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| 2 | 2 | | HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 3391 FILED ON: 1/17/2025 |
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| 3 | 3 | | HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 1531 |
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| 4 | 4 | | The Commonwealth of Massachusetts |
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| 5 | 5 | | _________________ |
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| 6 | 6 | | PRESENTED BY: |
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| 7 | 7 | | Bradley H. Jones, Jr. |
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| 8 | 8 | | _________________ |
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| 9 | 9 | | To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in General |
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| 10 | 10 | | Court assembled: |
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| 11 | 11 | | The undersigned legislators and/or citizens respectfully petition for the adoption of the accompanying bill: |
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| 12 | 12 | | An Act establishing a commission to study housing affordability and density reform. |
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| 13 | 13 | | _______________ |
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| 14 | 14 | | PETITION OF: |
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| 15 | 15 | | NAME:DISTRICT/ADDRESS :DATE ADDED:Bradley H. Jones, Jr.20th Middlesex1/17/2025Kimberly N. Ferguson1st Worcester1/17/2025Paul K. Frost7th Worcester1/31/2025Todd M. Smola1st Hampden3/10/2025David F. DeCoste5th Plymouth1/28/2025Hannah Kane11th Worcester1/30/2025 1 of 2 |
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| 16 | 16 | | HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 3391 FILED ON: 1/17/2025 |
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| 17 | 17 | | HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 1531 |
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| 18 | 18 | | By Representative Jones of North Reading, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 1531) of |
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| 19 | 19 | | Bradley H. Jones, Jr. and others for an investigation and study by a special commission |
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| 20 | 20 | | (including members of the General Court) to study housing affordability and density reform. |
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| 21 | 21 | | Housing. |
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| 22 | 22 | | The Commonwealth of Massachusetts |
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| 23 | 23 | | _______________ |
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| 24 | 24 | | In the One Hundred and Ninety-Fourth General Court |
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| 25 | 25 | | (2025-2026) |
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| 26 | 26 | | _______________ |
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| 27 | 27 | | An Act establishing a commission to study housing affordability and density reform. |
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| 28 | 28 | | Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority |
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| 29 | 29 | | of the same, as follows: |
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| 30 | 30 | | 1 SECTION 1. Notwithstanding any general or special law to the contrary, there shall be a |
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| 31 | 31 | | 2special commission to study and provide recommendations on the feasibility of reforms to |
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| 32 | 32 | | 3improve housing affordability, increase housing density, and reduce regulatory barriers in the |
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| 33 | 33 | | 4Commonwealth. The commission shall: (1) Analyze the impact of zoning regulations, such as |
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| 34 | 34 | | 5minimum lot sizes, height restrictions, and multi-family housing prohibitions, on housing supply |
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| 35 | 35 | | 6and affordability; (2) Investigate the effects of exclusionary zoning practices that limit housing |
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| 36 | 36 | | 7accessibility for low- and moderate-income residents; (3) Study best practices from other states |
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| 37 | 37 | | 8and regions, particularly those employing higher-density development and streamlined |
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| 38 | 38 | | 9regulatory processes; (4) Utilize econometric models and AI-driven methodologies to evaluate |
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| 39 | 39 | | 10current housing regulations and propose cost-effective reforms; (5) The commission shall make |
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| 40 | 40 | | 11determinations on the feasibility of implementing zoning reforms in Massachusetts, including |
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| 41 | 41 | | 12incentivizing higher-density development and simplifying permitting processes. 2 of 2 |
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| 42 | 42 | | 13 SECTION 2. The commission shall consist of the house and senate chairs of the Joint |
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| 43 | 43 | | 14Committee on Housing, who shall serve as co-chairs; the Speaker of the House of |
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| 44 | 44 | | 15Representatives or a designee; the President of the Senate or a designee; the House Minority |
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| 45 | 45 | | 16Leader or a designee; the Senate Minority Leader or a designee; a housing economist from the |
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| 46 | 46 | | 17Federal Reserve Bank of Boston, appointed by its president; a municipal planner with experience |
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| 47 | 47 | | 18in zoning reform, appointed by the Massachusetts Municipal Association; a representative from |
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| 48 | 48 | | 19the Massachusetts Home Builders Association, appointed by its board of directors; a legal |
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| 49 | 49 | | 20scholar specializing in property rights and land use law, appointed by the Dean of a |
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| 50 | 50 | | 21Massachusetts law school; and a nonprofit housing advocate with experience in affordable |
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| 51 | 51 | | 22housing development, appointed by the Governor. |
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| 52 | 52 | | 23 SECTION 3. The commission shall submit its report and findings, along with any |
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| 53 | 53 | | 24recommendations, to the house and senate committees on ways and means, the Joint Committee |
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| 54 | 54 | | 25on Housing, and the clerks of the House of Representatives and the Senate no later than 12 |
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| 55 | 55 | | 26months after the passage of this legislation. |
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