- Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities
BOSTON — Today, Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll, Secretary of Housing and Livable Communities Ed Augustus, and Secretary of Administration and Finance Matthew J. Gorzkowicz testified before the Legislature’s Joint Committee on Bonding, Capital Expenditures and State Assets in support of the Affordable Homes Act. This was the second public hearing for the legislation after nearly 11 hours of testimony before the Joint Committee on Housing on Jan. 18, 2023.
"High housing costs are the biggest challenge facing our residents and our economy. The time to act with urgency and scale is now," said Lieutenant Governor Driscoll. "The Affordable Homes Act is an economic winner for our state, and it’s an economic necessity for our residents, communities, and businesses."
The Affordable Homes Act includes $4 billion in capital spending authorizations, 28 policy proposals and two targeted tax credits. The bill seeks to increase the amount of money available for affordable housing, reduce barriers to the production and preservation of housing, and provide communities with the tools to develop more housing where they need it. A full list of authorizations included in the bill can be found here. In addition to filing the Affordable Homes Act, Governor Healey issued three executive orders to further spur housing production.
“The Affordable Homes Act will have a significant impact on the future of housing across the Commonwealth,” said Secretary Augustus. “Every dollar in this bill supports families, seniors and renters struggling to access affordable housing. Every dollar prioritizes our state's climate and decarbonization goals. Every dollar will help lift us out of our housing crisis.”
"The Affordable Homes Act was designed to ensure the Commonwealth has the authorization it needs to significantly ramp up its investment in housing over the next five years,” said Secretary Gorzkowicz. “We know that this is essential if we hope to deliver on the promises we’ve made to tackle our housing challenges and begin to make the types of investments necessary to ensure that our residents can afford to stay here, and that people and businesses see Massachusetts as an attractive place to relocate or grow.”
The Affordable Homes Act was filed by Governor Healey on Oct. 18, 2023. Since then, Secretary Augustus has visited 50 Massachusetts communities and counting to convene listening sessions, tour public housing authorities, and expand the broad coalition in support of the legislation. A new map published by EOHLC tracks the Administration’s tour in support of the bill and housing priorities:
An analysis from the UMass Donahue Institute shows that over 5 years, the Affordable Homes Act – combined with the housing tax credits expanded by the Legislature and Healey-Driscoll Administration last year – will create nearly 30,000 jobs, produce $25 billion in economic impact, and bring in $800 million of state tax revenue.