Massachusetts 2025-2026 Regular Session

Massachusetts House Bill H1478 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

Old	New	Differences
1	1	1 of 1
2	2	HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 4035 FILED ON: 1/17/2025
3	3	HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 1478
4	4	The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
5	5	_________________
6	6	PRESENTED BY:
7	7	Mike Connolly
8	8	_________________
9	9	To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in General
10	10	Court assembled:
11	11	The undersigned legislators and/or citizens respectfully petition for the adoption of the accompanying bill:
12	12	An Act advancing the Massachusetts social housing program.
13	13	_______________
14	14	PETITION OF:
15	15	NAME:DISTRICT/ADDRESS :DATE ADDED:Mike Connolly26th Middlesex1/17/2025 1 of 5
16	16	HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 4035 FILED ON: 1/17/2025
17	17	HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 1478
18	18	By Representative Connolly of Cambridge, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 1478) of
19	19	Mike Connolly relative to the development of mixed income social housing to be administered
20	20	by the Massachusetts Housing Finance Authority. Housing.
21	21	[SIMILAR MATTER FILED IN PREVIOUS SESSION
22	22	SEE HOUSE, NO. 3873 OF 2023-2024.]
23	23	The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
24	24	_______________
25	25	In the One Hundred and Ninety-Fourth General Court
26	26	(2025-2026)
27	27	_______________
28	28	An Act advancing the Massachusetts social housing program.
29	29	Whereas, The deferred operation of this act would tend to defeat its purpose, which is to
30	30	authorize forthwith the further development of mixed income social housing, therefore it is
31	31	hereby declared to be an emergency law, necessary for the immediate preservation of the public
32	32	convenience.
33	33	Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority
34	34	of the same, as follows:
35	35	1 SECTION 1. To provide for the purpose of facilitating the further development of mixed
36	36	2income social housing, the sums set forth in section 2 for the several purposes and subject to the
37	37	3conditions specified in this act are hereby made available, subject to the laws regulating the
38	38	4disbursement of public funds.
39	39	5 SECTION 2.
40	40	6 EXECUTIVE OFFICE OF HOUSING AND LIVABLE COMMUNITIES 2 of 5
41	41	7 7004-XXXX For costs associated with facilitating the further development of mixed
42	42	8income social housing to be administered by Massachusetts Housing Finance Authority or other
43	43	9designee as provided for in section 5 of this act.........................................................$100,000,000
44	44	10 SECTION 3. Chapter 708 of the acts of 1966 is hereby amended by inserting after section
45	45	1113B the following section:-
46	46	12 Section 13C. (a) There is hereby established within the MHFA a revolving fund, herein
47	47	13referred to as the Social Housing Production Revolving Loan Fund, for the purpose of
48	48	14facilitating the further development of mixed income social housing. The Fund shall consist of
49	49	15amounts credited to the Fund in accordance with this section.
50	50	16 (b)(1) The MHFA shall, pursuant to regulations adopted by it, provide financial
51	51	17assistance to local and regional housing authorities for the further development of mixed income
52	52	18social housing. Housing developments financed under this section shall remain in public
53	53	19ownership, which is defined as at least majority ownership or control by a local or regional
54	54	20housing authority or other public or quasi-public entity, or in social ownership, which is defined
55	55	21as at least majority ownership or control by tenants or mission-driven nonprofits, such as
56	56	22cooperatives or community land trusts.
57	57	23 (2) (A) The MHFA shall provide for and administer revolving loans, bridge loans and
58	58	24other credit instruments from payments from loans disbursed from the Fund and any other
59	59	25monies, deposited into the Fund by the commonwealth and local and regional housing
60	60	26authorities, including any direct funding or loan repayments pursuant to the Social Housing Pilot
61	61	27Program authorized in line 7004-0078 of Chapter 150 of the Acts of 2024. 3 of 5
62	62	28 (B) The MHFA may use monies and payments from loans disbursed from the Fund,
63	63	29deposited into the Fund by the commonwealth or local and regional housing authorities for the
64	64	30purposes of debt service, administration of this section and costs for increased development
65	65	31capacity within local and regional housing authorities.
66	66	32 (3) Upon lease-up of a development financed under this section, the MHFA may provide
67	67	33additional financing pursuant to this act; provided, however, that priority shall be given to
68	68	34developments that do not use Low Income Housing Tax Credit equity and tax-exempt volume
69	69	35cap.
70	70	36 (c)(1) The MHFA shall make the following rental determinations for each housing
71	71	37development financed by MHFA: (i) market rate rental units in the development; and (ii) below
72	72	38market rate rental units that meet or exceed federal Title 42 affordable set-asides of no less than
73	73	3920 per cent at 50 per cent of the area median income or no less than 40 per cent at 60 per cent of
74	74	40area median income for the statistical area in which the development is to be constructed.
75	75	41 (2) Below market rental units set at the elected levels pursuant to paragraph (1) shall
76	76	42remain restricted at elected levels for not less than 99 years.
77	77	43 (3) Developments financed by the MHFA pursuant to this section shall, pursuant to
78	78	44regulations adopted by the MHFA, adopt rent stabilization guidelines.
79	79	45 (4) Developments financed by the MHFA pursuant to this section shall target net zero
80	80	46energy performance standards and shall not include any new gas hookups.
81	81	47 (5) Developments financed by the MHFA pursuant to this section shall allow for
82	82	48community control; for the purposes of this subsection, “community control” shall mean that 4 of 5
83	83	49said developments are developed, owned, managed, and operated in a way that is accountable to
84	84	50residents, the community, and the public; provided further, that residents of said developments
85	85	51shall have a direct role in the management and decision-making relative to their buildings,
86	86	52including through recognition of tenant unions or tenant councils.
87	87	53 SECTION 4. The commonwealth shall issue a bond or bonds in an amount of
88	88	54$100,000,000 to capitalize the Social Housing Production Revolving Loan Fund established in
89	89	55section 13C of chapter 708 of the acts of 1966. Any such bond sale shall be for taxable bonds.
90	90	56Upon receipt of any bond proceeds the treasurer shall deposit said funds into the Social Housing
91	91	57Production Revolving Loan Fund established in section 13C of chapter 708 of the acts of 1966.
92	92	58 SECTION 5. Notwithstanding any general or special law to the contrary, the Executive
93	93	59Office of Housing and Livable Communities may designate an alternate state agency or state
94	94	60authority, as those terms are defined in section 1 of chapter 29 of the General Laws, to
95	95	61administer the Social Housing Production Revolving Loan Fund and the social housing program
96	96	62pursuant to section 13C of chapter 708 of the acts of 1966. The executive office may promulgate
97	97	63regulations to implement this section.
98	98	64 SECTION 6. To meet the expenditures necessary in carrying out item 7004-XXXX of
99	99	65section 2, the state treasurer shall, upon request of the governor, issue and sell bonds of the
100	100	66commonwealth in an amount, in the aggregate of $100,000,000. All such bonds issued by the
101	101	67commonwealth shall be designated on their face, Massachusetts Social Housing Program Act of
102	102	682025, and shall be issued for a maximum term of years, not exceeding 30 years, as recommended
103	103	69by the governor to the general court pursuant to section 3 of Article LXII of the Amendments to
104	104	70the Constitution. The bonds shall be payable not later than June 30, 2060. All interest and 5 of 5
105	105	71payments on account of principal on these obligations shall be payable from the General Fund.
106	106	72Bonds issued under this section and interest thereon shall be general obligations of the
107	107	73commonwealth.
108	108	74 SECTION 7. Notwithstanding any general or special law to the contrary, MHFA may
109	109	75enter into partnerships with (1) other quasi-governmental agencies; (ii) mission-driven non-
110	110	76profits; (iii) housing cooperatives; and (iv) community land trusts for the purposes of facilitating
111	111	77or assisting with the production of mixed-income social housing and the purposes of this act.
112	112	78 SECTION 8. (a) Notwithstanding any general or special law to the contrary, any project
113	113	79of construction and development activity pursuant to this act shall be deemed to be a public work
114	114	80under section 26 of chapter 149 of the General Laws and shall be subject to all laws, rules and
115	115	81regulations related to the payment of wages at rates set by the director of the department of labor
116	116	82standards pursuant to said chapter 149.
117	117	83 (b) Notwithstanding any general or special law to the contrary, any contract for
118	118	84construction, reconstruction, installation, demolition, maintenance or repair of any building for
119	119	85the purposes of development of social housing pursuant to this act shall be subject to public
120	120	86procurement and bidding laws, including section 44A to section 44J, inclusive, of chapter 149 of
121	121	87the General Laws.