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HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 4035 FILED ON: 1/17/2025
HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 1478
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
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PRESENTED BY:
Mike Connolly
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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 advancing the Massachusetts social housing program.
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PETITION OF:
NAME:DISTRICT/ADDRESS :DATE ADDED:Mike Connolly26th Middlesex1/17/2025 1 of 5
HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 4035 FILED ON: 1/17/2025
HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 1478
By Representative Connolly of Cambridge, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 1478) of
Mike Connolly relative to the development of mixed income social housing to be administered
by the Massachusetts Housing Finance Authority. Housing.
[SIMILAR MATTER FILED IN PREVIOUS SESSION
SEE HOUSE, NO. 3873 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 advancing the Massachusetts social housing program.
Whereas, The deferred operation of this act would tend to defeat its purpose, which is to
authorize forthwith the further development of mixed income social housing, therefore it is
hereby declared to be an emergency law, necessary for the immediate preservation of the public
convenience.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority
of the same, as follows:
1 SECTION 1. To provide for the purpose of facilitating the further development of mixed
2income social housing, the sums set forth in section 2 for the several purposes and subject to the
3conditions specified in this act are hereby made available, subject to the laws regulating the
4disbursement of public funds.
5 SECTION 2.
6 EXECUTIVE OFFICE OF HOUSING AND LIVABLE COMMUNITIES 2 of 5
7 7004-XXXX For costs associated with facilitating the further development of mixed
8income social housing to be administered by Massachusetts Housing Finance Authority or other
9designee as provided for in section 5 of this act.........................................................$100,000,000
10 SECTION 3. Chapter 708 of the acts of 1966 is hereby amended by inserting after section
1113B the following section:-
12 Section 13C. (a) There is hereby established within the MHFA a revolving fund, herein
13referred to as the Social Housing Production Revolving Loan Fund, for the purpose of
14facilitating the further development of mixed income social housing. The Fund shall consist of
15amounts credited to the Fund in accordance with this section.
16 (b)(1) The MHFA shall, pursuant to regulations adopted by it, provide financial
17assistance to local and regional housing authorities for the further development of mixed income
18social housing. Housing developments financed under this section shall remain in public
19ownership, which is defined as at least majority ownership or control by a local or regional
20housing authority or other public or quasi-public entity, or in social ownership, which is defined
21as at least majority ownership or control by tenants or mission-driven nonprofits, such as
22cooperatives or community land trusts.
23 (2) (A) The MHFA shall provide for and administer revolving loans, bridge loans and
24other credit instruments from payments from loans disbursed from the Fund and any other
25monies, deposited into the Fund by the commonwealth and local and regional housing
26authorities, including any direct funding or loan repayments pursuant to the Social Housing Pilot
27Program authorized in line 7004-0078 of Chapter 150 of the Acts of 2024. 3 of 5
28 (B) The MHFA may use monies and payments from loans disbursed from the Fund,
29deposited into the Fund by the commonwealth or local and regional housing authorities for the
30purposes of debt service, administration of this section and costs for increased development
31capacity within local and regional housing authorities.
32 (3) Upon lease-up of a development financed under this section, the MHFA may provide
33additional financing pursuant to this act; provided, however, that priority shall be given to
34developments that do not use Low Income Housing Tax Credit equity and tax-exempt volume
35cap.
36 (c)(1) The MHFA shall make the following rental determinations for each housing
37development financed by MHFA: (i) market rate rental units in the development; and (ii) below
38market rate rental units that meet or exceed federal Title 42 affordable set-asides of no less than
3920 per cent at 50 per cent of the area median income or no less than 40 per cent at 60 per cent of
40area median income for the statistical area in which the development is to be constructed.
41 (2) Below market rental units set at the elected levels pursuant to paragraph (1) shall
42remain restricted at elected levels for not less than 99 years.
43 (3) Developments financed by the MHFA pursuant to this section shall, pursuant to
44regulations adopted by the MHFA, adopt rent stabilization guidelines.
45 (4) Developments financed by the MHFA pursuant to this section shall target net zero
46energy performance standards and shall not include any new gas hookups.
47 (5) Developments financed by the MHFA pursuant to this section shall allow for
48community control; for the purposes of this subsection, “community control” shall mean that 4 of 5
49said developments are developed, owned, managed, and operated in a way that is accountable to
50residents, the community, and the public; provided further, that residents of said developments
51shall have a direct role in the management and decision-making relative to their buildings,
52including through recognition of tenant unions or tenant councils.
53 SECTION 4. The commonwealth shall issue a bond or bonds in an amount of
54$100,000,000 to capitalize the Social Housing Production Revolving Loan Fund established in
55section 13C of chapter 708 of the acts of 1966. Any such bond sale shall be for taxable bonds.
56Upon receipt of any bond proceeds the treasurer shall deposit said funds into the Social Housing
57Production Revolving Loan Fund established in section 13C of chapter 708 of the acts of 1966.
58 SECTION 5. Notwithstanding any general or special law to the contrary, the Executive
59Office of Housing and Livable Communities may designate an alternate state agency or state
60authority, as those terms are defined in section 1 of chapter 29 of the General Laws, to
61administer the Social Housing Production Revolving Loan Fund and the social housing program
62pursuant to section 13C of chapter 708 of the acts of 1966. The executive office may promulgate
63regulations to implement this section.
64 SECTION 6. To meet the expenditures necessary in carrying out item 7004-XXXX of
65section 2, the state treasurer shall, upon request of the governor, issue and sell bonds of the
66commonwealth in an amount, in the aggregate of $100,000,000. All such bonds issued by the
67commonwealth shall be designated on their face, Massachusetts Social Housing Program Act of
682025, and shall be issued for a maximum term of years, not exceeding 30 years, as recommended
69by the governor to the general court pursuant to section 3 of Article LXII of the Amendments to
70the Constitution. The bonds shall be payable not later than June 30, 2060. All interest and 5 of 5
71payments on account of principal on these obligations shall be payable from the General Fund.
72Bonds issued under this section and interest thereon shall be general obligations of the
73commonwealth.
74 SECTION 7. Notwithstanding any general or special law to the contrary, MHFA may
75enter into partnerships with (1) other quasi-governmental agencies; (ii) mission-driven non-
76profits; (iii) housing cooperatives; and (iv) community land trusts for the purposes of facilitating
77or assisting with the production of mixed-income social housing and the purposes of this act.
78 SECTION 8. (a) Notwithstanding any general or special law to the contrary, any project
79of construction and development activity pursuant to this act shall be deemed to be a public work
80under section 26 of chapter 149 of the General Laws and shall be subject to all laws, rules and
81regulations related to the payment of wages at rates set by the director of the department of labor
82standards pursuant to said chapter 149.
83 (b) Notwithstanding any general or special law to the contrary, any contract for
84construction, reconstruction, installation, demolition, maintenance or repair of any building for
85the purposes of development of social housing pursuant to this act shall be subject to public
86procurement and bidding laws, including section 44A to section 44J, inclusive, of chapter 149 of
87the General Laws.