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SENATE DOCKET, NO. 902 FILED ON: 1/15/2025
SENATE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 182
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
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PRESENTED BY:
Jason M. Lewis, (BY REQUEST)
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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 for community housing packages.
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PETITION OF:
NAME:DISTRICT/ADDRESS :Vincent Dixon60 Lake St Apt N Winchester MA 01890 1 of 3
SENATE DOCKET, NO. 902 FILED ON: 1/15/2025
SENATE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 182
By Mr. Lewis (by request), a petition (accompanied by bill, Senate, No. 182) of Vincent Dixon,
for legislation for community housing packages. Community Development and Small
Businesses.
[SIMILAR MATTER FILED IN PREVIOUS SESSION
SEE SENATE, NO. 134 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 for community housing packages.
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. The Massachusetts General Laws are hereby amended by inserting the
2 following new chapter:
3 An Act for Community Housing Packages.
4 PURPOSE OF THIS ACT:
5 Over a period of many recent years, it has been concluded by many communities,
6especially in Eastern Massachusetts, that the supply of affordable, high-quality, and/or housing
7of almost any kind, has fallen short of the actual needs, thereby creating severe economic
8pressures, often for, both employees, and employers, in convenience to actual work places. 2 of 3
9 Only by, creating improved incentives, and distinct standards, might these problems be
10eased, to the extent that it is possible, and these matters, are the business, and purpose of this act.
11Mandatory requirements, have value; but cannot be understood, as the only way to accomplish
12expanding needed housing supply.
13 SECTION 2.
14 1.) The Department of Communities and Development, shall be authorized to create, after
15due consideration, Community Housing Packages (CHPs), for helping to create, and recruit,
16improved economics, across the 351 municipalities of Massachusetts, to expand, and strengthen
17local communities, and especially affordable, safe, and durable housing units. These CHPs, shall
18be part of a comprehensive state planning, and coordination process, intersecting with Master
19Planning processes, as needed, and appropriate.
20 2.) The Department of Communities and Development, shall be authorized to create
21suitable Regulations, to provide for the provisions of this statute, taking into account, particular
22local preferences for, and including strengthened, safe, and durable housing units; that reflect
23state-of-the-art, fire-resistant, and energy-efficient standards. While pressures to create
24significant increases in housing units, are understandable; these pressures should not prevent
25opportunities, to create substantially, better, well-built, longer-term quality construction.
26 3.) Such Community Housing Packages shall be based on encouraging, where possible,
27mixed-use development, and by consulting a recognized list of pre-screened, neighborhood, and
28community-friendly developers, and contractors, with high-quality lasting construction
29standards. 3 of 3
30 4.) The Department of Housing and Community Development, shall establish, keep, and
31annually renew, a listing of high-quality, neighborhood, and community-friendly developers, by
32welcoming, pre-screening, of such companies, interviewing them, and publicizing such
33businesses, in various appropriate positive publicity, by public announcement, and general
34media.
35 5.) Community Housing Packages (CHPs), shall take into account relevant modest, to
36medium intensity regional transit options, in encouraging newer local economic development;
37and intersect with state transportation planning.
38 6.) These Community Housing Packages (CHPs), shall also be distributed across the
39width, and breadth, of The Commonwealth, taking into account opportunities, to strengthen local
40businesses, local communities, and ranges of income levels.