise bill on rent caps did not advance.
Governor Maura Healey's administration estimates that Massachusetts needs to build 222,000 new homes by 2035 to meet demand, a pace the state is currently far from achieving. Last year, the state added over 34,000 housing units, reaching about 15.6% of its 10-year target.
The House proposed a $500 million bill that includes a "Yes in God's Backyard" (YIGBY) provision, allowing religious institutions to build multifamily housing on up to four acres they own, with at least 20% of units designated as affordable. An analysis suggests this could yield over 60,000 new homes on nearly 20,000 acres of religious-owned land statewide.
The Senate's $325 million bill, however, skips the YIGBY provision. Instead, it focuses on ending single-family-only zoning statewide to permit duplexes on most residential lots, a measure absent from the House bill. State Senator Julian Cyr highlighted that this change could "unlock a huge amount of capacity," as currently only 38% of areas allow duplexes by right.
Both legislative proposals also aim to standardize site plan review processes across the state, replacing the current town-by-town variations. The House version, for instance, sets a 90-day limit for review after a complete application, after which projects are automatically approved.
Lawmakers are currently negotiating the differences between the House and Senate bills in a conference committee, with the possibility of formal sessions to vote on the reconciled report.